In 2015 Windows 10 came out and gained a lot of popularity whereas this year Windows 11 was released. The new version has different features and feels to it. The OS also performs some new things that can be noticed immediately. The best thing is that the user can make changes to have the same feel and look. It also has built-in privacy and security changes that you will welcome. If you are planning to use the new operating system then we recommend these top 8 Free VPNs for Windows 11 in 2024 to download and install.
Why use a VPN on Windows 11
The importance of your data cannot be stressed enough. Data breaches are happening daily costing billions in damages. Your information is the new gold, simple as that! You need to protect and keep it hidden from malicious users and hackers worldwide hence why you need a VPN. As you may already know, Microsoft does have a habit of data collection.
Also, some of the new changes in the core OS make it a delight to run it in the background because you don’t notice it there.
Start Menu Refreshed
You can now see it in the center of the screen by default. It carries live tiles for both pinned and recommended apps. It can be adjusted back towards the left position if you want the same feel as the previous version.
An updated Taskbar
Icons are placed in the center of the taskbar but positioning can be changed.
New Modifications
Comes with a magnifying glass, in here type and look for anything you want.
User-friendly menus
In the new version when one hovers over the min or max button it gives a choice to snap windows to the left, right, or corners as well.
Major UI Changes
The new version comes with rounded corners just like the ones in Windows 7 and Vista.
It was said that the new version would have a completely new look but it is not like this. If this is the final design then it has the same feel as macOS. One thing that remained the same is privacy. This is why you need to take all the benefits of the VPN’s encryption layer. This helps to mash IP addresses and give a secure tunnel. Like this, one can avoid security features that all new OS battle as they come out.
We know desktops are stationary but laptops today are more popular and easy if you are on the go, still, everything today runs on Windows. If you want to connect to open wifi at your location then you can easily access the net which is best for online shopping or checking account balances. This also means that anyone can access your device unless you connect to a VPN. Like this, you can focus on the next transaction despite who has your data.
As laptops are used popularly today especially when one is flying. During this, you might run into censorship. When you connect to a VPN you trick the blocking software into believing that you are someplace else. As it provides you with a different IP address it sees traffic as coming from somewhere outside the country. Through this, you can enjoy your favorite shows.
The 8 Best VPNs for Windows 11 PCs (Free Picks)
We need to see some factors for this, in such cases, they need to do with privacy and access.
- Providers who do not keep information.
- Get away with all the network and government restrictions using the new version.
- Stable networks to avoid dropped connections using the new OS.
- Good yet strong military-grade encryption is used to protect privacy.
Let’s look at the best VPNs.
NordVPN – #1 Free VPN Service for Windows 11
If you are looking for online games or for newer versions that developers often release at different times, this has you covered if you want to have early access. As you connect to the server in the correct region then it makes the host think he is in the local area. Popular companies are based in Korea, the US, Japan and many others, depending on where developers are.
It can be quite challenging for all sports fans to watch their favorite event; this can be a problem when one travels outside the country. The best thing is to connect to a VPN from this. For this select the correct location. Like, if you own an ESPN account and are outside America then you can connect to a US-based server to view whatever you want without any issues.
ALSO TRY: Kuto VPN Free for Windows (Latest Download).
ExpressVPN – No Browsing History Logs Kept
The best thing about this one is all about censorship. If you live if a region or are traveling to one where there are some restrictions imposed by the government then this is the best choice. Now, from political speed to social media to another ban on content use this to sort all problems. This protects the privacy of the user in the best possible way while they serve the internet. As the company is offering various server locations then do not worry about speed loss as you are reaching out for a server that lies outside your region.
If you are a sports lover then there are good reasons why you need to connect with this. It does not matter where you live as long as you are connected you can access different streaming services. For this, all you need to do is connect to the particular coverage and enjoy your favorite content.
They carry a good reputation and are known for their good services. It carries some extra features and this is why it is most used. We use it while traveling and in our office. It provides good performance and this is used in gaming and streaming. The best thing about this one is that we can test this with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Sign up for a year, get 3 months all for free, and a discount of 49%.
