5 Best FREE VPNs for Russia (Tested & Working) in 2023
Lawrence Williams
The recent war in Ukraine increased the Censorship of the Russian Government. Vladimir Putin has blocked popular western social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. There has been heavy Censorship in Russia even before the war, like the blocking of Telegram, BBC, Google News, etc., all in the name of spreading “fake information.”
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) will help you fix all of this by masking your IP address to get internet freedom. Following is a handpicked list of Top VPNs for Russia with their key specifications, features, pros, cons, privacy policy, and website links. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) software. Read more…
Our Best Free VPN recommendation
Best VPNs For Russia
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#1 Best Overall
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| VPN Provider | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | Atlas VPN | Surfshark |
| Servers offered | 0 Russian servers, 191 worldwide | 0 Russian servers, 5000+ worldwide | 0 Russian servers, 750+ worldwide | 0 Russian servers, 3000+ worldwide |
| Number of servers | 3,000+ | 5,000+ | 750+ | 3200+ |
| No. of Server Countries | 94 | 59 | 37 | 65 |
| 24/7 support | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Max connections | 5 | 6 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Our Review |
Excellent – 9.8
 |
Excellent – 9.7
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Good – 9.6
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Good – 9.5
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| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Link | Try Free Now | Try Free Now | Try Free Now | Try Free Now |
1) ExpressVPN
Best One of the most secure VPN apps
ExpressVPN is one of the most reliable VPN in the industry. It is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, which is one of the most privacy-friendly governments in the world with no laws regarding data retention. It isn’t a part of any alliances too. PwC has also independently audited ExpressVPN’s security and servers.
ExpressVPN and all other VPN services on this list are no-logs VPNs. So, they don’t store your data or which websites you visited. That way, the Russian Government won’t be able to link your internet activity back to you.
ExpressVPN’s servers are also secure, and they haven’t suffered a data breach since their inception. The VPN offers various protocols being IKEv2, Lightway – UDP, Lightway – TCP, OpenVPN UDP, and OpenVPN TCP. These protocols ensure that data can be transferred between your computer and the VPN server securely and quickly.
As for performance, it’s quite average, and you won’t be faced with too heavy speed reductions.
Here’s what ExpressVPN stores:
- It stores app and app versions installed
- Selected VPN server
- Dates connected to the VPN
- Total data transferred (in MB)
Features:
- Provides stable connection in Russia
- Network lock kill switch
- IP Address masking to change Russian IP to another country
- TrustedServer technology (data isn’t written to a server) so Russian authorities can’t identify your browsing
- Lightway protocol for a reliable connection
- Uses 256 Bit Security
Key Specs:
| Supported Platforms: Mac, iOS, Android, Linux |
No of Servers: None in Russia, 3000+ worldwide | Server Countries: 100+ | Split Tunneling: Yes |
| Data Allowance: Unlimited | Torrenting: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes | |
| Able to unblock: Netflix, Hulu, iPlayer, YouTube |
No-logging policy: Yes | Ip addresses: Dynamic | Simultaneous Connection: 5 |
| Free Trial: Yes – 30 days |
Privacy Policy: ExpressVPN’s privacy policy is quite straightforward, and it states that they collect some user data we mentioned above. Apart from that, they state that they know when you used ExpressVPN but not HOW you used it, which is essential for protecting your identity from Russia.
They also don’t know your real or VPN IP address and the websites you visited. All logs are erased. So, even if Putin breaks into one of the servers, he’ll find nothing.
Pros
TrustedServer technology ensures Russian authorities have no logs
The military-grade encryption helps with security
The IP Address masking works, and you can access western services from Russia
Easily go past geo-restrictions
Cons
No server in Russia
Pricing on the higher side
How to use ExpressVPN for Free:
- Start your risk-free ExpressVPN trial right here. You can cancel your subscription at any time within 30 days thanks to ExpressVPN’s money-back guarantee.
