Proton VPN Review: Swiss-Based, 15,000+ Servers, Free Plan
Built by privacy advocates, backed by Swiss law. The trust leader in the VPN space.
Built by “scientists, engineers, and developers from CERN and MIT”, Proton VPN has been making waves in the VPN sector over the last few years.
In this Proton VPN review, we’ll explore Proton VPN’s key features, including speed, server locations, encryption protocols, compatibility with popular streaming services (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video), and much more.
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Proton VPN Pros & Cons
Proton VPN by the Numbers
Plans, Products & Prices
Proton VPN has a lifetime free option as well as paid monthly, 12-month, and 24-month subscriptions.
Money-Back Guarantee
Proton VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the service out and request a refund within 30 days if it doesn’t meet your needs.
To claim the 30-day money-back guarantee, you must cancel the service and request a refund within 30 days of first starting the service.
There are some terms to note, however:
- Refunds can only be requested once per user.
- Refunds will be given in the original currency of payment and to the original payment method.
- Payments made by cash or bank transfers are not refundable.
- The refund option is only applicable to users who have subscribed to Proton VPN or Proton Unlimited directly through Proton’s official channels. Those who subscribed to Proton VPN or Proton Unlimited through the intermediary of a third party (such as the Google Play Store) will need to refer to its respective refund policy.
Proton VPN Free Tier
Proton VPN’s free tier is a basic plan that offers low speeds on servers limited within the US, Japan, and the Netherlands. It also does not support peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting traffic.
Some free VPNs are freemiums (meaning they limit access based on use), while other free unlimited VPNs have been known to collect user data.
However, Proton VPN’s free plan provides users with unlimited data while retaining its no-log policy, as it is subsidized by its paid plans.
Proton VPN Paid Plans
Proton VPN offers two paid plans: VPN Plus or the premium Proton Unlimited.
The Proton VPN Plus plan includes full access to all countries and servers, P2P torrenting support, multi-hop, high-speed streaming, Tor, ad-blocker and malware protection, live chat priority support, and the ability to connect up to ten devices simultaneously.
The cost depends on the length of the subscription:
- $11.49 per month
- $71.88 for 12 months ($5.99 per month)
- $119.76 per 24 months ($4.99 per month)
Proton Unlimited adds Proton’s secure cloud services: Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, and Proton Drive with 500 GB of encrypted storage. This plan will cost:
- $12.99 per month
- $119.88 for 12 months ($9.99 per month)
- $191.76 per 24 months ($7.99 per month)
Visionary Plan
Proton Visionary was a plan for early supporters of Proton’s mission.
It is no longer available to new users, but existing Visionary users can continue using their accounts with all the same benefits as before.
How Do the Plan Tiers Compare?
How Does This Compare to Other VPN Bundles?
| VPN Bundle Pricing Compared | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | VPN-Only Price | Full Bundle Price | Bundle Premium | What's in the Bundle | Free Alternatives Exist? | Bundle Value |
| ProtonVPN 2 tiers | $4.49/mo VPN Plus | $7.99/mo Proton Unlimited | +$3.50/mo |
|
|
Mixed |
| PureVPN 3 tiers | $2.14/mo Standard | $3.48/mo Max | +$1.34/mo |
|
|
Good value |
| Surfshark 3 tiers | $2.24/mo Starter | $4.71/mo One+ | +$2.47/mo |
|
|
Mixed |
| NordVPN 4 tiers | $3.39/mo Basic | $7.39/mo Prime | +$4.00/mo |
|
|
Mixed |
| ExpressVPN 3 tiers | $3.49/mo Basic | $7.49/mo Pro | +$4.00/mo |
|
|
Mixed |
Prices shown are the best available rate (typically 2-year plan). "Bundle premium" is the difference between the VPN-only tier and the most expensive bundle tier. "Free alternatives" shows widely available free products that serve the same purpose as the bundled extra.
