Understanding Opera’s Free VPN: Features, Privacy, and Limitations

Over recent years, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have surged in popularity as users look to bypass online censorship, secure their data, and access restricted content. Leading names like ProtonVPN, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark are often the go-to tools — although they come at a cost. Among the few free alternatives, Opera’s built-in VPN stands out as a widely available and easy-to-use option, integrated into its mobile and desktop browsers for almost a decade.

However, in the tech world, the old adage still applies: “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.” And VPNs are no exception. While Opera also offers a paid VPN Pro service that uses ExpressVPN’s Lightway Protocol, this article focuses solely on its free VPN option embedded in the browser.

At the core of any VPN is the promise of privacy — primarily delivered through encryption. This ensures that user data, especially over public networks, is scrambled and protected from potential threats. Opera’s free VPN also adheres to this principle.

“When you enable Opera’s VPN, your browser creates a secure tunnel between you and one of our physical VPN servers, and encrypts your browser traffic with industry-standard 256-bit encryption,” says the company.

That 256-bit encryption, considered a gold standard, is almost impossible to crack — reportedly requiring “300 trilli

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