5 Best FREE VPN Providers for the Philippines (2023)
Internet censorship is rampant in the Philippines, and using the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, the government of the Philippines blocks websites that are critical of them. However, a VPN can bypass censorship and unblock websites.
A VPN also helps unblock streaming services and their different libraries; it will protect you from online threats and attacks; it will remove lag and latency when gaming; and it can bypass ISP speed throttling. Moreover, your identity is protected by accessing the internet with a VPN.
For citizens in the Philippines looking for a free VPN provider to bypass internet censorship, unblock different streaming libraries of their favorite streaming platform, or avoid speed throttling. Here are our best free VPNs for the Philippines. Read more…
Our Best Free VPN Recommendation
Best Free VPN Server Philippines: Top Picks!
VPN Provider | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | Surfshark | Atlas VPN |
Number of servers: | 5500+ | 5500+ | 750+ | 3200+ |
No. of Server Countries | 55+ | 59+ | 37 | 65 |
24/7 support | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Max connections | 5 | 6 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Our Review |
Excellent – 9.8
|
Excellent – 9.7
|
Good – 9.6
|
Good – 9.5
|
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 Overall VPN for the Philippines
ExpressVPN is one of the most reputable and trusted VPNs in the VPN industry and is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, a privacy-friendly country that doesn’t have any data retention laws.
It uses AES-256-bit encryption to secure your connection from brute-force attacks, cryptanalysis, side-channel attacks, and more.
ExpressVPN also offers its own proprietary protocol that is optimized to deliver fast speeds and top-notch security protection.
Key Specs:
Supported Platforms: iOS, Android, Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows |
Total number of servers: 3000+ | Countries: 94 |
Data Allowance: Unlimited | No-logging policy: Yes | |
Simultaneous Connections: Unlimited | Free Trial: Yes- 30 days | Maximum supported devices: 5 |
Split Tunneling: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes | Today Best Deal’s: Check Now! |
Features:
- Server Availability: ExpressVPN has over 3,000 servers in 90+ countries and all of them are RAM-based, you also get a free Filipino IP address as they have servers in the Philippines too.
- Streaming: You can unblock Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, and other local and foreign streaming platforms with ExpressVPN.
- Gaming: Gaming with ExpressVPN is effortless, and it helps with speed throttling, latency, and ping when playing first-person shooters online or story-mode games.
- Torrenting: Torrenting is supported by ExpressVPN, which means you can be safe from copyright trolls, DMCA notices, or a privacy warning from your internet service provider.
- Security and Privacy: You get split-tunneling, threat manager, a “Network Lock Kill Switch” that will disconnect you from the internet if the VPN struggles with the connection, and more.
- Protocols and Speed Test: ExpressVPN offers Lightway (UDP and TCP), IKEv2, and OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) protocols.
- Devices Supported: Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, Chromebook, FireTV, Android TV, Xbox, PlayStation, and Linux are some of the devices you can install ExpressVPN on.
We tested Lightway UDP, IKEv2, and OpenVPN UDP’s protocol by connecting to the US server. Here are the results:
Country | Lightway UDP | IKEv2 | OpenVPN UDP |
---|---|---|---|
US | 186 Mbps | 123 Mbps | 153 Mbps |
Pros
All servers are obfuscated
Fast connection speeds
Located in a privacy-friendly country
Cons
Expensive plans
Port forwarding is not available in the app
Only supports 5 simultaneous connections
👉 How to get it Free?
- Get a subscription to ExpressVPN and install it on your primary devices.
- You have a 30-day window to claim their money-back guarantee.
- Before the money-back guarantee period ends, contact ExpressVPN customer support and request a refund.
30-Day Free Trial
2) NordVPN
Best for Gaming
NordVPN is located in Panama, a privacy-friendly country, and offers an in-house-built protocol called NordLynx, designed to provide fast speeds without compromising security.
It is a terrific VPN that keeps you anonymous online, unblocks major streaming services, removes ISP speed throttling, and more.
Deloitte, a leading global audit firm, audited all of NordVPN’s servers early this year and released a report saying that NordVPN passed the audit test.
