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Which VPNs have a free trial?
Every official free trial from the VPNs we track: how long it lasts, whether you need a card, and how to cancel in time.
Updated · 16 sources
The short answer
Five of the six VPNs we track offer at least one official free trial: ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost and PIA. Only one, according to its provider, needs no payment details: CyberGhost’s 24-hour Windows and macOS trial. Proton VPN has no free trial of its individual plans, but it has a permanent free plan. All six also offer a money-back guarantee of 14 to 45 days, depending on the plan, which is a refund on a plan you’ve paid for, not a trial.
Which VPNs have a free trial?
Here is every official free trial from the providers we track, with how long it lasts, where you sign up for it and the main conditions. Trials run from 24 hours to 7 days. Most of the nine are started in a phone app, and five come with conditions, such as eligible plans, countries or a cancel deadline.
| Provider | Free trial | Money-back guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | 3 days (start on iOS/Android) | 30 days (first website purchase only) |
| NordVPN | 7 days (start on web; higher tiers only, not Basic; 15 countries), 3 days (start on Android; first-time users) | 30 days (first purchase; not App Store or Amazon) |
| Surfshark | 7 days (start on web; 12- or 24-month plans) | 30 days (first purchase; not App Store or Amazon) |
| CyberGhost | 24 hours (start on Windows/Mac), 7 days (start on iOS; cancel 24 h before it ends), 3 days (start on Android) | 45 days (14 monthly; not app-store purchases) |
| Private Internet Access (PIA) | 7 days (start on iOS; annual plan only), 3 days (start on Android) | 30 days (not app-store purchases) |
| Proton VPN | None (free plan instead) | 30 days (not App Store) |
The same terms appear next to current prices in our price table and side by side in the full comparison.
What does each provider’s free trial include?
ExpressVPN free trial
A 3-day trial you start in the iOS or Android app, with a payment method on your App Store or Google Play account. It then works on any supported platform, including Windows, macOS, Linux and browser extensions. More in our ExpressVPN review.
NordVPN free trial
NordVPN has two free trials, depending on where you sign up:
- A 7-day trial you start on its website for new customers who choose a 1- or 2-year Prime, Ultimate Max, Ultra or Complete Max plan (not Basic, the plan our prices are for) and pay by card or PayPal, in 15 countries including the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
- A 3-day trial you start in the Android app (Google Play) for first-time users, except in Bangladesh, India, South Korea and Sri Lanka.
More in our NordVPN review.
Surfshark free trial
A 7-day trial you start on its website for new users who choose a 12- or 24-month plan, with a payment method. It then works on any device, up to 3 at a time during the trial. More in our Surfshark review.
CyberGhost free trial
CyberGhost has three free trials, depending on where you sign up:
- A 24-hour trial you start in the Windows or macOS app after downloading it from CyberGhost’s site, with no payment details needed.
- A 7-day trial you start in the iOS app (App Store), with a payment method on your App Store account. Cancel it at least 24 hours before it ends to avoid being charged.
- A 3-day trial you start in the Android app (Google Play), with a payment method on your Google Play account.
More in our CyberGhost review.
Private Internet Access (PIA) free trial
PIA has two free trials, depending on where you sign up:
- A 7-day trial you start in the iOS app (App Store) with the annual plan only.
- A 3-day trial you start in the Android app (Google Play) with the annual or monthly plan.
More in our PIA review.
Proton VPN: a free plan, no trial
Proton VPN has no free trial of its individual plans. Its free plan doesn’t expire: 1 device at a time, servers in 10 randomly selected countries, medium speed and no data limit. Paid plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee; it doesn’t cover bank transfer or cash payments, or App Store subscriptions, which Apple refunds under its own rules. More in our Proton VPN review.
Which VPN free trials don’t need a credit card?
Only one, according to its provider, needs no payment details: CyberGhost’s 24-hour Windows and macOS trial.
These ask for a payment method before the trial starts. Unless you cancel in time, they become paid subscriptions (app-store trials under Apple’s or Google’s rules):
- ExpressVPN’s 3-day iOS and Android trial (on your App Store or Google Play account)
- NordVPN’s 7-day website trial
- Surfshark’s 7-day website trial
- CyberGhost’s 7-day iOS trial (on your App Store account)
- CyberGhost’s 3-day Android trial (on your Google Play account)
NordVPN’s 3-day Android trial, PIA’s 7-day iOS trial and PIA’s 3-day Android trial are started in an app store, and the provider’s page doesn’t say whether a payment method is needed. Google says a Play Store trial turns into a paid subscription that is charged automatically when it ends, and Apple says to cancel at least 24 hours before an App Store trial ends if you don’t want it to renew.
Free trial, money-back guarantee or free plan: what’s the difference?
- A free trial lets you use the paid service for a fixed time, 24 hours to 7 days among the providers we track, before any money changes hands. All but one become a paid subscription when they end unless you cancel.
- A money-back guarantee means you buy a plan first and ask for a refund within the window: 30 to 45 days at the providers we track, though CyberGhost’s monthly plan has 14 days. All six guarantees exclude some or all app-store purchases (see which purchases can’t be refunded).
- A free plan never expires but is limited. Proton VPN’s allows 1 device at a time, servers in 10 randomly selected countries, medium speed and no data limit.
