Microsoft Edge's built-in VPN could give users 5GB of free data

Microsoft has been rolling out Edge's built-in VPN functionality to some users in a 'controlled' manner of late, and we've just seen a hint of how much data allowance it could eventually run with.

As spotted by Leopeva64, a regular leaker on all things Edge, in the Canary (testing) version of the browser, the Settings page now clearly states that you get 5GB of free data per month.

The amount of data Edge has offered previously has been bumped up and down a bit throughout the VPN's existence in testing (and in the limited rollout). It has been as high as 15GB for a time (as a trial), and as low as 1GB (which we witnessed when the VPN started to come to the release version of Microsoft's browser).

5GB is settling somewhere in the middle, then, and it's better than what some free VPNs offer, but stingier than some of the best providers. Elsewhere you can find 10GB allowances or more (in some rare cases, unlimited data is offered with a freebie VPN).

The Edge VPN is further limited in that you can't choose a server yourself, making it no good for getting around geo-blocking restrictions.

Still, it's convenient and built right in with no installation needed, so could be a valuable touch for users who want temporary browsing privacy in a pinch.

If you don't see the integrated VPN in Edge yet, that's not surprising, because as noted at the outset, this feature is undergoing a controlled rollout to a limited number of users. (And it's a pretty slow-going affair at that, given that the VPN started arriving in release versions of the browser three months ago now, and doesn't seem to be all that widespread yet).