Private Internet Access – Unlimited VPN for Windows 11
Users of TV want to watch their team in action and with private internet access they cannot miss it out. But, licensing rights to the team shall consider one to be “in-market” if they try to watch their favorite show online. This means you can miss out on your favorite content but if connected to a VPN outside the region there is no way to delay your favorite show.
It is best if you do not want to keep logs. They have had good popularity among users over small time. Some organizations and companies claim not to keep logs at the same time turn over to authorities. Its team works hard to protect the privacy of its users. If you keep privacy at top priority then this one is designed for you.
ALSO TRY: Download Orbot for PC – A Tor Network Powered VPN.
IPVanish – Best Torrenting and P2P VPN for Windows 11
If you are over the web 24/7 and stream a lot of content then you might go through library fatigue which is when you see all you want on a certain service. As International websites such as Amazon Prime and Netflix carry different libraries based on the location you shall want to connect to a server through this. For this, if you are bored watching the available content then all you need to do is change the server region to access others and watch what you prefer.
If you are someone who loves to play online games then connect to a server that has the game available in the nearest countries. As Australia is quite a popular choice. Like this, you trick the software that you are there. This can also be done with business and enterprise-class VPNs such as Cisco AnyConnect.
CyberGhost – DNS Leak Protection
Setting this one up is very easy and in many ways, it can help the users as well. These include providing detailed guides to help set everything up along with the email system as well. They come with live chat support which is available 24/7 but if you want quick responses then customer service representatives are also present. Their team can handle requests in English, French, German, and Romanian. In short, it has you covered with all your queries.
If you want to stream different connections then connect to a server from this. For this just choose a server in a different region. Like this, you get access to a new colorful library of content that has never been seen and enjoyed before.
Hotspot Shield – The #1 Free Choice
If you are looking for speed then this is a great option, it employs catapult hydra protocol which has been tested to make it all speedy.
Now what to look for:
- Select anti-virus and password manager.
- Very user-friendly.
- It can unblock many popular OTT platforms.
- Streams at a consistently good speed.
Turbo VPN – Fastest Download/Upload Speeds
Sometimes all we want is to have a trustworthy service without paying a single penny. This one is fully packed with features and comes in free as well however it might not have the speed you want.
Now what to look for:
- 100% free.
- Many servers to select from.
- A user-friendly interface.
TunnelBear – Secure and Respects Privacy
If you are a new user then trying out other VPNs might be a bit too much therefore we suggest you go for this and start with something which is convenient. But with this, you might want to compromise on a few things. A great alternative is Goat VPN which is very cheap too when comparing the monthly plans.
Now what to look for:
- Ease in use.
- Secure.
- Private.
- Comes with frequent independent audits.
ALSO TRY: SuperVPN for Windows Download and Review.
Surfshark – Stability and speed at the core
Surfshark is one of the best players in the VPN services area online. It offers a wide variety of products including an Antivirus and a VPN which is the most famous one. It comes with CleanWeb which is its own version of a built-in adblocker for your devices. You can enable split tunneling giving you multiple IP addresses at the same via their Bypasser feature.
Our main point of recommendation comes from their strict no-logs policy and DNS leak protection offering. This protects you from your ISP, government and other monitoring services that are capturing your web traffic and usage. They use AES-256-GCM encryption meaning that it cannot be decrypted.
3 Different Types of VPNs for Windows 11
SSL-based VPN
All employees working in any organization or company do not have access to a company laptop to work from home. During the Pandemic, many companies complained about not having enough resources for their employees. In such scenarios, private devices such as PCs, laptops, mobiles and tablets are used. The companies fall back to SSL-VPN which can be implemented through a hardware box.
For this you need to have an HTML-5-capable browser that calls up the login page of the company, these are virtually available for any OS. All you need to have is a username with a passcode to access it.
