Planet VPN earned its install base by skipping the sign-up form entirely. Users download the Windows or macOS client, click connect, and a free tunnel comes up without an email, a password, or a credit card. The kill switch is a real one that drops traffic when the tunnel fails rather than just popping a notification, and the free tier carries no hard data cap. The reasons people switch usually come down to two patterns: the free server pool is small and gets crowded after about 6pm local time, and the company’s no-logs claim has never been verified by an independent auditor. We tested seven Planet VPN alternatives on Windows 11 and macOS Sequoia to see which ones keep the no-account friction low without the server crunch.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN Free | Unlimited free data with an audited no-logs policy | Yes | Free (or Plus from $4.99/mo) | Swiss jurisdiction and published audits |
| Windscribe | Most generous free tier with port forwarding | Yes (10 GB/mo) | Pro from $5.75/mo | Built-in ad and tracker blocker |
| hide.me VPN | Free tier with WireGuard and a kill switch | Yes (10 GB/mo) | Premium from $2.59/mo | Independent no-logs audit |
| TunnelBear | Simplest free VPN client for new users | Yes (2 GB/mo) | Unlimited from $3.33/mo | Annual third-party security audit |
| PrivadoVPN | Free tier with 13 server locations | Yes (10 GB/mo) | Premium from $1.99/mo | Largest free location list |
| Atlas VPN | Budget paid VPN with unlimited devices | Trial | Premium from $1.64/mo | Unlimited simultaneous connections |
| Mullvad VPN | Account-free paid VPN with a flat rate | Trial | Flat €5/mo | Random account numbers, no email |
Why people leave Planet VPN
The free server pool is the most cited friction point. Free users get a short list of locations, and the popular ones (US, UK, Germany) slow noticeably during European and US evening hours when load spikes. The country selection on the free tier shifts depending on regional demand, which makes it unreliable for unblocking a specific Netflix library or accessing a country-locked banking app. The no-logs claim has not been verified by an external auditor, which matters more for a VPN than for most categories, and the parent company’s corporate disclosures are thin compared to Proton or Mullvad. Some users also report inconsistent reconnect behavior on macOS Sequoia after the system wakes from sleep, and Windows users on metered connections find the auto-update prompt harder to defer than on rival clients.
The alternatives
Proton VPN Free — Best for unlimited free data with an audited no-logs policy
Proton VPN Free is the only major free VPN with no data cap, no speed throttling, and a no-logs policy that has passed multiple independent audits. The free tier covers three countries (US, Netherlands, Japan), runs on Windows and macOS, and the company’s Swiss base sits outside the 14 Eyes intelligence sharing agreements. The open-source clients are reproducible from source.
Where it falls short: The free tier blocks streaming services and P2P traffic, and three countries is fewer than Planet VPN offers on free. Peak-hour speeds on free drop noticeably.
Pricing: Free with no cap. Plus from $4.99/month on a two-year plan.
Vs Planet VPN: Audited privacy, unlimited data, Swiss jurisdiction. Fewer free server locations.
Download: protonvpn.com/download
Bottom line: Pick Proton VPN Free if an audited no-logs policy and unlimited free data matter more than location count.
Windscribe — Best for the most generous free tier with port forwarding
Windscribe offers 10 GB per month on free (15 GB if you confirm an email), covers 11 free server locations, and includes R.O.B.E.R.T., a configurable ad, tracker, and malware blocker. The Pro tier unlocks every server, port forwarding, and a static IP add-on. Clients run on Windows and macOS with a clean UI that exposes WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN.
Where it falls short: Free tier needs an email for the full 15 GB allocation. The Canada base puts it inside the Five Eyes intelligence sharing agreement.
Pricing: 10-15 GB/month free. Pro from $5.75/month, or build-a-plan at $1/location/month.
Vs Planet VPN: Bigger free allowance, more free locations, built-in blocker. Email required for the full free quota.
Download: windscribe.com/download
Bottom line: Pick Windscribe if 10 GB a month covers your needs and the ad blocker is a real benefit.
hide.me VPN — Best for a free tier with WireGuard and a kill switch
hide.me VPN runs an account-free free tier (no email needed) capped at 10 GB per month, with eight server locations and the full WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocol stack. The Windows and macOS clients ship with a kill switch on every tier, and the company has published an independent no-logs audit.
