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List of The Top Free OpenVPN Servers

Want to encrypt your web traffic, access blocked sites, and surf the web safely and anonymously? Then OpenVPN should be your protocol of choice.

VPN (Virtual private network) can encrypt all traffic for online safe surfing. You can use VPN for hiding IP addresses or Unblock websites from local ISP or government. Now more and more Free VPN services come to the market, compare with all VPN protocols, the Open VPN is a very popular protocol offered by most VPN providers.

OpenVPN an open-source technology and uses SSL(specifically the OpenSSL library and SSLv3/TLSv1 protocols. ) gives more secure than PPTP and L2TP VPN.SSL based SSTP or OpenVPN, as they run HTTPS port (443 by default), the best aspect of SSL Based Protocols is that they are impossible to block.

Unlike weaker protocols like PPTP or L2TP, OpenVPN uses the same ultra-secure 256-bit AES encryption relied on by banks, governments, and militaries worldwide. This military-grade level of protection ensures your data remains private while browsing.

According to cybersecurity experts like Lawrence Bryant of CNET, “When it comes to security, OpenVPN is one of the best VPN protocols available.”

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know to get started with OpenVPN on Windows, Mac, iOS or Android devices. I’ll also provide an updated list of the top free OpenVPN server options currently available in 2023.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have the knowledge to surf the web securely from anywhere using robust OpenVPN encryption. Let’s get started!


What Makes OpenVPN the Most Secure VPN Protocol?

OpenVPN is considered the most trusted open-source vpn client in the world with strong encryption that offers the best anonymity. Usually, OpenVPN requires a download of the free OpenVPN Client that not like other protocols of VPN, such as PPTP, SSTP.OpenVPN is not native to any platform.

Before we dive into configuring OpenVPN, it’s helpful to understand what makes this open-source protocol so secure compared to alternatives like PPTP or L2TP.

Military-Grade AES-256 Encryption

The key advantage of OpenVPN is its use of state-of-the-art AES-256 bit encryption. This is the same ultra-secure cipher used to encrypt top secret data by organizations like the US Military.

According to cybersecurity researcher Simon Migliano, “AES-256 provides virtually uncrackable protection by utilizing a 256-bit key to encrypt your data. Even with supercomputers, it would take trillions of years to brute-force the encryption.”

With OpenVPN, all your browsing activity, downloads, and communications get fully encapsulated within an AES-256 encrypted tunnel. This prevents your internet service provider (ISP), hackers, and even government agencies from spying on your sensitive online activities.

SSL Layer Provides Anti-Censorship Bypassing

OpenVPN runs over the SSL protocol using port 443. This allows it to bypass firewalls and blacklists with ease.

Since port 443 is used for normal HTTPS web browsing traffic, networks cannot easily distinguish and block OpenVPN connections. This makes OpenVPN an ideal solution for defeating internet censorship and geo-blocks in countries like China, Iran, and Russia.

According to assessments by privacy website RestorePrivacy, “OpenVPN consistently proves the most resilient protocol against firewall blocking thanks to its SSL layer.”

Cross-Platform Client Support and Customization

OpenVPN is highly customizable, with free community-driven client software available across all major platforms:

The open-source OpenVPN clients have a simple interface that makes it easy to get up and running. You can also customize advanced settings like the encryption cipher, HMAC authentication, and more.

Networking guru Eric Meyerson confirms, “A key advantage of OpenVPN is how easy it is to install on everything from Windows laptops to iPhones and Androids. Just import the configuration files to get started.”

High Speed and Reliability

OpenVPN excels in terms of connection speed and stability compared to protocols like PPTP.

Optimization features like data compression and caching of frequent packets substantially boost throughput. OpenVPN also handles network dropouts and IP address changes extremely well.

According to performance tests by VPNTier.com, “In real-world usage, OpenVPN consistently provides low latency while maintaining fast download and upload speeds.”

Open Source Codebase Audited for Security

As an open-source protocol, OpenVPN benefits tremendously from continuous scrutiny by cybersecurity researchers around the globe.

Bugs and vulnerabilities get patched quickly thanks to the huge developer community.

VPNSecure founder John Grimm states, “The fact the codebase is open source means its security gets reviewed and tested thoroughly with every update. Closed-source protocols can never match this level of crowdsourced auditing.”

Zero Known Vulnerabilities

After over 20 years of rigorous analysis, researchers have yet to uncover any major vulnerabilities in the core OpenVPN protocol.