Moreover, if you download torrent files, NordVPN offers a SOCKS5 proxy to provide fast download speeds.
Key Specs:
Supported Platforms: iOS, Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android |
Total number of servers: 5500+ worldwide | Countries: 60+ countries |
Data Allowance: Unlimited | No-logging policy: Yes | |
Server selection: Manual and Automatic | Free Trial: Yes – 30-days | Maximum supported devices: 5 |
Split Tunneling: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes | Today Best Deal’s: Check Now! |
Features:
- Server Availability: NordVPN offers 5,700+ servers in 60 countries. All of the servers are RAM-based and are owned by NordVPN.
- Streaming: You can unblock most major streaming platforms with NordVPN, but in our testing, Amazon Prime Video detected NordVPN. However, after clearing the cache and opening Prime Video incognito, it could stream content.
- Gaming: NordVPN is good with battle royale games and story mode game types, and it also offers DDoS protection to keep you safe from online attacks when playing open-world games.
- Torrenting: Torrenting is supported by NordVPN and there are 4,600+ dedicated P2P-optimized servers to offer fast torrenting speeds.
- Security and Privacy: NordVPN encrypts all its connections with industry-standard AES-256-bit encryption and offers various security features such as a Kill Switch, Threat Protection, Dark Web Monitor, and more.
- Protocols and Speed Test: A total of 4 protocols offered by NordVPN on Windows, Android, iPhone, and Mac: OpenVPN UDP, OpenVPN TCP, NordLynx, and IKEv2.
- Devices Supported: You can install NordVPN’s native app on Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, AppleTV, AndroidTV, FireTV, and more.
We tested the connection speed of all 4 protocols by connecting to the US server, and here are the results:
Country | NordLynx | IKEv2 | OpenVPN UDP | OpenVPN TCP |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | 149 Mbps | 133 Mbps | 109 Mbps | 101 Mbps |
Pros
Offers dedicated P2P servers
All servers are RAM-based
Various security tools are offered
Cons
Expensive plans
Only 6 simultaneous connections
Port-forwarding isn’t available
👉 How to get it Free?
- When you purchase a NordVPN, you become eligible for a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Use NordVPN for 30 days after subscribing to it.
- Contact NordVPN customer support and request a refund before the money-back guarantee period expires.
30-Day Free Trial
3) Surfshark
Best for Streaming
The parent company of NordVPN, Nord Security, owns Surfshark, and it is based in the Netherlands, a member of the 14-eyes surveillance alliance.
However, all of Surfshark’s servers are 100% RAM-based, and they have been audited several times by independent audit firms and have passed the test each time.
Surfshark also offers a virtual Philippine server if you want a Philippines IP address.
For gamers, Surfshark eliminates ISP speed throttling, eliminates high ping, and provides a stable connection for smooth gaming.
Key Specs:
Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, macOS | Total number of servers: 3,200 servers | Countries: 65+ countries |
Data Allowance: Unlimited | Torrenting: Yes | |
Simultaneous connections: Unlimited | Free Trial: 30-Days | Maximum supported devices: 5 |
Split Tunneling: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes | Today Best Deal’s: Check Now! |
Features:
- Server Availability: Surfshark offers 3,200+ servers in 100+ countries, but they have physical servers in only 56 countries, and the other 44 locations offered are virtual servers.
- Streaming: You can unblock streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, and many others effortlessly with Surfshark. Also, Surfshark plays 4K HDR content without buffering.
- Gaming: In our tests, Surfshark delivered outstanding gaming performance. It easily streamed most games when we used the cloud gaming service NVIDIA GeForce NOW.
- Torrenting: Surfshark offers dedicated P2P servers, which can be accessed by searching for “P2P” in the search bar for torrenting.
- Security and Privacy: Multi-Hop, NoBorders Mode, Rotating IP, are few of the most privacy-focused features offered by Surfshark. Also, Surfshark uses 256-bit encryption to protect your connection.
- Protocols and Speed Test: Surfshark offers 4 protocols across different operating systems: WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN UDP, and OpenVPN TCP.