Ways to Pay
ProtonVPN Payment Methods
Streaming TV & Movies With Proton VPN
Proton VPN offers high streaming speed and little to no buffering on videos, with a minimum of 1 Gbps server speeds, up to 10 Gbps.
Just remember speed can be impacted by your internet connection speeds, location, and the user traffic in your location.
Mobile and Desktop Apps
Proton VPN is compatible with a number of operating systems and browsers, with apps for many platforms and devices. These include:
Proton VPN also works with popular internet browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Brave, and Google Chrome through the company’s browser extension.
Streaming on TV & Other Devices
You can install Proton VPN on your router, so all devices connected to your wifi network are protected without the need to install Proton VPN on each one individually.
This also protects devices that aren’t compatible with apps, such as some types of smart TVs.
Performance & Speed
In order to measure Proton VPN’s speed, we ran a speed test. Here are the results we found:
Original speed dl: 15.43 Mbps / ul: 20.49
Netherlands:
Japan
USA
Proton VPN’s free plan is sufficient for many users concerned about their privacy online, with unlimited data, no ads, and a strong no-logs policy.
However, you’ll get the most value from a paid subscription, with access to additional features such as faster, secure core servers located around the world, P2P support, and up to ten simultaneous connections.
If you truly care about your privacy, then you should certainly consider giving Proton VPN a try.
Privacy & Security
ProtonVPN does not log user traffic or store any information that can identify what an individual user is doing online.
— ProtonVPN Privacy Policy
- Independently audited by Securitum (3 audits)
- Tested in court or law enforcement requests with no user data produced
- Based in Switzerland (within Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance)
| Obfuscated Servers | ✗ |
| Tor/Onion Support | ✓ (Tor over VPN) |
| Port Forwarding | ✓ |
| RAM-Only Servers | ✗ |
| Independent Audit | ✓ Securitum (3 audits) Apr 2024 |
| Config File Export | ✓ |
We monitor ProtonVPN's legal documents daily for changes and summarize what changed.
Last checked: 06/04/2026 · 1 change detected since 29/03/2026
The updated terms added Proton Meet as a new service, expanded account sharing restrictions to prohibit sharing login credentials with others (except where expressly permitted), and broadened intellectual property protections to include personality rights. The inactive account policy was also expanded to apply to all accounts rather than just free accounts, though paid accounts remain exempt from deletion.
No-Logs Policy
Proton VPN markets itself as a no-logs VPN service. That means it doesn’t store information about its users’ connections, the websites they visit, where they signed in from, or for how long.
The company’s website states that it doesn’t do any of the following:
- Log users’ traffic or the content of any communications.
- Discriminate against devices, protocols, or applications.
- Throttle your internet connection.
However, it does monitor timestamps for unsuccessful login attempts, but this doesn’t include details such as the IP address, and each timestamp is overwritten following a successful login. Proton VPN’s no-logs claim is backed by multiple independent audits but has not been tested under adversarial conditions (law enforcement or server seizure).
Data Retention
Proton VPN falls under Swiss jurisdiction. Switzerland is a country known for its strong privacy laws, although some do mirror (or are similar to) EU laws.
The company’s website states the following:
Applicable law
This Agreement shall be governed in all respects by the substantive laws of Switzerland. Any controversy, claim, or dispute arising out of or relating to the Privacy Policy shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts of the Canton of Geneva. The jurisdiction of the Swiss Federal Court is expressly reserved.
Proton VPN is not part of 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, or 14 Eyes alliances, which are groupings of countries that share information about private internet usage with each other.
Proton VPN also operates outside of EU or US law.
What Features Does Proton VPN Offer?
In this section, we will take a look at some of the features offered by Proton VPN:
Simultaneous Connections
Proton VPN allows users of all paid plans up to ten simultaneous connections. Free plan users can only connect a single device at a time.
If you need to connect more devices, you can install Proton VPN on your router and secure all devices on your wifi network. This will protect your privacy on every device you own, including desktop computers, smartphones, smart TVs, or anything else connected to the router.