Site-to-Site Connection VPN
This is a private network that is designed primarily to hide private intranets as well as allow users of such secure networks to get access to one another’s resources.
If you have different locations in your company each with its own LAN connected to Wide Area Network (WAN) then this is a great option to select, however, If you have separate internets among which you want to send in files without wanting users from the intranet having access to others then this is also very useful.
These are used in bigger companies or organizations. If you wish to have this then keep in mind that it is complex in nature and not as easy or flexible to implement as SSL VPNs. Moreover, these seem to be an effective way to ensure good communication between and within large departments.
Client-to-Server Connection VPN
Connecting through a VPN client is like you are connecting your system to the company via cable. Through a secure connection, employees can dial in the company network from their office at home and assume they are sitting in the office. For this keep in mind that the VPN client needs to be first installed and configured on the system.
In this, the user is not connected to the internet through his own ISP but makes a direct connection via the VPN provider. This is used to shorten the tunnel phase of the VPN complete journey. Now, in spite of using a VPN to make an encryption tunnel to disguise net connection available, it can encrypt data before it is made available to the user automatically.
This is quite a common form of VON which is primarily being used for providers of insecure public WLAN. It is also used to prevent all third parties from accessing or compromising the connection and also encrypts data till it reaches the provider. Moreover, it is can also prevent ISPs from accessing data that remains unencrypted for any reason and bypasses any restrictions on the internet access of the user.
You shall have quite some benefits using this; its access is greater efficiency and universal access to company resources. The best thing is you can have an office-type environment at home, just connect your system with a headset and feel like you are sitting at the office. The best thing is that customers don’t even know whether you sitting at the office place or at home.
How to Install a VPN on Windows 11 (Quick Steps)
Installing the VPN Client
For standalone clients of VPN, the software needs to be installed which is configured to meet all the needs of the endpoint, this endpoint when setting it up executes the link and connects to the other point thus making an encryption tunnel. For this step, companies need to enter a passcode that is issued by the company or installation of the certificate. Using these firewalls authorizes it and the employee identifies himself by credential known.
Installing Browser Extensions
These can be added to Chrome and Firefox whereas Opera comes with its own integrated VPN extensions. Now extensions are helpful as these users can switch and configure their VPN easily while surfing the web. Keep in mind that it is only for information shared in this browser. Other browsers cannot be encrypted by the VPN.
The browser extensions seem to be a good option for occasional users who have an extra layer of internet security but are also proven to be quite susceptible to breaches. It is suggested to select a reputable extension as data harvesters might attempt to use fake VPN extensions. For those who do not know data harvesting is a collection of personal data like what marketing strategists do to make a personal profile of the user.
Installing it from a Router-level
If you have different devices connected to the very same connection then it becomes quite easy to implement a VPN on the router directly rather than separately installing a VPN on each device. This is handy when you need to protect devices that have a net connection but not easy to configure like smart TVs. Moreover, with this, you can have access to content that is restricted geographically through home entertainment systems. You can always choose an unusual and unique name for your access point to make it stand out.
This is easy to install and also provides users with great security and privacy. Moreover, it is used to prevent the network from being compromised when devices that are not secured log on. It might be quite difficult to manage if the router does not have its user interface as this can result in the blocking of incoming connections.
This one is a custom solution that needs a personalized setup as well as technical support. This is made by the IT team of the company. Keep in mind that you carry no administrative influence as a user from the VPN itself and all your activities and transfer of data are logged by the company. This helps the company to minimize the risk of a data leak. The benefit is to have a fully secured connection to the company’s intranet as well as a server even for those who are working outside the company or organization using their network connection.
Conclusion – Which Free VPN for Windows 11 have you chosen?
In the digital world where privacy is becoming less and less, a virtual private network is your savior. These services help protect your internet logs, history and location data so it doesn’t get into the hands of your ISP. They tend to sell this data over to other third-party companies. The above collection of the 8 best free VPNs for Windows 11 that you can download will offer you enhanced privacy, faster internet and security at all costs.