30-Day Free Trial
2) NordVPN
Best Great features, outstanding performance, and affordable price
NordVPN is a popular VPN for Russia that offers everything you need to get past internet censorship. It is in Panama, which is away from US and EU jurisdiction, or the 14 Eyes Alliance. The data collection laws over there are strict too.
NordVPN has been audited by PwC, where they tested a variety of things like:
- The P2P infrastructure
- no-logs VPN
- Obfuscated VPN
- Standard VPN
- Deluxe VPN
- Central Infrastructure.
PwC was happy to conclude that NordVPN is very secure with little to no flaws. VerSprite also conducted a security test of the app with no issues found.
The VPN offers the following protocols: Automatic, NordLynx, and OpenVPN (TCP and UDP). NordLynx is Nord’s custom-made protocol tailored for performance and reliability. This ensures that you get a perfect connection in Russia.
The streaming services performance was also exceptional, with minimal lag and high quality. As for performance, NordVPN is the industry leader with little to no reduction in your internet speed.
The data that NordVPN collects is as follows:
- Payment information
- Your name and email for login
- Aggregated, anonymous usage data
Features:
- Secure access to the internet
- VPN servers in all parts and countries of the world to overcome Censorship
- Obfuscated servers to hide your VPN traffic and connection from your Internet Service Providers
- Kill switch and split tunneling support
- Double IP change for extra security
- Onion over VPN for maximum anonymity
Key Specs:
| Supported Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS |
No of Servers: 0 in Russia, 5000+ worldwide | Server Countries: 60+ | Split Tunneling: Yes |
| Data Allowance: Unlimited | Torrenting: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes | |
| Able to unblock: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, iPlayer, YT |
No-logging policy: Yes | Ip addresses: Static | Simultaneous Connection: 6 |
| Free Trial: Yes – 30 days | Best for: Connecting double VPN, onion over VPN servers, P2P. | ||
Privacy Policy: The privacy policy doesn’t collect any data like IP addresses or websites visited. Their privacy policy stands tested and true. Although, NordVPN will comply with court orders and government requests.
Pros
Double layer over VPN for maximum anonymity and breaking through Russian Censorship
Obfuscated servers to prevent Russian ISP from knowing you use a VPN for Russia
NordLynx protocol for maximum reliability in Russia
Easily go past geo-restrictions
Cons
No servers in Russia
Complies with government orders and court requests
How to use NordVPN for Free:
- Start your risk-free NordVPN trial. You can cancel your subscription at any time. There are no costs.
- NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. It also offers flexible pricing plans, which makes it an easy to use and valuable privacy tool.
30-Day Free Trial
3) AtlasVPN
Best Impressive features and outstanding performance at a very affordable price
AtlasVPN is perfect for people on a tight budget. This VPN provider is located in the United States, which is one of the founding members of the 14 Eyes Alliance and the data collection laws over there aren’t privacy-friendly.
AtlasVPN has been audited by VerSprite, a cybersecurity agency, and they found some mild security flaws which were fixed immediately. The company hasn’t faced any data breaches in the past.
The protocols offered by AtlasVPN are WireGuard and IKEv2, which should suffice for most people. For streaming, the Virtual Private Network could unblock major platforms at high speeds and good quality.
As for actual performance, AtlasVPN puts up some of the most impressive numbers after NordVPN.
The data collected by the VPN is as follows:
- Application usage stats
- Device information operating system, model, etc.
- Billing information and data
Features:
- SafeSwap servers to access the internet from multiple IP addresses at the same time.
- Blocking ads and malware while using the VPN
- Multi Hop+ to access the internet after going through various security tunnels
- Network kill switch and split tunneling
- Seamless P2P sharing
Key Specs:
| Supported Platforms: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
No of Servers: 0 in Russia, 750+ worldwide | Server Countries: 35+ | Split Tunneling: Yes |
| Data Allowance: Unlimited | Torrenting: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes | |
| Able to unblock: Amazon Prime, Hotstar, iPlayer, YT |
No-logging policy: Yes | Ip addresses: Dynamic | Simultaneous Connection: Unlimited |
| Free Trial: Yes – 30 days |
Privacy Policy: AtlasVPN adheres to a strict no-logs policy, so no one knows what you browse or your DNS queries. This is important so that Russian authorities don’t know what you did.