Router Compatibility
Proton VPN is compatible with routers that support OpenVPN or IKEv2.
You may wish to set up a VPN on your router if you’re interested in protecting devices that don’t support VPNs, or to automatically secure all of your internet traffic. This means you can protect your entire household with one device, eliminating the need to set up a VPN on each device.
Tor Support
Proton VPN also supports Tor over VPN. With a paid Proton VPN plan, users can access the Tor network with one click, and without using the Tor browser.
Using Tor over VPN gives users access to onion sites, and also encrypts internet traffic through the Tor network.
Kill Switch and Always-On
| Platform | Kill Switch | Split Tunneling |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Hybrid (both) Always-on | ✓ App-based, IP-based |
| macOS | Internet-level No always-on | ✗ Not available |
| iOS | Internet-level No always-on | ✗ Not available |
| Android | Internet-level Always-on | ✓ App-based, IP-based |
| Linux | Hybrid (both) Always-on | ✓ App-based, IP-based |
Proton VPN has a kill switch feature that should disconnect you from the internet if the VPN connection drops, which can happen at any time.
When combined with the always-on feature, the service offers a backup if you lose connection to the server. The kill switch will block all network traffic until the always-on feature quickly re-establishes a connection.
These two features work together to prevent any unintentional leaks of your true IP address.
Leak Protection
All Proton VPN apps include DNS leak protection, designed to prevent websites from identifying your real DNS address. This is achieved by routing all your DNS queries through the VPN tunnel and resolving them on Proton VPN’s own DNS servers.
Proton VPN does not log DNS queries and cannot be forced to start logging them under Swiss law.
It also offers IPv6 leak prevention which blocks all IPv6 traffic by default and routes any potential IPv6 traffic to a black hole (null route) to ensure your device cannot make connections over IPv6.
Below is the result of our test on leakages when using the VPN:
VPN Accelerator
Proton VPN’s VPN Accelerator feature is designed to counteract the speed loss often associated with VPN usage, and increase speed by up to 400% when compared with a traditional VPN.
The technology works by splitting the path between the VPN server and the destination into shorter paths, reducing latency and network congestion.
VPN Accelerator is enabled by default for all users across all Proton VPN apps and can be enabled or disabled in each app’s settings or preferences menu.
Let’s take a look at some of the privacy and security features offered by Proton VPN.
Proton VPN Netshield
The core functionality of Proton VPN’s Netshield is to block unwanted ads, trackers, malware, and other internet threats. Netshield is available to every Proton VPN user with a paid plan.
To use it, simply navigate to the Proton VPN support page, where you can select from two levels of protection: Basic and Advanced.
The basic level eliminates intrusive adverts, and the advanced level also combats malware.
Netshield aims to offer an extra layer of protection by routing traffic through multiple servers. This can help to stop network-based attacks, for instance.
Netshield is also useful in preventing DNS leaks, which can unfortunately reveal a user’s true identity. To combat this, Netshield routes DNS queries through an encrypted tunnel so your browsing activity cannot be exposed.
Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS)
Proton VPN incorporates Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). This generates a temporary security key and deletes it once that particular session ends, and is designed to stop browsing info from being exposed now or in the future.
Authentication
Proton VPN also offers additional authentication features to enhance security. This includes two-factor authentication (2FA) when logging in to add additional security to your account.
Proton VPN also has solutions for OpenVPN authentication failure, should the issue arise, and uses HMAC SHA-384 as its VPN authentication method to ensure message safety between devices and its VPN servers.
Secure Core Servers
Secure Core servers route internet traffic through two to three countries that are considered to be privacy friendly. Users can choose one of ten double-hop/multi-hop configurations to make selecting these countries easier.
It works as follows:
- You select the exit server country that you want to use as your VPN server location.
- When you select to use a Secure Core (see user Interface above), Proton VPN will then route your connection through one of its secure core servers before connecting to your preferred exit server location.
It should be noted that there are limited countries that support secure core exits.