Where it falls short: The 10 GB cap is half what Proton offers on unlimited, and the free tier rotates locations periodically. P2P is allowed on paid only.
Pricing: 10 GB/month free. Premium from $2.59/month on a two-year plan.
Vs Planet VPN: Audited privacy, kill switch on free, account-free signup. Hard data cap.
Download: hide.me/en/windows-vpn
Bottom line: Pick hide.me if you want Planet VPN’s no-account flow plus an audit trail.
TunnelBear — Best for the simplest free VPN client
TunnelBear is the friendliest VPN UI in the category, with a cartoon bear map and one-click connect. Free tier gives 2 GB per month across 47 countries, and the company commissions an annual third-party security audit (one of the only consumer VPNs that does). Windows and macOS clients are straightforward to install for users new to VPNs.
Where it falls short: The 2 GB free cap is the smallest on this list. McAfee ownership since 2018 puts it inside a US security conglomerate. Speeds are middling.
Pricing: 2 GB/month free. Unlimited from $3.33/month on a three-year plan.
Vs Planet VPN: Far more countries, annual audit, more accessible UI. Tiny free data cap.
Download: tunnelbear.com/download
Bottom line: Pick TunnelBear if you want a friendly client for occasional use and your monthly tunnel sits under 2 GB.
PrivadoVPN — Best for a free tier with 13 server locations
PrivadoVPN ships a Swiss-based free tier with 10 GB per month and access to servers in 13 cities, the widest free location list in this comparison. The Windows and macOS clients include a kill switch, WireGuard support, and SOCKS5 proxying. After the 10 GB runs out, the connection drops to unlimited data on a single restricted location rather than cutting off entirely.
Where it falls short: No independent audit of the no-logs policy yet. The free tier’s degraded mode is slow enough that users will mostly notice when it kicks in.
Pricing: 10 GB/month free. Premium from $1.99/month on a two-year plan.
Vs Planet VPN: More free locations, kill switch on free, soft-degrade after cap. No published audit.
Download: privadovpn.com/download
Bottom line: Pick PrivadoVPN if free location variety matters more than an audit trail.
Atlas VPN — Best for a budget paid VPN with unlimited devices
Atlas VPN is the budget pick on this list, with paid plans that come in under $2/month on long commitments and an unlimited device policy that suits households. The Windows and macOS clients support WireGuard, include a kill switch and split tunneling, and the company published an independent no-logs audit in 2023.
Where it falls short: The free tier is a short trial rather than a permanent free plan. Nord Security ownership means the same parent as NordVPN.
Pricing: Trial only on free. Premium from $1.64/month on a three-year plan.
Vs Planet VPN: Cheaper paid tier, audited privacy, unlimited devices. No permanent free plan.
Download: atlasvpn.com/download
Bottom line: Pick Atlas VPN if you’re ready to pay a small amount for a fully featured client across the whole household.
Mullvad VPN — Best for account-free paid VPN at a flat rate
Mullvad VPN takes the account-free idea further than Planet VPN. Signing up generates a random account number with no email, no name, and no payment record beyond what the payment method itself stores (cash by mail is accepted). The flat €5/month rate never changes, regardless of subscription length, and the no-logs policy has passed multiple independent audits. Windows and macOS clients support WireGuard and OpenVPN.
Where it falls short: No free tier. The flat rate is more expensive than the discounted long-commitment plans on other VPNs.
Pricing: €5/month flat. No discounts for longer commitments.
Vs Planet VPN: Stronger account-free model, audited privacy, flat pricing. No free option.
Download: mullvad.net/en/download
Bottom line: Pick Mullvad if account-free signup and audited privacy are the two things you want from a VPN.
How to choose
Pick Proton VPN Free if unlimited free data and an audited no-logs policy are the deciding factors. Pick Windscribe if 10 GB a month covers your usage and a built-in ad blocker earns its space. Pick hide.me VPN if you want Planet VPN’s no-account flow plus a kill switch and a published audit. Pick TunnelBear if a friendly UI matters more than data volume. Pick PrivadoVPN if free location variety is the main constraint. Pick Atlas VPN if you’re ready to pay a small amount for unlimited devices and don’t mind Nord Security ownership. Pick Mullvad VPN if you want the strongest account-free model on a flat €5/month rate. Stay on Planet VPN if the existing server list works for your use case and the no-account flow is what keeps you on it, but treat the unaudited no-logs claim as a soft promise rather than a verified one.