- Devices Supported: You can install Surfshark on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, and Linux, and it is also available as browser extensions.
We tested the connection speeds of all 4 protocols by connecting to a server in New York. The speed results are as follows:
Country | WireGuard | IKEv2 | OpenVPN UDP | OpenVPN TCP |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | 135 Mbps | 157 Mbps | 137 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
Pros
Unlimited simultaneous connections
Dedicated P2P servers are offered
Cheap subscription plans
Cons
Missing port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxy
Most servers are virtual servers
👉 How to get it Free?
- Get a Surfshark subscription.
- You’ll be eligible for a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Contact Surfshark customer support before 30 days for a full refund.
30-Day Free Trial
4) Atlas VPN
Best Free VPN for Streaming
Atlas VPN recently gained popularity because it offers both paid and free VPN services.
Though the free version lets you access only a few servers, it’s the only free VPN that unblocks streaming services and is one of the best free VPN services for the Philippines.
AtlasVPN is located in Lewes, Delaware, United States, a member of the 14-eyes surveillance country. However, it promises a 100% no-logs policy, so even if a court orders AtlasVPN to release user data, it wouldn’t have anything to provide as they don’t log user activity.
Key Specs:
Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
Total number of servers: 1000+ servers | Countries: 42+ |
Data Allowance: 10GB for the free plan | IP Addresses: Yes | |
Simultaneous connections: Unlimited | Free Trial: Yes – 30 Days | Maximum supported devices: 5 |
Kill Switch: Yes | Server Selection: Automatic and Manual | |
No-logging policy: AtlasVPN stores specific data to improve services | Today Best Deal’s: Check Now! |
Features:
- Server Availability: Atlas VPN offers 750+ servers in 37 countries; however, in the free version, only 3 locations are available — 2 in the USA and 1 in the Netherlands, and none of the AtlasVPN servers are RAM-based.
- Streaming: For the free version, AtlasVPN offers only two locations to connect to unblock streaming services, and both are located in the US. We connected to one of these servers and tested Netflix and we could unblock it easily.
- Gaming: Our gaming experience wasn’t fantastic with AtlasVPN, but this can be an excellent VPN if you want to grab a game that has launched in the US or the Netherlands first by masking your real IP with this VPN.
- Torrenting: P2P file sharing and torrenting are supported by AtlasVPN on both the free and paid versions of the app, but the service doesn’t offer a SOCKS5 proxy or port forwarding.
- Security and Privacy: AtlasVPN offers several security features to safeguard you from threats online and keep you anonymous. Some of the features that AtlasVPN offers are MultiHop+, Split Tunneling, Safe browse, and more.
- Protocols and Speed Test: You get two protocols with AtlasVPN: WireGuard and IPSec/IKEv2. They don’t offer OpenVPN UDP or OpenVPN TCP protocols, so obfuscating your connection isn’t possible with AtlasVPN.
- Devices Supported: You can install AtlasVPN on MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and Linux.
We compared the connection speeds of both protocols by connecting to the US server, and here are the results:
Country | WireGuard | IPSec/IKEv2 |
---|---|---|
US | 100 Mbps | 107 Mbps |
Pros
Unlocks streaming services on the free version
Subscription plans are cheaper
Torrenting is supported in the free and paid versions
Cons
Located in the USA
Offers fewer servers and locations
OpenVPN protocols aren’t offered
👉 How to get it Free?
- AtlasVPN offers a free version of its app, and you can access three locations. To unlock all of the locations, purchase an AtlasVPN subscription.
- You’ll become eligible for a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Contact customer support before the 30-day trial period to get a full refund.
30-Day Free Trial
5) ProtonVPN
Best Free VPN for Privacy
ProtonVPN is owned by Proton AG, the parent company of the most privacy-centric email service, ProtonMail. Proton VPN is available in both a free version and a paid version.
Proton VPN offers 1,900+ servers across 65+ countries, and all of its servers are disk-based instead of RAM-based. However, all of Proton VPN’s disk-based servers are encrypted, so even if they aren’t RAM-based, they are safe as the servers are encrypted.