Split Tunneling
Proton VPN supports app-based split tunneling in its Windows and Android apps, which lets users exclude or include desired applications or IP addresses from the VPN tunnel.
For example, users could potentially choose to exclude their web browser from the VPN tunnel while still using the VPN for other apps.
Proton VPN has launched its official Linux Command Line Interface (CLI), though this does not yet support split tunneling. It also doesn’t currently offer split tunneling through its native Mac and iOS applications.
VPN Protocols
Proton VPN uses OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard protocols for its apps. The industry considers these protocols to be the most secure protocols available.
WireGuard is the newer, lightweight open-source VPN protocol, which uses ChaCha20 encryption and is designed to be faster than previous protocols.
Proton VPN doesn’t offer any VPN connections using PPTP or L2TP/IPSec, as the security doesn’t meet Proton VPN’s standards.
Proton VPN offers a Smart Protocol feature that selects the best VPN protocol configuration for optimal performance, and to keep VPN users connected even if someone is trying to block access. This anti-censorship feature is available on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS (iPad and iPhone) apps.
Which Apps & Devices Are Supported?
In this section, we will take a look at some of the technical features offered by Proton VPN.
Ease-of-Use
The Proton VPN app is available on Android, iOS, Linux, MacOS, and Windows.
When you log in to your Proton VPN dashboard, you’ll find an interactive world map highlighting all the countries Proton VPN has servers. Clicking on any of these countries will show you where the servers are located.
Collapsing this map will leave a list of countries that have available servers. You can scroll down this list and choose the server country location you want to use.
Or, you can use Proton VPN’s Quick Connect feature and the app will choose the optimal server based on your location.
The user interface shows when you’re connected to the service and also displays the speed of the server you’re connected to.
VPN Server Locations
Proton VPN Server Network
Proton VPN has more than 15,000 servers based in 120 countries including Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, the US, and the UK.
These are broken down as follows:
- 99 Secure Core servers in 120 countries, available to Plus plan users.
- 2,600+ Plus servers in 120 countries, exclusive to Plus users.
- 65 Free servers in 3 countries, available for free users.
Customer Support
Live Chat
Live chat with priority response is available for subscribers on Proton VPN’s Plus plan. Free-tier users don’t have access to live chat.
Email Support
All users can submit support tickets via an online form, email, or through Twitter. Free-tier users should expect longer response times than paid subscribers.
Knowledge Base
Proton VPN’s support pages contain categorized guides and FAQs. For free-tier users who can’t access live chat, this is the primary self-service resource.
Who Isn’t Proton VPN Right For?
Based on our testing and research:
Speed trade-off – Proton VPN’s strict Swiss privacy architecture adds overhead. In our testing it is fast, but not the fastest. Users who need maximum throughput for 4K streaming or competitive gaming may find NordVPN or ExpressVPN faster in practice. The privacy-speed trade-off is deliberate and well-documented.
Consider instead: NordVPN or ExpressVPN (faster in speed tests)
Price relative to features – Proton VPN’s premium plan ($9.99/mo) is priced above NordVPN’s equivalent tier. You are partly paying for the Proton ecosystem (Mail, Calendar, Drive). If you only want a standalone VPN, there are audited alternatives with comparable privacy at a lower price.
Consider instead: Mullvad ($5/mo flat) or NordVPN
Proton VPN Competitors
| ProtonVPN | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | Private Internet Access | Hide.me | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best rate | $3.59/mo | $3.49/mo | $3.09/mo | $2.19/mo | $2.69/mo |
| Monthly price | $9.99 | $12.99 | $12.99 | $11.99 | $9.95 |
| Servers | 15,000+ | 3,000+ | 8,400+ | Undisclosed | 1,900+ |
| Countries | 120 | 105 | 167 | 90 | 50 |
| Devices | 10 | 8 | 10 | Unlimited | 10 |
| Jurisdiction | 🇨🇭 Switzerland ⓘ | 🇻🇬 BVI ⓘ | 🇵🇦 Panama ⓘ | 🇺🇸 USA ⓘ | 🇲🇾 Malaysia ⓘ |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Kill switch | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Split tunneling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No-logs audited | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dedicated IP | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Open source | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| RAM-only servers | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ad/tracker blocker | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Our rating | 8.7/10 | 8.6/10 | 8.8/10 | 7.2/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Review | Read review → | Read review → | Read review → | Read review → | Read review → |
Our Verdict
Based on our hands-on testing and data analysis, here is our overall assessment of ProtonVPN.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Proton VPN trustworthy?
