Mozilla has announced that Mozilla Firefox will soon get a free built-in VPN. The feature will roll out with the Firefox 149 update later this month. The company says users will get up to 50GB of free data per month, which is quite generous for a browser-based VPN. Mozilla says the feature will route browser traffic through its own proxy servers to hide your IP address and location while browsing.
The company began testing this free VPN last year and promised to add it soon. Now its coming with Firefox 149.
At launch, the free VPN will only be available in a few regions, including the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. There is no confirmation yet on when it will expand to other countries. To use the feature, users will need a Mozilla account.
Read: Reasons Why You Need A VPN
However, there are some important limitations that users should understand before getting excited.
The biggest limitation is that this is not a system-wide VPN. It will only protect traffic inside the Firefox browser. Your apps, games, and other internet activity will not be protected. This browser-based VPN cannot be used as a full privacy tool like traditional VPN services.
If you want a system-wide VPN, I recommend ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and NordVPN. You can read more about VPNs on our dedicated VPN page.
Free VPN services often raise concerns about data privacy. Many browser extensions in the past have been caught collecting user data and selling it. So, Free VPN services often raise concerns about data privacy. Many browser extensions in the past have been caught collecting user data and selling it.
It is worth noting that this free VPN does not use the infrastructure of Mullvad, which powers Mozilla’s paid VPN service. Instead, it runs on Mozilla’s own servers. This difference may matter for users who care deeply about privacy and transparency.
Also read: Are free VPNs safe?
This move also looks like a strategic decision. Firefox’s market share has been declining over the past year. Adding a free VPN could help attract new users and bring back some old ones. At the same time, it also creates a clear upgrade path. Users who want a full device VPN may eventually move to the paid Mozilla VPN.
The idea of a free VPN inside a browser sounds attractive, especially with a 50GB monthly limit. For basic browsing, this can be useful. It can help users hide their IP addresses and improve privacy on public networks. But it is important to understand what it cannot do.
