Betternet review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Ad-supported free VPN with an ad-free Premium plan
Black Friday: is there a Betternet sale?
Betternet report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for a free VPN with ads
Betternet is a VPN with a free version that has no data cap and no sign-up, supported by ads. The free version connects to a US server only, Premium is $95.99 a year, and the home page still shows a promotion that ended in March 2026.
Who Betternet is for
- Fits if you want a free VPN for light use and can live with ads
- Works for people who'll try Premium free for 7 days
Who Betternet is not for
- Skip it if you want to pick a server country on the free version, which connects to the US only
- Tight if you hate ads: they stay on the free version, and Premium removes them
- Watch out: the trial renews into a paid plan unless you cancel at least 24 hours before it ends
- Watch out: the home page shows a $71.99 first-year promotion that ended 24 March 2026; it renews at $95.99
- Watch out: the vendor's site showed no pricing page, so prices come from the App Store
Why Betternet gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyPremium is $95.99 a year, about $8 a month, or $11.99 monthly, against a category middle of $5.
- CFree plan and trialA free VPN with unlimited data and no sign-up, but with ads and, per the vendor's App Store reply, a US server only. Premium has a 7-day trial that renews unless you cancel.
- CFeaturesKill switch, leak protection, anti-phishing alerts and connection modes, but the free version is limited to one location and ads.
- BEase of use4.5 from 238K App Store ratings. Install it and connect, with no sign-up for the free version.
- BPlatforms and integrationsiOS, Android, Windows, Mac and a browser extension. No API or integration list.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Betternet's own pages on 12 November 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Betternet? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/betternet#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/betternet.svg" alt="Betternet: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Betternet stands among VPNs
Betternet's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 10 of the 27 other VPNs we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 7 of 27) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 20 of the 26 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 9 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 28 VPNs we grade, cut by the letter each got. Betternet’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 27, level with 14
- CFree plan and trialAbove 16 of 27, level with 6
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 27, level with 11
- BEase of useAbove 7 of 27, level with 18
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 27, level with 26
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 27 VPNs. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Betternet, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Betternet you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $95.99 a year.
What you could not
- Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. Betternet’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Betternet?
Betternet is a VPN with apps for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac and a Chrome extension. The free version needs no registration and has unlimited data, but it is supported by ads. Premium removes the ads, allows up to 10 devices at once and is sold as a monthly or annual subscription with a 7-day free trial.
Worth knowing
- The free version shows ads and, per the vendor's App Store reply, connects to a US server only; Premium removes the ads.
- The vendor's site did not show a pricing page when read; the prices come from the App Store listing and a promotion notice on the home page.
- The home page still displays a $71.99 first-year promotion whose stated end date, March 24, 2026, has passed; it renews at $95.99 a year.
- Trials convert to paid plans unless cancelled at least 24 hours before they end.
Key features
- Free VPN without registration
- The free version needs no account or email and has unlimited data, in exchange for showing ads.
- Kill switch and leak protection
- The features page lists a kill switch, always-on auto-connect and IP and DNS leak protection.
- Anti-phishing alerts
- Warns you before you visit a site that may carry malware or phishing.
- Connection modes
- Lets you optimize the connection for gaming, browsing or streaming, and includes Tor over VPN.
- Server network
- The features page cites 1,000+ servers with up to 1 Gbps, while the App Store listing says 1800+ servers and 125+ virtual locations.
Betternet pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Betternet has a free plan, and paid plans start at $95.99 per year, or $11.99 per month.
- Starts at
- $95.99 per year, or $11.99 per month
- Free plan
- Free VPN with unlimited data and no registration, supported by ads. The vendor's App Store reply says the free version connects to a US server.
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of Premium on the monthly and annual plans, per the App Store listing.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Ad-supported VPN with unlimited data and no sign-up. |
| Premium, monthly | $11.99per month | Ad-free VPN on up to 10 devices at once. Price from the US App Store listing, where it is labeled Monthly VPN Subscription. |
| Premium, annual | $95.99per year, renewing every year | The same Premium plan billed yearly. The vendor's site gives $95.99 a year as the annual renewal price; its own annual promotion had an end date of March 24, 2026. |
Read from apps.apple.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Betternet before you buy.
How people rate the Betternet app
4.5
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
238,386 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Nov 13, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Betternet alternatives
- Betternet vs Hotspot Shield
Free plan · from $95.99/yr
- Betternet vs TunnelBear
Free plan · from $3.33/mo
- Betternet vs Windscribe
Free plan · from $3/mo
- Betternet vs X-VPN
Free plan · from $71.99/yr
- Betternet vs Proton VPN
Free plan · from $83.88/yr
Common questions
Does Betternet have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Betternet is listed for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS.
Is Betternet open source?
Betternet is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.