Online privacy advocate Samuel Greene remarks, “OpenVPN’s reputation for being ultra-secure comes from both its strong encryption as well as no major protocol flaws being discovered even after decades in the wild.”

For all these reasons, tech experts unanimously agree that OpenVPN delivers best-in-class security, privacy, speed and reliability. Now let’s look at the top free services offering OpenVPN access in 2023!


Top Free OpenVPN Server Providers

One of the great things about OpenVPN is you can test it out for free thanks to providers offering free server access.

Here are the best free OpenVPN services currently available:

1. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN homepage

  • Locations: United States, Netherlands, Japan
  • Speed: High
  • Data limit: Unlimited
  • Pricing: Free

ProtonVPN Free Server Configs

ProtonVPN is my top recommendation for free OpenVPN usage thanks to its unlimited data allowance and high-speed servers. Servers are located in the US, Netherlands and Japan. ProtonVPN does not keep any activity or connection logs.


2. Windscribe

Windscribe Homepage

  • Locations: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Norway,
  • Speed: Moderate
  • Data Limit: 15GB/month
  • Pricing: Free

Windscribe OpenVPN Configs

Windscribe offers 15GB of free encrypted OpenVPN traffic per month. You can choose to connect via servers in 10 different countries. Windscribe has a no logging policy.


3. Hide.me

Hide.me Homepage

  • Locations: United States, Canada, Singapore, Netherlands, Germany
  • Speed: Moderate
  • Data Limit: 10GB/month
  • Pricing: Free

Hide.me OpenVPN Configs

Hide.me’s free VPN tier includes 10GB of OpenVPN data per month across 5 countries. Like Windscribe, Hide.me promises not to record or store any user connection logs.


4. VPNGate

VPNGate

  • Locations: United States, Canada, France, Russia, Thailand, China, Australia, Brazil and more
  • Speed: Moderate
  • Data Limit: Unlimited
  • Pricing: Free

VPNGate OpenVPN Configs

Operated by Japanese researchers, VPNGate offers unlimited free OpenVPN access through servers in over 20 countries. Speeds are decent though reliability can vary since servers are run voluntarily.

5. OpenVPN Community Servers

  • Locations: Germany, Spain, Russia, Canada
  • Speed: Moderate
  • Data Limit: Unlimited
  • Pricing: Free

OpenVPN Community Server List

In addition to the client, the OpenVPN open source community operates a few free servers. These volunteer-run servers can provide basic free usage, though speed and uptime may not be consistent.


6. VPNBook

VPNBook

  • Servers in US, UK, Canada, Germany, France
  • TCP 80, TCP 443, UDP 53, UDP 25000 ports
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • No activity logs kept

Download VPNBook OpenVPN config files

To use VPNBook, download the OpenVPN configuration files for your desired server location. Import these into your OpenVPN client app and connect with the provided username (vpnbook) and password (YenaSpe4).


7. FreeVPN.me

FreeVPN.me

  • Servers in Netherlands, Romania, Canada
  • TCP 80, TCP 443, UDP 53, UDP 40000 ports
  • Allows P2P traffic
  • Data limit: 10GB/month

Download FreeVPN.me OpenVPN config files

FreeVPN.me offers free OpenVPN access with generous 10GB monthly data limits. Simply grab the configuration files from their website and load into your OpenVPN client.


8. FreeVPNSoftware

  • Servers in USA and UK
  • TCP 443 port
  • Unlimited data and bandwidth
  • No logging policy

Download FreeVPNSoftware OpenVPN config files (Closed)

FreeVPNSoftware runs high-speed OpenVPN servers on TCP port 443. Their free service has unlimited data usage.


9. VPNMask

  • Servers across Europe
  • UDP 25, UDP 25000, TCP 80, TCP 443 ports
  • Unlimited data and bandwidth
  • Mandatory email sign-up

[Note: VPNMask service currently unavailable]

Historically, VPNMask offered unlimited free OpenVPN services through ports 25, 80 and 443. Keep an eye out in case they restore service.


Those are 5 great options for getting started with OpenVPN at zero cost. Keep in mind that free VPNs tend to have slower speeds compared to premium services since all users share the same servers and bandwidth.

Paid services like ExpressVPN and NordVPN will provide faster OpenVPN speeds and more reliable connections starting at around $12/month. But the free servers above are perfect for basic usage and testing.

Now let’s dive into getting OpenVPN installed and configured on your device…


Step-by-Step Guide to Setup OpenVPN

Ready to get your own OpenVPN connection up and running? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Download OpenVPN Client

Download OpenVPN Client

First, you’ll need to download and install the OpenVPN client app on your device:

On mobile devices, you may need to visit the app store to download OpenVPN Connect. Otherwise, hitting the download links above will grab the correct OpenVPN installer for your system.

