Mozilla to launch free built-in VPN in upcoming Firefox 149

Mozilla announced that Firefox version 149 will introduce a free browser-integrated VPN tier starting March 24, 2026.

The feature is positioned as a safer alternative to the “free VPN” services that often come with hidden tradeoffs, with Mozilla stressing that its implementation is rooted in the same privacy principles that define Firefox.

According to the announcement, the built-in VPN will route browser traffic through a proxy, hiding a user’s IP address and location during browsing sessions without requiring a separate download or extension.

Mozilla said the free tier will initially provide 50GB of monthly data to users in the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The feature is scheduled to arrive in Firefox 149 on March 24. That limited regional rollout suggests Mozilla is taking a phased approach, likely to assess performance, demand, and support requirements before expanding availability.

The company framed the launch as a direct response to the privacy concerns that often surround no-cost VPN offerings. Mozilla did not disclose the underlying technical provider or infrastructure details in this announcement, but it emphasized that the service is built around its long-standing data minimization stance. Mozilla has previously stated that Firefox is designed so that even the company itself should not know which websites users visit or what they do there. It has also repeatedly said it does not sell personal data and relies on end-to-end encryption for synced browsing data, such as history and bookmarks, before that information leaves the device.

Firefox is one of the few major browsers not built on Google’s Chromium engine; instead, it relies on Mozilla’s open-source Gecko engine. That independence has long been central to Mozilla’s pitch, both as a privacy-focused browser vendor and as a steward of competing web standards. The VPN addition now gives Firefox another feature it can use to distinguish itself in a browser market increasingly shaped by AI tools, ad tech, and platform lock-in.

Firefox recently became the first browser to ship the Sanitizer API, a web security standard intended to block certain attacks before malicious content reaches users. At the same time, Mozilla is continuing to push user controls around AI, including the ability to disable or selectively manage generative AI features.

Other Firefox 149 additions mentioned in the announcement include Split View for side-by-side browsing and Tab Notes in Firefox Labs, while the previously named “AI Window” has been rebranded to “Smart Window” and is being marketed as an optional, opt-in browsing assistant.

Firefox users should keep in mind that this new VPN tool will only handle browser traffic, not offering full-device protection, so it should not be assumed that activating it secures all internet traffic outside Firefox.