Using a free VPN for Kodi — is it a good idea?

Sorry to break it to you, but using a free VPN for Kodi is a bad idea — really bad. If you care about your privacy, you definitely shouldn’t do it.

Using a VPN for Kodi has its advantages. You can bypass geo-restrictions and access to more content. You can also hide your identity online, if some of the Kodi add-ons you’re using aren’t completely legal. Using a VPN for Kodi is definitely a good idea, but only if you go with a paid plan offered by a reputable provider.

Skip all the tempting free offers out there — they just aren’t worth it.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, or a free VPN. They’re expensive to run, and the provider has to make money somehow to cover its expenses and make a profit. If it’s not getting this through paid subscription plans, it may be getting it by selling your personal info or browsing history — or both. The could be doing the exact thing it should be protecting you from. Yikes!

Read next: What can VPNs do with your data?

Protect your personal information at all cost

Not all free VPNs are shady, but even if they don’t sell your personal info, the money has to come from somewhere. In most cases, that means ads —lots and lots of ads. Not only is this annoying, it can also slow down load times. What’s more, the ads can sometimes be sketchy, redirecting you to websites with malware that can cause all sorts of problems.

If these things don’t scare you off and you still want a free VPN for Kodi, here are a few tips. When you find a free VPN provider you’d like to try, do as much research about it as possible. Check what various publications say about it, as well as users with first-hand experience. Make sure the provider isn’t based in countries like China or Russia, which have bad track records when it comes to online privacy.

You’re better off going with a paid VPN, but just because it charges doesn’t mean it won’t track your activities or sell your data. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) reviewed 283 VPN apps on the Play Store in 2016, and the results were frightening. Eighteen percent of the VPNs didn’t encrypt data at all and 75 percent used third-party tracking libraries. This is why it’s extremely important to choose a reputable provider.

The one we recommend is ExpressVPN. It guarantees zero connection or activity logging and offers impressive speeds along with tons of security features. It’s one of the best VPNs around, though it isn’t the cheapest. A monthly subscription will set you back $12.95, but you can bring that price down to $6.67 if you choose a 15-month plan.

If that’s too rich for your blood, PureVPN might be more up your alley. You can get it for only $2.48 per month if you opt for a two-year plan to get the deal. Like ExpressVPN, it has a zero activity logging policy and comes with tons of features including a network kill switch. It’s great for newbies because it takes the guesswork out of server selection.

You can find more great deals by checking out our Best cheap VPNs of 2018 post.

Once more with feeling: avoid using a free VPN for Kodi like the plague. Not having a VPN can actually sometimes be safer. It’s not worth the risk, folks.

Sure, there might be a few great free providers out there, but it’s hard to distinguish between the good and crappy ones. If you care about your privacy — and you should — spend a few bucks per month for a plan by one of the companies mentioned above.

Any thoughts or comments? Leave them down below.

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