Does Free VPN apps (any) work in China?
No. Free VPN apps are almost always blocked in China, and the ones that do connect often sell your data or inject ads. Skip them.
Checked
Next check
Free VPNs in China at a glance
- Status this week
- Mostly blocked
- Price
- Free
- Best for
- Nothing in China. Spend a few dollars on one that works instead.
Free VPNs from the app store are almost universally blocked in China, and the ones that do connect often sell your data. Skip them.
Good
- Free
Not so good
- Blocked
- Untrustworthy
- Slow
What to do instead
- Do not rely on a free VPN in China.
- If cost is the issue, an international eSIM or roaming on your home SIM often gets you past the firewall on mobile without any VPN.
- For laptops and hotel Wi-Fi, a cheap paid VPN that is working this week is the better option.
More detail: how to set up a VPN before your trip and what to try if your VPN stops working.
Better options than Free VPNs this week
Free VPNs in China: questions
- Is there any free VPN that works in China?
- Not reliably. Free VPNs use small, well-known server lists that the Great Firewall blocks quickly. A technical option is a self-hosted proxy or a Tailscale exit node at home, which are free apart from hosting costs, but they need some setup.
- Are free VPN apps safe?
- Many are not. Free VPN apps have to make money somehow, and some do it by logging and selling browsing data or showing ads. In China they are also unlikely to work at all.