Proton VPN is a trustworthy VPN service that can be used to protect a user’s privacy and security online.
The company is based in Switzerland, which has some of the world’s most robust privacy laws, and has a strict no-logs policy and ad-free service. In April 2022, it passed a third-party audit that confirmed its no-logs policy (similar to other trusted VPN providers such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark).
What is the difference between Proton VPN and NordVPN?
Both Proton VPN and NordVPN are respected VPN providers that offer a wide array of privacy and security benefits.
Proton VPN has many features that NordVPN doesn’t – such as Secure Core servers and Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) – while NordVPN provides users with its own lightweight protocol, NordLynx.
Proton VPN offers a free plan with unlimited data, which may be enough for some users’ needs. However, NordVPN has a larger server network and a longer, more established reputation.
Is Proton VPN really free?
Yes, Proton VPN offers a free-tier VPN service that has no data limit, no advertisements, and a no-logs guarantee.
The free plan encrypts internet activity and protects users’ privacy. Proton VPN claims to be the only free VPN that doesn’t limit bandwidth, spy on users, show privacy-invading ads, or sell user data.
Users on the free plan have access to VPN servers in the United States, Netherlands, and Japan. Upgrading to a paid account provides access to more servers and advanced features.
How does Proton VPN free work?
Proton VPN’s free plan works the same way its paid plan works: users simply create an account, download the relevant app for their device, and connect to one of the free servers. The user’s traffic will then be encrypted and their privacy protected by Proton VPN.
However, upgrading to the paid version offers many additional features, including an increased number of servers, VPN speeds, and locations, and is worth considering by those serious about protecting their privacy online.
What’s Proton VPN’s Company History?
Proton VPN is part of the Proton AG company, based in Geneva, Switzerland – the same company behind the renowned, end-to-end encrypted Proton Mail.
Initially crowdfunded, Proton AG launched its email service Proton Mail in 2014, then Proton VPN in 2017. The company is supported by the Fondation Genevoise pour l’Innovation Technologique (FONGIT) and the European Commission.
Proton VPN’s source code was released to the public in 2020 as open-source, allowing independent audits and security testing.
Built by privacy advocates, backed by Swiss law. The trust leader in the VPN space.
Our rating scale
| Rating Rubric | |
|---|---|
| 9 - 10 | Exceptional - best in class, no significant weaknesses |
| 8 - 8.9 | Excellent - highly recommended with minor trade-offs |
| 7 - 7.9 | Good - solid choice for most users |
| 6 - 6.9 | Adequate - works but has notable limitations |
| 5 - 5.9 | Below average - consider alternatives |
| Below 5 | Not recommended |
Update history
This page was revised 40 times between February 2023 and April 2026.
Linked jurisdiction information to ownership documentation for transparency.
Clarified Customer Support section to distinguish between Plus plan priority live chat and free-tier ticket-based support, with self-service knowledge base details.
Corrected server count and country coverage to match current verified figures. Money-back guarantee now pulls from hub data.
Added Stealth protocol censorship-bypass analysis, self-hosted Bitcoin-only payment details, and Secure Core multi-hop routing across open-source apps on 7 platforms.
Added company background section covering ProtonVPN's 9-year history since 2017.
Added ISO certification details: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 verified credentials.
Added ecosystem overview showing Proton Mail, Proton Drive (500GB), Proton Pass, and 3 more bundled products available alongside the VPN subscription.
Added table of contents with section-by-section navigation for faster access to specific topics.
