We get it – you’ve just moved away from home, or maybe it’s been a while and you still haven’t found your footing yet. Whatever the case may be, you just want to trim any unnecessary spending wherever possible.
Fortunately, taking advantage of a VPN free trial is a great way to get a feel of a VPN without committing to a subscription right away. And there are plenty of benefits to a VPN that make the whole experience worth it. Here’s all you need to know.
Bypass Censorship in Restrictive Countries
Say you’ve gone on an English teaching program in China and find yourself unable to access even the most basic services online. Social media, Wikipedia, Google, even YouTube – all of it gone behind what’s known as the Great Firewall of China. Naturally, there are other examples of Internet censorship out there, but this is the most extreme example.
No matter where you are, however, the right VPN can help you bypass such restrictions and regain your Internet freedom. Stick to ones that have obfuscated (“stealth”) servers which hide your VPN activity from the government’s advanced VPN detection methods.
Of course, even premium VPNs have trouble getting through one of the most advanced censorship systems every now and then. Free trials are a great way to test whether the provider actually works in such scenarios, without wasting your cash.
Get Around Pesky Firewalls on Public Hotspots
Everyone enjoys free Wi-Fi, and as an expat you probably rely on it more than the average person. Especially during those crucial first weeks, when the Internet guy somehow always misses his appointments and reschedules for later.
However, nothing is more of a buzzkill than trying to get on Twitter or Instagram and being met with an error code or network admin message instead. After all, fun is not allowed when you’re on break. Luckily, VPNs can help you get around firewall restrictions on public Wi-Fi – whether it’s at a hotel, an airport, at work, or at school.
Unlock Mountains of Content from Abroad
Find yourself homesick? Want to see what’s streaming back home or internationally? Well, there’s no better way to find out than using a free trial VPN. If you’re already using a service like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, or others, a decent VPN can help you unblock their content abroad. Free trials let you know if the provider actually works on the services you want before you hop onto a subscription.
The way that works is VPNs change your IP address to a location of your choice, thus revealing previously hidden movies and TV shows from that region. It’s a bummer, but such geo-restrictions aren’t going away any time soon. So, might as well make the most of your streaming subscription with a VPN.
Why Not Use a Free VPN Instead?
The price point is tempting, we’ll give you that. But some costs are hidden “under the hood” when it comes to free VPNs. For one, you’re basically selling off your data when you subscribe to one. The providers need to cover their maintenance costs somehow, and the best way to do that is to peddle user browsing histories to advertising networks.
You could argue that “no-logs” free VPNs are the solution. However, there have been quite a few cases where such providers have leaked sensitive user data online. Payment data, home addresses, login info, you name it. Probably not worth the trouble just to save a few dollars a month.
Even trustworthy free VPNs can’t compete with a free trial from a premium provider. A lot of them cap your data for the month, or throttle your bandwidth to keep things equal for all subscribers. Worst of all, they don’t even work on major streaming platforms. Netflix bans VPNs - and other content providers are no different.
The difference lies in the fact that free trial VPNs can stay one step ahead of their blocking efforts. Getting new servers with fresh IPs, developing ways to bypass VPN filters, that sort of thing. All in all, you’re better off hopping between free trials until you can settle on a provider suited to your tastes.