A guarantee gives you more time to test, 14 days or more against at most 7 days for a trial, but you pay up front and have to ask for the money back. A trial costs nothing if you cancel in time. A free plan is the only one of the three you can keep using without paying.
How do you cancel a VPN free trial before you’re charged?
Note the end date when you start. Where you cancel depends on where you signed up:
- App Store (iPhone or iPad): open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, choose the VPN and tap Cancel Subscription. Apple says to do this at least 24 hours before a trial ends.
- Google Play (Android): in the Play Store, go to your subscriptions, choose the VPN and tap Cancel subscription. Uninstalling the app doesn’t cancel it, Google notes.
- A trial started on the provider’s website: cancel from your account on its site before the trial ends.
CyberGhost’s 7-day iOS trial has its own deadline: cancel at least 24 hours before it ends, as the provider’s page says.
Which VPN purchases can’t be refunded?
If you skip the trial and buy a plan, where you pay matters more than how long the guarantee is:
- ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time customers who buy on its website; it doesn’t cover App Store and Google Play subscriptions, which Apple and Google refund under their own rules.
- NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for your first purchase, including one made through Google Play; it doesn’t cover App Store and Amazon Appstore subscriptions, which Apple and Amazon refund under their own rules.
- Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for your first purchase; it doesn’t cover App Store and Amazon Appstore subscriptions, which Apple and Amazon refund under their own rules.
- CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee (14 days on the monthly plan); it doesn’t cover subscriptions billed through the App Store, Google Play or Amazon, which those stores refund under their own rules.
- PIA offers a 30-day money-back guarantee; it doesn’t cover Google Play and App Store subscriptions, which Google and Apple refund under their own rules.
- Proton VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee; it doesn’t cover bank transfer or cash payments, or App Store subscriptions, which Apple refunds under its own rules.
When a guarantee doesn’t cover an app-store purchase, the store decides on the refund under its own rules. If you might want your money back, buy on the provider’s website rather than in the app. A trial started in an app store also becomes an app-store subscription if you keep it.
What should you test during a free trial?
A few days is enough to find out whether a VPN works where you need it. Check the things that differ most between providers:
- Leaks: confirm your real IP address and DNS requests stay hidden. How to test your VPN walks through it.
- Speed on your own connection, at the times you usually go online. See will a VPN slow down your internet.
- The apps and services you care about, including streaming. Streaming with a VPN covers which providers support watching your home services abroad.
- Every device you use. ExpressVPN’s 3-day iOS and Android trial is started on a phone but then works on any supported platform, including Windows, macOS, Linux and browser extensions.
- How many devices you need at once. Surfshark’s 7-day website trial works on any device, up to 3 at a time during the trial.
Common questions
Is there a VPN free trial with no credit card?
Among the providers we track, CyberGhost’s 24-hour Windows and macOS trial is the only one whose provider says it needs no payment details. The others ask for a payment method or bill you through the App Store or Google Play when the trial ends.
Which VPN has the longest free trial?
7 days: NordVPN’s 7-day website trial (higher tiers only, not Basic; 15 countries), Surfshark’s 7-day website trial (12- or 24-month plans), CyberGhost’s 7-day iOS trial (cancel 24 h before it ends) and PIA’s 7-day iOS trial (annual plan only). A money-back guarantee lasts longer, 14 to 45 days, depending on the plan, but you pay first.
Can I get a VPN free trial on Windows or Mac?
Yes. The providers say these can be used on a computer: ExpressVPN’s 3-day iOS and Android trial, which works on any supported platform, including Windows, macOS, Linux and browser extensions; Surfshark’s 7-day website trial, which works on any device, up to 3 at a time during the trial; CyberGhost’s 24-hour Windows and macOS trial, which you start in the desktop app. ExpressVPN’s has to be started in a phone app first.
Do VPN free trials turn into paid subscriptions?
Usually, yes. A trial that took a payment method, or that you started in the App Store or Google Play, renews into a paid plan when it ends unless you cancel first. CyberGhost’s 24-hour Windows and macOS trial is the exception: it takes no payment details.
Is a money-back guarantee better than a free trial?
It gives you longer, 14 to 45 days, depending on the plan, but you pay up front and must ask for the refund, and all six guarantees exclude some or all app-store purchases. A trial is shorter but costs nothing if you cancel in time.
Sources
We checked this guide against these pages on October 23, 2026.
- ExpressVPN free trial and refund terms · ExpressVPN
- NordVPN free trial terms · NordVPN
- NordVPN refund terms · NordVPN
- Surfshark free trial terms · Surfshark
- Surfshark refund terms · Surfshark
- CyberGhost free trial terms · CyberGhost
- CyberGhost refund terms · CyberGhost
- PIA free trial terms · Private Internet Access (PIA)
- PIA free trial terms · Private Internet Access (PIA)
- PIA refund terms · Private Internet Access (PIA)
- Proton VPN refund terms · Proton VPN
- Proton VPN free plan and pricing terms · Proton VPN
- Free VPN plan · Proton VPN
- Cancel a subscription from Apple · Apple Support, Sep 29, 2026
- Subscribe to services or content · Google Play Help
- Cancel, pause, or change a subscription on Google Play · Google Play Help