Pros
Privacy-friendly features like SafeSwap and MultiHop
Most affordable VPN provider on this list
Impressive performance figures
Cons
Located in the USA
How to use Atlas VPN for Free:
- Start your risk-free AtlasVPN trial. You can cancel your subscription at any time. There are no costs.
- Atlas VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. This VPN service provides flexible pricing plans according to your needs.
30-Day Free Trial
4) SurfsharkVPN
Best Awesome blend of security, performance, features, and price
SurfsharkVPN is another highly popular Virtual Private Network that can be found advertising and sponsoring videos. The VPN is in the Netherlands, which is a member of the 14 Eyes Alliance and comes under EU jurisdiction.
Surfshark has been audited by a Germany-based firm, Cure53. The audit covered server infrastructure and a broad security assessment. The result was approval from Cure53, stating that Surfshark’s server network relies on good defaults and that the company engineers are really dedicated to security.
The VPN also remains clear when it comes to data breaches with no history of them. SurfsharkVPN offers quality protocols with the options being Automatic, WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN UDP, and OpenVPN TCP.
For streaming, Surfshark is the best VPN for Russia that we recommend as it could unblock all the major streaming sites from almost all countries. As for the performance, it was outstanding, with almost no buffering and HD streaming.
The data collected by the VPN provider is as follows:
- Customer email and password
- Payment information
- Anonymous performance statistics
- Frequency of use of the VPN
- Crash reports and unsuccessful connection attempts
Features:
- CleanWeb for blocking ads, trackers, malware, and phishing attempts
- Private DNS and leak protection
- Camouflage to hide from your Internet Service Provider that you are using a VPN provider
- NoBorders mode for bypassing Censorship
- RAM Only servers that don’t store data so that Russia can’t seize and obtain data
Key Specs:
| Supported Platforms: Mac, Windows, iOS, Linux, and Android |
No of Servers: Temporarily unavailable in Russia, 3200+ worldwide | Server Countries: 60+ | Split Tunneling: Yes |
| Data Allowance: Unlimited | Torrenting: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes | |
| Able to unblock: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, iPlayer, YouTube |
No-logging policy: Yes | Ip addresses: Static | Simultaneous Connection: Unlimited |
| Free Trial: Yes – 30 days | Best for: Gaming, Browsing, and Streaming. | ||
Privacy Policy: The company doesn’t keep any information about the user’s browsing history or IP address. The logging policy is strict, and the servers work as advertised. You can even ask to delete your data if you are a resident of California. Some third-party cookies are used for essential functionalities.
Pros
The privacy policy is heavily scrutinized and tested
Very smooth streaming of geo-blocked content
Offers high server security
Split tunneling and network kill switch
Cons
Located in the Netherlands
How to use Surfshark for Free:
- Start your risk-free trial of Surfshark. You can cancel your subscription at any time. There are no hidden costs.
- Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. It provides different plans for online privacy and protection.
30-Day Free Trial
5) Private Internet Access
Best for Security
Private Internet Access is an open-source VPN that uses military-grade encryption to help users maintain their privacy and security. This service prides itself on providing high-end and super-fast services across the United States. PIA keeps information secure by reducing risks, blocking ads, and connecting with other VPN tools.
Private Internet Access offers 24/7 customer support from real-time employees, provides 100% transparency when using software, features 10+ years in the industry, and has millions of happy customers around the world.
Private Internet Access is also in the clear when it comes to data breaches. The protocols offered by PIA are OpenVPN, Wireguard, and IPsec and all three are top-notch, fast, reliable, and secure protocols.
