Best Free VPN Leak Tests You Can Run Right Now in Your Browser

A VPN can be connected and still leak. Your real IP address or the sites you look up can slip out around it. These free tests, run in your browser, show whether yours is doing its job in about two minutes.

Before you start

Write down your real details first: with the VPN off, open one of the tests below and note your IP address, location and internet provider. Then connect the VPN and run the tests again. Anything from the first list showing up in the second is a leak.

The tests

• ipleak.net checks your IP address, DNS servers and WebRTC in one page. Good first stop.
• browserleaks.com has separate, detailed tests, including WebRTC and DNS, plus fingerprinting checks.
• dnsleaktest.com focuses on DNS. Use the extended test for a thorough result.
• test-ipv6.com shows whether you have an IPv6 address, which some VPNs don't cover.
• Mullvad's connection check (mullvad.net/check) reports DNS and WebRTC leaks for any VPN. It will also say you're not on Mullvad, which you can ignore.

How to read the results

• IP address: should be the VPN server's, in the VPN's location.
• DNS servers: should belong to your VPN or a DNS service you chose, not your internet provider. If you see Google or Cloudflare, check Chrome's Secure DNS setting; see how to test for DNS leaks in Chrome.
• WebRTC: should show no public IP, or only the VPN's. Your real public address here is a leak.
• IPv6: if the test shows an IPv6 address from your provider while the VPN is on, it's leaking.

Fixing what fails

• IP or DNS leak: turn on your VPN's leak protection and kill switch, and try a different protocol in its settings.
• IPv6 leak: turn on IPv6 protection in the VPN app, or disable IPv6 on your network adapter if the VPN doesn't support it.
• WebRTC leak in Chrome: Chrome has no setting for it. WebRTC Privacy Shield sets Chrome's WebRTC policy so your real address isn't exposed, while video calls keep working.

Run the tests again after each fix, and again after VPN or browser updates.

Browser VPN extensions

A VPN extension usually protects only Chrome's traffic, and some don't stop WebRTC leaks. Test it the same way. If you need the whole computer covered, use the VPN's desktop app instead.

A note on free VPNs

Free leak tests are fine. Free VPNs are another matter: running a VPN costs money, and some free ones make it back by logging or selling your browsing. If privacy is the goal, a paid VPN from a provider with an independent audit is the safer bet.