Opera Software ASA, who are due to be acquired by a Chinese consortium for $1.2 billion, has launched a virtual private network (VPN) for iPhone and iPad users. The free Opera VPN iOS app comes with a built-in ad blocker for ads in apps, like Chrome and Safari while its built-in tracker blocker will stop sites tracking your activities on the web.

The Opera VPN iOS app currently only allows you to choose from five virtual locations, including U.S., Canada, Germany, Singapore and the Netherlands. It also supports English, Arabic, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

We look at how you can get started with the free and unlimited Opera VPN iOS app. We also look at five alternative VPN options for iPhone and iPad users if you would prefer a paid service.

Getting started with Opera VPN

Download the Opera VPN app from the App Store. The app requires iOS 8.0 or later. By default, the Opera VPN app is toggled to Off. Open the Opera VPN, go to Settings > toggle Enable Opera VPN to On. There are also the two additional options of Block Ads and Block Trackers, which you can toggle to On.   

Paranoid users, beware

Opera VPN is a free service and has no paid subscriptions like other VPN providers. The question though is how will it generate an income? The answer is Opera will be collecting anonymous data from you.

“The other way we make money is by collecting anonymous data about how people use their mobile device. We make this information available to third parties who are interested in better understanding the mobile ecosystem and how it’s evolving.  It’s important to understand that this is not data about what you do with your phone, but rather this is data about how a large group of people use their phones,” wrote Chris Houston, President of SurfEasy, Opera’s VPN division.

If you are concerned about being tracked online, then you may want to opt for one of the paid VPN services below.

Alternative VPN apps for iPhone, iPad users

TunnelBear VPN

Since launching in 2011, TunnelBear has proven a very popular VPN option and has over 8 million users around the world. The TunnelBear iOS app allows you to browse in 20 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, Spain, and Hong Kong. It is also compatible with 3D Touch, allowing you to connect to a TunnelBear network directly from your home screen. TunnelBear also has a no logging policy, meaning none of your activity will be logged when connected to its service.

You can download the free version of TunnelBear from the App Store, which comes with 500 MB of free data. You can also upgrade to the paid Grizzly subscription for $49.99 per year, or $6.99 per month, which comes with unlimited data.

HideMyAss!

HideMyAss gives you access to an impressive number of global networks, allowing you to choose from 920+ VPN servers in 350 locations located across 190 countries. You can also use HideMyAss on two devices at the same time.

You can download the HideMyAss VPN app from the App Store. You can get a 12-month subscription for $78.60 or a monthly subscription for $11.52 per month.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers an SSL-secured network with 256-bit encryption, ensuring you are always secure. It has 100 VPN locations across 78 countries as well as a no logging policy, ensuring your online activities are not being logged by ExpressVPN.

You can download the iOS version of ExpressVPN from the App Store. You can get a 12-month subscription for $99.95 or a monthly subscription for $12.95 per month. ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee for the first 30 days of service.

VyprVPN

You can feel rest assured that your data with VyperVPN will remain private and secure due to the fact that no third parties handle any of your data. VyperVPN own, engineer and manage all their VPN servers.

You can download the free version of VyperVPN from the App Store, which gives you access for a month with a 500 MB limit. For added security you should opt for one of VyprVPN’s paid subscriptions.

The Pro service costs $80 per year, or $9.99 per month, and comes with unlimited data usage and three simultaneous connections. The Premier service costs $100 per year, or $14.99 per month, and comes with unlimited data usage and five simultaneous connections.

PIA – Private Internet Access

PIA has over 3,000 servers across 25 countries and remains a popular choice for iOS users. The iOS app is simple to use and offers support for five simultaneous connections. The latest version of the app offers 3D Touch support allowing you to connect to a network directly from your home screen.

You can download the iOS version of PIA from the App Store. You can get a 12-month subscription for $39.95 or a monthly subscription of $6.95 per month. PIA offers a seven-day money-back guarantee.

Main image via: SurfEasy | Screenshots via: App Store