The data collected by PIA is as follows:
- Email and password for account creation
- Payment details
- Aggregate, anonymous stats
- Crash reports
Features:
- Secure Core for strong data security and IP masking
- Strong encryption with AES-256, key exchange is done with 4096-bit RSA, and HMAC with SHA384 is used for message authentication.
- kill switch is always on in this VPN
- Tor over VPN for onion website access
- P2P support with unlimited bandwidth
Key Specs:
| Supported Platforms: iOS, Android, Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. |
No of Servers: 10,000+ | Server Countries: 84+ | Split Tunneling: Yes |
| Data Allowance: Unlimited | Torrenting: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes | |
| Able to unblock: YouTube TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu |
No-logging policy: Yes | Ip addresses: Static | Simultaneous Connection: 10+ |
| Free Trial: No- 30 days money-back guarantee | Best for: Security | ||
Privacy Policy: PIA’s privacy policy highlights that it doesn’t log important information like browser history, IP addresses, and more. Some data as outlined above is collected, and every bit of the policy has been audited and scrutinized.
Pros
Configurable split-tunneling
Servers in Russia
Lots of server protection and IP protection are in place for Russia
Cons
Unreliable internet speeds.
How to use PIA for Free:
- Go to this link. Signup for the cheapest plan. Download and enjoy the VPN.
- Claim a refund under the 30-days moneyback guarantee.
30 days money-back guarantee
6) FastestVPN
Cheapest Lifetime VPN Subscription
FastestVPN is a lifetime VPN subscription service based in the Cayman Islands that offers lightning-speed processing, ultra-safe encryption services, split tunneling, and more.
It is one of the few legitimate lifetime subscription services. At just $40 for lifetime access, this company offers one of the best deals available. Moreover, this company has servers in 39+ countries and over 55+ locations.
Features:
- Offers more than 600 servers across 39+ countries.
- It has ciphers with Perfect Forward Secrecy for better encryption
- SOCK5 Proxy for greater speeds while changing the IP address
- DNS leak protection so that Russian ISPs don’t know you’re using a VPN
Key Specs:
| Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Fire TV, and more |
No of Servers: 600+ worldwide VPN servers in Russia | Server Countries: 39+ | Split Tunneling: Yes |
| Data Allowance: Unlimited | Torrenting: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes | |
| Able to unblock: Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and more |
No-logging policy: Yes | Ip addresses: Dynamic | Simultaneous Connection: 10 |
| Free Trial: Yes – 7 days | Best for: Cheapest Lifetime VPN Subscription | ||
Privacy Policy: Their privacy policy states that they do not collect, monitor, or log your browsing activity. They collect some data that we outlined above, and they also state that you can request, review, and delete your data anytime you want.
Pros
Lifetime access includes 10 multi-logins
Offers 2TB Cloud Storage
Unblock capabilities (Netflix, Disney+, HotStar, Amazon, etc.)
Cons
Extra fee for additional devices.
Split tunneling only on iOS and Android apps.
How to use FastestVPN for Free:
- Start your risk-free trial for FastestVPN
- You can cancel your subscription at any time within 15 days. You get your money back – no questions asked
- If you like the service, you may continue the subscription, as it costs just $40 for a lifetime subsription!
30-day money-back guarantee
FAQs:
Best VPNs For Russia
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#1 Best Overall
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| VPN Provider | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | Atlas VPN | Surfshark |
| Servers offered | 0 Russian servers, 191 worldwide | 0 Russian servers, 5000+ worldwide | 0 Russian servers, 750+ worldwide | 0 Russian servers, 3000+ worldwide |
| Number of servers | 3,000+ | 5,000+ | 750+ | 3200+ |
| No. of Server Countries | 94 | 59 | 37 | 65 |
| 24/7 support | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Max connections | 5 | 6 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Our Review |
Excellent – 9.8
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Excellent – 9.7
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Good – 9.6
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Good – 9.5
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| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Link | Try Free Now | Try Free Now | Try Free Now | Try Free Now |