The internet sure has come a long way since it first came out, but it’s also gotten more and more expensive. But have you ever thought about the possibility that you could get free internet?
The average cost for internet is $50 per month initially (during the promotional period). That increases to an average cost of $60 per month when your promo is up.
Since you’ve found your way to us, we’re going to assume that you have made the decision to make smart money moves for yourself and your family. That definitely involves reducing your expenses to as low as possible (as well as increasing your earning potential, of course).
There are a lot of great tools out there for helping lower your bills and increasing the money that stays in your pocket. A few that you’ll want to check out right away are Trim, which helps negotiate lower bills for you, and Ebates and Ibotta for getting cash back on just about everything you already buy!
Is Free Internet Worth it?
When you are creating a budget, the goal is to have as much money left after paying bills as possible, as this money will go towards things that you really want.
If you are spending $60 or more a month on your internet, this adds up to $720 per year. Can you imagine what you could you with that $720 instead of spending it on your internet?
Our mission here at The Savvy Couple is to help you manage your money as best you can, and use your money to create the life that you dream of.
We have looked for ways to get free internet legally at home and in public so you can save money or use it for something more important!
If you’re wondering how to get free internet illegally, we won’t be sharing any of those ways, unfortunately. But you really can get free internet at home without paying, legally.
(And as you probably already guessed, yes — if it’s free, it’s worth it!)
If you’re looking for even more real-time money-savvy advice, come check out our group of money-smart FRUVVY family on Facebook, in The Savvy Couple Community. Here you’ll find other like-minded people who are taking charge of their financial situations and managing their money!
Can You Get Internet for Free Legally?
Yes, you can get free internet legally. We wouldn’t share anything on this site that could get you in any trouble or we wouldn’t be happy to use ourselves. There are lots of free internet hacks, which we will list for you below.
Ways To Get Free Internet
FreedomPop
If you haven’t heard of FreedomPop before, you are definitely missing out!
FreedomPop is a wireless Internet (and mobile) provider based in Los Angeles, California. They believe that everyone should have access to the internet in this modern age, and do their best to provide it.
They offer talk, text and data plans, which start at $0.00 per month. Yes, you read that right!
There are different options available, based on which kind of service you require, and what you are after exactly.
You can purchase a phone, where you will sign up for a device and plan when you checkout. You will be mailed a phone, then you will have to download their Messaging application to begin the service.
They use a cellular service called VoIP, which is where you use a data connection to power the calls and texts that you use.
The devices receive their signals from network towers that are close to them, which are powered by other, larger networks.
For example, they piggyback off the Sprint network in the US for the data connection. All of this technology is why they are able to provide their services.
They also provide SIM cards for GSM customers, so long as you are using an unlocked GSM iOS or Android device.
With the CDMA device (bought directly from FreedomPop or activated as a BYOD), 500MB is offered a month.
With the GSM SIM card, you can get 200MB for free per month.
NetZero
NetZero started up in 1998, and you can kind of tell that, from the fact that they use dial-up connections.
Am I showing my age here, remembering how you had to sit there waiting for the internet to connect for what seemed like forever, with it making some awful noises?! You couldn’t connect if someone was on a phone call, and you’d get kicked off when the phone rang!
What this means for free internet, though, is that you will need to have a phone line in your home. If you have one, you’re good to go.
NetZero isn’t as generous at FreedomPop with their usage amounts, sadly. You will only get 10 hours per month for free – with paid plans available if you wish to increase your usage.
Not a heavy user of the internet? This could be the perfect choice for you! Who wants to be spending loads of money for something that they barely use?
WifiMap
This tool is exactly what it sounds like – a map of wifi spots! WifiMap is an app that you can download, which will give you access to millions of wifi spots.
Users upload the wifi spots so that other people can use them when they are in the area. It’s a crowdsourcing economy that will only grow as more people use it and share with their friends.
There are over 100 million free wifi locations available. It provides both map and list views with passwords that you will need to connect to it.
