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Betternet is a beginner-focused free VPN owned by Aura (formerly Pango), best known for offering unlimited free data on mobile. It is genuinely easy to use, but ad-supported free tiers and a US parent company mean it is better for convenience than serious privacy.

Key features at a glance

Speed & performance

Betternet's Hydra-based protocol is reasonably fast on Premium, handling HD streaming and browsing without much fuss on nearby servers. The free tier is slower, ad-interrupted and routes you to a limited set of locations, so expect a more basic experience.

Streaming & unblocking

Streaming is a weak point. Premium can unblock some Netflix regions, but it is inconsistent with Disney+, iPlayer and other services, and the free tier rarely works with geo-locked catalogues at all. It is not the VPN to pick if streaming is your priority.

Privacy & security

Privacy is where Betternet draws the most criticism. The free version is ad-supported and shares some data with advertising partners, and the company is US-based inside the Five Eyes. It does offer a kill switch on Premium, but privacy purists should look elsewhere.

Pricing

Prices are indicative and may change. Check for a money-back guarantee to test risk-free.

Pros & cons

Verdict

Betternet is one of the easiest free VPNs to use and its unlimited mobile data is a real draw for casual users. But the ad-supported model, US jurisdiction and weak streaming mean it should not be your choice when privacy or unblocking actually matters.

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