This free VPN has over 4000 servers – and you've never heard of it

VPN user inputting their login and password on computer

(Image credit: anyaberkut via Getty Images)

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What is VPN Gate?
Why you should be wary using VPN Gate
VPN Gate alternatives

When it comes to the best VPNs, it's generally a case of the more servers the better. They let more people use the VPN concurrently and help users choose a location specific to their online needs. NordVPN for instance boasts a massive 6,000+ servers, while Express VPN and Surfshark both have over 3,000.

But unbelievably, there's one provider with over 4,000 servers worldwide that very few people in the VPN game will have heard of. I'm talking about VPN Gate, and it's completely free to boot.

So, sounds like a no-brainer right? Well, the thing is, we wouldn't recommend it to most people. Let's have a closer look.

What is VPN Gate?

VPN Gate has a novel origin amongst VPNs. It was launched in 2013 as an experiment for the Japanese University of Tsukuba and is still going strong over a decade later. Interestingly, this unique provenance guarantees VPN Gate's free status as Japanese national universities are prohibited from profit-making activities.

It's an open-source VPN with volunteers contributing their own Windows PCs to act as servers. The only "official" server is the one based at the university itself.

All in all, that's a pretty noble premise, but we do have some serious reservations...

Why you should be wary using VPN Gate

Our main concerns with VPN Gate come from a privacy perspective. Something we always look for from a VPN is a no-logs policy and unfortunately, VPN Gate cannot guarantee that. Because each server is run by a different volunteer, it is up to each individual to decide the level of data logging. In fact, the VPN Gate website itself even publishes activity logs of current users. That's very counter-intuitive for a VPN and seemingly inviting hackers to target individuals.

When it comes to the encryption protocols used on VPN Gate, we also have concerns. Servers can be filtered by encryption with a choice of SSL-VPN, L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, and MS-SSTP. Of these four we would only consider OpenVPN as reasonably secure and even then it is showing its age, having been around since 2001. Realistically, the most secure VPNs need WireGuard support.

The VPN Gate homepage — (Image credit: VPNGate.com)

This outdated protection shouldn't really be a surprise. Taking one look at the VPN Gate website is enough to give you nostalgic flashbacks to an earlier age of the internet. The project itself was originally meant to end in 2021 and it's well past its prime now.

Ultimately VPN Gate is a very well-intentioned service that has served its time, if you're after real security and privacy online, it's time to graduate to a different VPN.

VPN Gate alternatives

If you're looking for the best free VPN then there are plenty of other options out there but our top choices would be the free versions of Privado VPN and Proton VPN. Don't mind subscribing to a premium VPN? then our top three suggestions are NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark.

Andy is a freelance writer with a passion for streaming and VPNs. Based in the U.K., he originally cut his teeth at Tom's Guide as a Trainee Writer before moving to cover all things tech and streaming at T3. Outside of work, his passions are movies, football (soccer) and Formula 1. He is also something of an amateur screenwriter having studied creative writing at university.