All you need to do is download the app, and search in the area that you want to have access to the internet. It will bring up the ones that are closest to you, and you can choose which one to use.
The beauty of it is if the Wifi you’re connected to isn’t that great, you can just disconnect and try another one!
If you are wondering if this is legit, they have been featured on Forbes, Lifehacker, CNN, The Wall Street Journal – just to name a few.
Wifi Free Spot
Similarly to WifiMap, Wifi Free Spot is another directory that will list all of the local free Wifi hotspots for you to choose from.
On this site, they list the hotspots on a state-by-state basis, but in addition to that, they have specialized listings:
- Large companies (e.g. Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, McDonald’s)
- Airports
- Hotels, motels, inns, resorts
- RV parks and campgrounds
- Vacation rental properties
InstaBridge
InstaBridge is a free internet app for your smartphone to conveniently provide you with Wifi passwords and spots on the go.
It was originally founded as a way to share your home Wifi with your friends on Facebook. But it quickly changed to become a larger Wifi sharing company.
It will show you the nearest places with free Wifi to you, as well as walking distance and performance.
The app knows which ones work, and will automatically connect you to the ones that work, and keep you off the ones that don’t.
A cool feature that they’ve kept from its earliest stages is that you can list your own home Wifi to share with family and friends. Which saves you the trouble of having to dig out the Wifi password each time company asks!
Use free wi-fi in coffee shops etc
This one sounds really obvious, but it’s something that a lot of us forget!
I’ve seen people panicking because their internet has gone down, thinking that their productivity is dead in the water. Really though, there’s a quick, easy, and pretty painless solution.
Head on over to your nearest Starbucks, and connect to their Wifi for free. This is something that I’ve done when working from home but wanting to get out of the house to work.
There are other places that you can go to as well, such as your local library or an internet cafe.
You could even make money whilst you’re on the internet, such as using it to get paid watching videos, answering questions on some survey sites, or going on some money-making apps.
All Free ISP
All Free ISP is a website which stores a database of free internet access service providers.
You will need to enter your state/province and your local area code. This will then bring up all of the free (and cheap) internet providers in your area. They also provide ratings for each free ISP so that you can compare them.
Ask Your Neighbours
This is one depends on the relationship you have with your neighbors, but it doesn’t have to be an awkward exchange!
You could ask if you would be able to have their Wifi password in exchange for something else that you could offer them. Could you do something that they don’t want to do, or perhaps pay money for (so saving them money too)?
I saw an episode of Extreme Cheapskates recently where the guy asked his neighbor this, but unfortunately, they said no! I think they were a bit shocked by it, so it’s worth thinking about how you’d ask the question.
Offering cost-sharing instead of just point-blank asking for free internet use would probably go over much better!
Using Your Phone As a Hotspot
I saw someone using this the other day because their home internet wasn’t working, but they needed to get online for work.
Using your phone as a hotspot is essentially using it as a mobile router. You can turn on the hotspot feature, and use it to connect to other devices nearby.
If you use this, you will be using the data that is available on your phone. Be careful that you don’t go over your data allowance, or it won’t be free!
Bonus – Create your own free internet device
Ever wonder if it’s possible to pick up some free wifi signals with your very own DIY free internet device?
It absolutely is! Just check out the video below to teach you how to get free internet.
How can free internet use improve your life?
There are lots of services available that can get you free internet for life, and hopefully, this article will have helped you with how to get free internet at home without paying.
Make sure that you keep your information safe when using free Wifi, as open hotspots won’t usually be as secure, so keep this in mind when doing things online such as online banking.
Free internet is just the beginning of finding creative ways to save money.
Could you get rid of your cable bill, and use one (or more!) of these methods to get free internet?
If you are looking for more ways of saving money by getting things for free, take a look at how to get free gift cards and birthday freebies.
Very interesting! Thankfully my employer provides a stipend for our internet connections. You’re right, though, that the $60+ a month bill I’d receive otherwise would be significant on an annual basis.
It’s always nice getting a stipend from an employer.