For gamers who want a free VPN to purchase titles that were released in other parts of the world first or to access different data centers. Proton VPN does the job, and it also includes a dedicated feature by which you can increase the connection speeds multiplefold for smoother gaming performance.
Key Specs:
Supported Platforms: Windows, Android, Mac, and Linux. |
No of Servers: 2600+ | Server Countries: 68 | Split Tunneling: Yes |
Server speed: Up to 10GBps in select countries | Data Allowance: Unlimited | Torrenting: Yes | Kill Switch: Yes |
Able to unblock: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, iPlayer |
No-logging policy: Yes | Ip addresses: Dynamic | Simultaneous Connection: 10 |
Protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 etc | Today Best Deal’s: Check Now! |
Features:
- Server Availability: The free version allows you to access 100+ servers in three countries (the US, the Netherlands, and Japan). To access all of its servers, you must get a premium subscription plan.
- Streaming: On the free version, local and foreign streaming platforms detect Proton VPN and prevent you from playing any media on their service. However, with the premium subscription, you can unblock streaming websites.
- Gaming: Proton VPN is a decent VPN for gaming, but gaming with the free version isn’t recommendable. With the premium version, Proton VPN offers a “VPN Accelerator” that improves the connection speed by 400%.
- Torrenting: On the free version the Proton VPN doesn’t support torrenting but with the premium subscription plan you can. Proton VPN also supports port-forwarding, which means you can seed torrents.
- Security and Privacy: Proton VPN uses 256-bit encryption and ChaCha20 encryption to encrypt the connection and offers advanced security features such as Forward Secrecy, Secure Core, Split Tunneling, and much more.
- Protocols and Speed Test: OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2, and Stealth are the protocols Proton VPN offers. However, those protocols aren’t available on all operating systems except macOS and iOS.
- Devices Supported: You can download Proton VPN on Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, Linux, Chromebook, AndroidTV, Chrome, and Firefox. Also, Proton VPN can be installed on a router.
As Proton VPN offers more protocols on macOS and iOS, I performed a speed test of all protocols on my iPhone. Here are the test results:
Country | WireGuard | IKEv2 | OpenVPN | Stealth |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | 149 Mbps | 138 Mbps | 144 Mbps | 52 Mbps |
Pros
Torrenting is supported
Headquartered in a privacy-friendly country
All of the servers are encrypted
Cons
The free version doesn’t unblock streaming services.
In the free version, fewer locations are available to select
👉 How to get it Free?
- You can access three locations with the free version of Proton VPN. Get a ProtonVPN subscription to access all of the locations.
- A 30-day money-back guarantee will be offered to you when you get a premium subscription.
- To receive a full refund, contact customer service before the 30-day trial period.
7-Day Free Trial
Free VPNs vs Paid VPNs
Here are the complete differences between free versus paid VPNs:
Free VPNS:
- Data Logging
- Selling/trading of user data
- Slow speeds
- Limited servers
Paid VPNS:
- Offers 100% no-logs policy
- Provides a host of superior security tools
- Fast connection speeds
- Unblocks streaming websites
- A large number of servers are available across the world
FAQ
We answer a few of your other relevant questions here.
Best Free VPN Server Philippines: Top Picks!
VPN Provider | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | Surfshark | Atlas VPN |
Number of servers: | 5500+ | 5500+ | 750+ | 3200+ |
No. of Server Countries | 55+ | 59+ | 37 | 65 |
24/7 support | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Max connections | 5 | 6 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Our Review |
Excellent – 9.8
|
Excellent – 9.7
|
Good – 9.6
|
Good – 9.5
|
Free trial | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
Link | Try Free Now | Try Free Now | Try Free Now | Try Free Now |
Conclusion
ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Atlas VPN, and Proton VPN are the best VPN providers for the Philippines. Some even have local Philippine servers to access local content from abroad.
These VPNs also provide a variety of security and privacy tools, fast connection speeds, and some even have VPN servers in the Philippines.
And all 5 of our VPN recommendations also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee so that you can try it out for free for 30 days and claim a refund in case you don’t like the service.