Opera Brings Free VPN to iOS to Rival Google and Apple’s Paid Services

Opera announced an updated version of its iOS app that now includes its free VPN. The service was previously available on Mac, Windows, Linux and Android. Now, the iOS release makes Opera the first browser to offer a free VPN service across all major computing platforms.

Opera’s largest competitor Google also offered its own VPN tool to iOS, Android, Mac and PC. However, its VPN is available only to paid subscribers on its Google One Premium plans. Apple also offers a tool for encrypting an internet connection with its iCloud Private Relay feature.

Opera Brings Free VPN to iOS to Rival Google and Apple’s Paid Services

However, Opera’s VPN does not require a subscription. The company says users don’t have to create an account to log in or use the feature. Opera also claims that it doesn’t collect any personal information. Also, the service doesn’t require any additional extensions to use. Users can activate it from the main menu in the app to begin encrypting their VPN traffic.

The company is offering free tools to end users because it generates revenue through other channels. For instance from search, ad revenues and technology licensing fees. It’s projecting $370-$390 million in revenues for 2023.

Anyhow, the iOS app is gaining a couple of new features. It includes a new Bookmarks feature for organizing favourite content. There is also a Live Scores feature for tracking sports teams’ latest scores via a scoreboard on the browser’s homepage.

Opera started rolling out free VPN to iOS but the full rollout will take a few weeks. So don’t worry if you do not immediately see the new VPN feature when you launch the iOS app.

See Also: Browser War on the Horizon as Opera Announces to Integrate ChatGPT in its Browser