Updated server network overview covering 18,866 servers across 134 countries, with interactive coverage map and nearest-server highlighting.
Redesigned quick-reference spec table showing 10 simultaneous connections, 18,866 servers, 134 countries, AES-256-GCM encryption, and 30-day money-back guarantee.
Added source citations and verification dates to all factual claims in the ProtonVPN review.
Added policy change monitoring showing recent updates to ProtonVPN's privacy policy with paragraph-level diffs.
Added transparency tracker with transparency report data showing government and DMCA request volumes.
Reordered sections to match how readers evaluate a VPN: streaming first, then speed, privacy, features, and pricing.
Expanded privacy section with Switzerland jurisdiction analysis, Securitum-audited no-logs policy (3 independent audits), and court-tested track record.
Improved pros and cons with more specific language grounded in test data and verified claims.
Added curated "Not Right For" section with severity-coded concerns including jurisdiction considerations and logging nuances.
Removed outdated editorial commentary and unverifiable claims from the ProtonVPN review.
Added payment methods section for ProtonVPN covering accepted cards, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency options.
Rewrote protocol comparison covering WireGuard, OpenVPN (UDP), OpenVPN (TCP), IKEv2/IPsec with per-platform availability and security ratings.
Added platform compatibility breakdown for ProtonVPN showing kill switch and split tunneling availability per operating system.
Added ownership transparency section identifying Proton AG as parent company.
Reorganized review content into clearer sections, moving misplaced blocks and removing layout inconsistencies.
Replaced static overview tables with live data-driven spec cards for ProtonVPN, ensuring pricing and server counts stay current.
Added overview including pros/cons table, detailed specifications table, streaming service compatibility, device support, and key features sections to establish full review structure.
Removed introductory paragraph about CERN/MIT origins and rewrote opening section to focus directly on review scope and features.
Removed opening sentence about CERN/MIT founders and streamlined introduction, then restructured entire article with expanded overview table, streaming platform details, and device compatibility information.
Added overview table with 16 key specifications, streaming compatibility section with device list, and expanded feature descriptions with practical usage details.
Added ProtonVPN overview including introduction, company history, pros/cons table, specifications table, and streaming compatibility details.
Removed empty heading and reorganized opening section for improved flow and clarity.
Removed introductory paragraphs and call-to-action button, streamlined opening to focus directly on company and feature information.
Added Company Introduction section with founding history and open-source release details, created Pros & Cons comparison table, and expanded ProtonVPN overview table with 15 specification rows.
Removed outdated and incomplete content sections while restructuring the article to focus on core VPN features and specifications.
The diff output appears to be incomplete or corrupted (indicated by "[Diff truncated – 60,560 chars total]"), so I cannot accurately assess what meaningful editorial changes were made between the two versions.
Removed incomplete sentence fragment at end of streaming section.
Expanded company history section with founding timeline and supporting organization details, and clarified streaming limitations between free and paid plans.
Restructured company introduction section and expanded overview table with additional technical specifications and streaming platform details.
Restructured introduction, expanded company background with founding details, added overview table with 17 specifications, and created dedicated streaming and security sections.
Removed incomplete final sentence about split tunneling feature configuration.
Removed outdated ProtonVPN review content from 2023 with replaced information reflecting current service details and features.
Who Owns ProtonVPN?
Proton AG
Run our independent leak test while connected to your VPN and see the results for yourself. We check for IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks in under 30 seconds. Every test adds to our public dataset.
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Based on independent testing data and specifications from each provider.
How we test VPNs
Our testing process involves purchasing each VPN with our own money and installing it on Windows, macOS, and mobile devices. We run a three-stage leak test (IP, DNS, and WebRTC) multiple times across different servers to check for data exposure.
We also test streaming access, kill switch reliability, and split tunneling functionality. All testing is conducted without notifying the provider. Specifications and pricing are verified directly from the provider's website.
Our full testing methodology is published at vpntesting.com/methodology.