At the beginning of 2018, SurfEasy, a VPN service provider, acquired OperaVPN and consequently announced that OperaVPN would terminate its services by the 30th of April of the same year.
That was tragic news for those who grew fond of the free VPN for their safe surfing over the internet.
This article will list the four best alternatives to Opera VPN for Android and iOS phone apps. So, let’s dive in and see which one suits our needs.
Best paid alternatives to Opera VPN – at a glance
| TunnelBear | Windscribe | Proton VPN | Hide.me VPN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg speed | 67Mbps | 72Mbps | 48Mbps | 26Mbps |
| Number of servers | 5,000 servers | Undisclosed | 3,217 servers | Undisclosed |
| Simultaneous connections | Unlimited | Unlimited devices | 10 devices | 10 devices |
| Supported devices | Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome OS | Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox | Android, iOS, MacOS, Windows | iOS, Windows, Android, Chrome, macOS |
| Popular sites unblocked | 89% | 67% | 42% | 38% |
Best alternatives to Opera VPN today
1. TunnelBear VPN
Like once, OperaVPN was, TunnelBear VPN is continuously growing to be one of the go-to VPN services for mobile users.
It provides free and paid versions and an eye-catching yet easy-to-use interface for beginners. Below are some of the highlighted TunnelBear VPN features:
- Up to 500MB monthly data stipend for free users (1GB if you tweet about it)
- Free users can access 19 different locations
- Available for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, IOS, Android, and Chrome OS
- Possesses a Kill Switch
- It adheres to a strict no logs policy
- Excellent connection speeds
- Offers money-back guarantee for seven days
Not long ago, McAfee, one of the top-tier tech-security firms, acquired TunnelBear VPN. Hence, it is a no-brainer that TunnelBear VPN will provide even better services to its users in the near future, so you need to be on the lookout for its upcoming policies.
2. Windscribe VPN
The second on the list of our best alternatives is Windscribe VPN. This free VPN app is available on multiple devices, including Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Mac, Chrome, and Firefox. Talking about added privacy tools, it also offers an ad blocker and firewall.
Easy location spoofing allows you to avoid geological restrictions. A prime example is that you can use it for locations with severe censorship and robust web control, like China.
The following are the essential characteristics that this OperaVPN alternative offers:
- 11 servers available with excellent speed
- No data logs
- Military-grade encryption and ideal secrecy are enabled across all connections
- Windflix for Netflix
- 10GB monthly data allowance for free users
- Offers 3 Days money-back guarantee
3. Proton VPN
Proton VPN is a Switzerland-based VPN service provided by the same security experts’ company that created the renowned end-to-end encrypted email platform ProtonMail.
Like all other famous VPN services mentioned above, ProtonVPN offers a dedicated Android VPN app alongside the applications for iOS, Mac, and Windows operating systems. In addition, the VPN is available in multiple languages, including French, Italian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish.
Another cool thing is that the provider has open-sourced all its applications. As a result, anyone can test and analyze the apps for potential vulnerabilities, which ultimately helps keep the apps secure. Besides, users can use the service on up to 10 devices simultaneously with a single account.
ProtonVPN also boasts the following key features:
- No advertisements
- No bandwidth limits
- A seven-day trial period for the premium version
- Bullet-proof security
- Elegant and easy-to-use UI
- Servers in Switzerland, Netherlands, USA, India, and Japan
- Strict no logs policy
4. Hide.me VPN
Malaysian-based Hide.me VPN service doesn’t provide many free servers, but they are available in diverse locations like Canada, Singapore, and the Netherlands.
It is beneficial if you are only looking for a VPN to spoof your geo-location and don’t need a hefty amount of data, so this is the right choice.
Although, Hide.me doesn’t provide many servers in its free version. Yet, it still can be considered a good Opera VPN-free alternative as it caters to safe and stable services for basic needs like securing public hotspots and accessing essential geo-restrictive content.
The following are the key features this OperaVPN alternative provides to its users.
- Decent speeds on free servers
- 2 Gigabytes data limit per month for free accounts
- Uses OpenVPN to ensure the security
- Lifetime free service
- Zero data logs
- Apps available for iOS, Android, Mac, Chrome, and Windows
Indeed, Opera VPN was an excellent free VPN service application, and it is unfortunate to see it shut down permanently.
However, we all need the next best VPN service to stay anonymous while surfing the internet. I hope the Opera alternatives listed above, with their crucial characteristics, will help you find the one you require. Do check them out and see for yourself.
An important note
If you are really serious about your online protection, it is recommended that you avoid free VPN services. While free VPNs will enable you to save a few bucks every month, as per some reports, the risks to your data and internet privacy are not worth it.
Nonetheless, all the free alternatives to Opera VPN listed above have been extensively tested.
These VPNs were featured only after I, alongside the whole cybersecurity team at PrivacySavvy, ensured they did not leak your data or compromise your security as most free VPNs do.
Still, you should never expect perfection from a service or product you get for free. Just remember that a business that does not mind you using its service or product free of cost somehow needs to make money.
Getting a free VPN account costs you much more than paying for a premium subscription. When using free VPNs, you mostly pay for slow speeds, data misuse, adverts bombardment by the free VPN, bandwidth leakage, and tracking of your online activities.
So, investing in quality premium VPNs like ExpressVPN is always recommended. You’ll have more secure and faster connections alongside an utterly open internet with greater privacy. And best of all, complete peace of mind.
Testing methodology: How do we choose the best Opera VPN alternatives?
We considered These factors when reviewing and testing Opera VPN alternatives on this list.
- Security and privacy – The best alternative should have adequate security and privacy measures to keep you safe on the internet. So, some of the features we considered are AES 256-bit encryption, effective kill switch, working tunneling protocols, and leak protection.
- Unblocking capability – A reliable alternative must bypass popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more.
- Wide server network – You need a VPN with an extensive server network to access content and services in as many countries as possible. So, besides the number of servers a VPN has, we also considered providers with more server locations.
- Speed and performance – A VPN usually affects your internet speed because of its security measures. While providing stable connections, VPNs like Opera VPN should fully protect you. We tested the VPNs’ speed at different intervals to see how they performed.
- Ease of use – Some VPNs are too complicated to install or use. So, we only selected VPNs with easy-to-use apps for all devices. Most VPNs offer guides or FAQs on their websites, which can fail to solve your issues. Opera VPN alternatives with responsive and knowledgeable customer services are ideal.
- Browser extension – Opera VPN works well with the Opera browser. We also chose VPNs that are compatible with the Opera browser and other popular browsers like Chrome.