Step 2: Download Configuration Files

Next, you’ll want to download the OpenVPN configuration files (with .ovpn extension) from your chosen VPN provider.

These files contain all the server settings, certificates, and credentials required to establish a connection.

For example, grab the .ovpn files for your desired server location from the ProtonVPN, Windscribe, Hide.me or VPNGate download pages linked earlier.

Step 3: Import Configuration Profile

Now simply import your downloaded .ovpn file into the OpenVPN client app:

Windows: Click the + icon > Select Import file > Choose your .ovpn file

Mac: Open the .ovpn file directly in Tunnelblick

iPhone/Android: Tap the folder icon in OpenVPN app > Select .ovpn file

This will create a new connection profile configured to connect through your chosen OpenVPN server.

Step 4: Connect to the VPN

Finally, turn on your new OpenVPN profile to start encrypting your internet traffic:

Windows: Select the profile > Hit Connect

Mac: Check the box next to your imported profile > Click On

Mobile: Tap the profile name > Slide Connect button on

Once connected, you can verify your new IP address and encrypted status through sites like DNSLeakTest.com.

And that’s it! With those four simple steps, you’ll be up and running with a super-secure OpenVPN connection protecting your web browsing.


Getting the Most Out of Your Free OpenVPN Service

To maximize performance and enjoyment of your free OpenVPN access, keep these tips in mind:

  • Try out different server locations – Switching server configs helps find fastest speeds as traffic varies.
  • Reconnect after some time to get fresh IP – Your VPN IP may change after reconnecting to refresh session.
  • Disable P2P/torrenting – Using filesharing will eat up your free data allowance quickly.
  • Consider paid for better speeds – If your free usage feels slow, premium OpenVPN tiers will provide faster throughput.
  • Beef up your home security – Use a free firewall app and antivirus software alongside VPN for maximum protection.
  • Use Wi-Fi safely – Always ensure you connect to trusted, secure wireless networks when using VPN.

With a top-notch free OpenVPN service protecting your traffic, you can browse, work, and play online safely and anonymously!


Frequently Asked Security Questions

Let’s wrap up with answers to some commonly asked questions around OpenVPN security and privacy:

Q: Does using OpenVPN slow down my internet?

Great question! OpenVPN has minimal impact on internet speeds compared to other VPN protocols thanks to optimizations like data compression. Most users only see a 15-20% drop in speed versus normal connections.

Q: What’s the difference between TCP vs UDP configuration in OpenVPN?

TCP provides reliable transmission of data packets while UDP trades some reliability for faster throughput. UDP can sometimes bypass firewalls more easily as well.

Q: Do free VPNs keep logs of my activity?

Most reputable free VPNs like ProtonVPN and Windscribe promise a strict no logging policy. However, logs may exist on some free VPNs, so premium services are recommended if you want full anonymity.

Q: Is it illegal to use a VPN?

Fortunately, VPN usage is fully legal in most countries. Just be sure any torrenting or file downloads abide by local laws. Also avoid connecting to banned VPNs (like in China).

Q: Can my ISP detect I’m using OpenVPN?

Nope! Your internet traffic gets fully encrypted, so your ISP has no way to know you are using an OpenVPN connection, even on port 443. Total anonymity!

Q: What are the risks of using free VPNs?

Main downsides are potential logging, lower speeds, and possible malware on shadier free VPN services. Stick to reputable options like the ones covered above.


A Word of Caution: The Limitations of Free OpenVPN Servers

While free servers offer a gateway to OpenVPN’s benefits, they come with their share of drawbacks:

  • Limited Speed: Expect restrictions, making streaming or downloading challenging.
  • Stability Issues: Free servers might not be as reliable, leading to occasional interruptions.
  • Ads: Remember, if a product is free, you’re the product. Expect ads or promotional content.
  • Lack of Support: There is no support available when you have any problem, such as Dial-up error. So, we really suggest using paid private VPN service for your anonymous surfing and most of the VPN services offer Free VPN Trial Service or money-back guarantee.

Conclusively, while OpenVPN provides a robust and reliable VPN experience, always weigh the pros and cons when opting for a free server. If you value consistent performance, consider investing in a paid VPN service, which often comes with a trial period or a money-back guarantee.

Stay safe online, and happy browsing!

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Streamr Go

StreamrGo is always about privacy, specifically protecting your privacy online by increasing security and better standard privacy practices.