Proton VPN Review: Swiss-Based, 15,000+ Servers, Free Plan

8.7 Excellent

Built by privacy advocates, backed by Swiss law. The trust leader in the VPN space.

Best for: Privacy-first users and anyone who values transparency Not for: Users who want the absolute fastest speeds or dedicated IPs
Leak Tests No-Logs Audit Kill Switch Jurisdiction

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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30 days Money-back guarantee - cancel anytime, no questions asked.

Reviewed by VPNTesting.com Research Team | Fact-checked by Editorial | Last verified: 31 March 2026 | Backed by 28,552+ real-world leak tests | Independently AuditedOwnership Verified | Why trust us?
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8.7 Our rating
💰 $3.59/mo Best price
🌐 15,000+ Servers
🌎 120 Countries
💻 10 Devices
🇨🇭 Switzerland Jurisdiction
💳 30 days Money-back

Proton VPN Pros & Cons

ProtonVPN Specifications
Best Price
$3.59/mo
$9.99/mo monthly
Free Trial
No free trial
Refund Policy
30-day money-back guarantee (prorated refund within 30 days)
Devices
10
Servers
Countries
🇨🇭 Switzerland (14-Eyes member)
Founded
2017 (9 years ago)
Encryption
Support
Email support (no live chat on free plan)
Windows · macOS · iOS · Android · Linux
Kill switch · Split tunneling · Open source
What we like
  • Wide server network
  • Open-source WireGuard VPN protocol
  • Free version
  • Split tunneling support
  • Secure Core Servers
What could be better
  • No dedicated IP address options
  • No RAM-only servers
  • No live support for free users
Best for: Privacy-first users who value transparency - fully open-source apps with independent security audits
Not ideal for: Streaming enthusiasts on a budget - streaming unblocking only works on paid plans, and speeds on the free tier are limited

Proton VPN by the Numbers

Our Take
15,000+ servers across 120 countries (39 physical, 81 virtual) with 10 simultaneous connections. The raw server count is industry-leading, though most of those countries are served by virtual servers. The free tier covers 5 countries.

ProtonVPN Feature Scores

Scored across 5 dimensions we test
ProtonVPN Market Average (29 VPN providers)
How we score
Speed
Based on our speed testing: Very Fast = 9, Fast = 7, Moderate = 5, Slow = 3.
Coverage
Number of countries with servers: 100+ = 10, 60+ = 9, 45+ = 7, 30+ = 5, 15+ = 3.
Value
Best available monthly price (inverted): $2/month = 10, $5 = 6, $10+ = 3.
Capacity
Simultaneous device connections: Unlimited = 10, 10+ = 9, 7+ = 7, 5 = 5.
Server Density
Total server count: 10,000+ = 10, 6,000+ = 9, 3,000+ = 7, 1,000+ = 5.
ProtonVPN vs Typical VPN Compared against the average of 29 VPN providers we track
Our rating 8.7 +2.0
Best price $3.59/mo +$0.18
Servers 15,000 +395%
Countries 120 +57%
Money-back 30 days +2d
ProtonVPN Industry average
How we score
Our Rating
Editorial score (1-10) based on hands-on testing across speed, privacy, features, and value.
Best Price
Lowest available monthly rate on any plan length. Lower is better.
Servers
Total server count as reported by the provider. More servers generally means less congestion.
Countries
Number of countries with at least one server. Wider coverage means more unblocking options.
Money-back
Length of the money-back guarantee in days. Longer guarantees mean lower risk.

Plans, Products & Prices

Our Take
The free plan is the best in the industry: no data cap, no ads, and decent speeds. Paid plans are mid-range. The Plus plan bundles VPN with Proton Mail, Drive, Calendar, and Pass - genuine value if you use the Proton ecosystem.

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:

  1. Refunds can only be requested once per user.
  2. Refunds will be given in the original currency of payment and to the original payment method.
  3. Payments made by cash or bank transfers are not refundable.
  4. 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?

ProtonVPN Plan Tiers
VPN Plus Their pick Proton Unlimited
Best rate $4.49/mo $7.99/mo
Monthly rate $9.99/mo $12.99/mo
Devices 10 10
VPN
Proton Mail +$3.99/mo
Proton Drive (500GB)
Proton Pass
Proton Calendar
Proton Docs
Proton Scribe
Bundle premium vs base $0.00 +$3.50/mo
See VPN Plus plan See Proton Unlimited plan

How Does This Compare to Other VPN Bundles?

How Does ProtonVPN Compare to Other VPNs?

Provider Best rate Monthly Money-back Rating
ProtonVPN $3.59/mo $9.99/mo 30 days ★ 8.7
ExpressVPN $3.49/mo $12.99/mo 30 days ★ 8.6
NordVPN $3.09/mo $12.99/mo 30 days ★ 8.8
Private Internet Access $2.19/mo Lowest $11.99/mo 30 days ★ 7.2
Hide.me $2.69/mo $9.95/mo 30 days ★ 7.0
Prices shown are the best available rate on long-term plans. Monthly rates shown for comparison.
ProtonVPN's Consumer Offering
Product Type Plan Tier Extra Cost Availability
Proton Mail Encrypted Email Proton Unlimited plan +$3.99/mo Global
Proton Drive (500GB) Cloud Storage Proton Unlimited plan Bundled Global
Proton Pass Password Manager Proton Unlimited plan Bundled Global
Proton Calendar Calendar All plans Included Global
Proton Docs Cloud Storage Proton Unlimited plan Bundled Global
Proton Scribe AI Assistant Add-on only - Global
VPN Bundle Pricing Compared
Provider VPN-Only Price Full Bundle Price Bundle Premium What's in the Bundle Free Alternatives Exist? Bundle Value
PureVPN 3 tiers $2.14/mo Standard $3.48/mo Max +$1.34/mo
  • PureKeep
  • PurePrivacy
  • PureEncrypt
Good value
Surfshark 3 tiers $2.24/mo Starter $4.71/mo One+ +$2.47/mo
  • Alternative ID
  • Surfshark Antivirus
  • Surfshark Alert
  • Surfshark Search
  • Incogni
Mixed
NordVPN 4 tiers $3.39/mo Basic $7.39/mo Prime +$4.00/mo
  • NordPass
  • NordLocker (1TB)
  • NordProtect
Mixed
ExpressVPN 3 tiers $3.49/mo Basic $7.49/mo Pro +$4.00/mo
  • ExpressVPN Keys
  • Identity Defender
  • ExpressMailGuard
  • eSIM (holiday.com)
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

International
Credit/Debit Card PayPal
Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin (BTC)
1 cryptocurrency accepted · Self-hosted payment processor - no third party sees your payment
Other
Cash by Mail
Cash by mail (CHF/USD/EUR). Bank transfer via UBS Switzerland AG. Must create free account first, then upgrade to pay with BTC. No Lightning Network. Proton Wallet QR code support.
Availability may vary by region. Last verified March 2026.

Streaming TV & Movies With Proton VPN

Our Take
Paid plans unblock Netflix, Disney+, and most major platforms. The free plan doesn't support streaming. Performance is reliable but not at the level of ExpressVPN or NordVPN for less popular regional libraries.
ProtonVPN Streaming Compatibility
Service Last Tested Source
Netflix (US) 28 Mar 2026 (re-test due) Proton VPN confirmed
Netflix (UK) 28 Mar 2026 (re-test due) Proton VPN confirmed
Amazon Prime Video 28 Mar 2026 (re-test due) Proton VPN confirmed
Disney+ 28 Mar 2026 (re-test due) Proton VPN confirmed
Hulu 28 Mar 2026 (re-test due) Proton VPN confirmed

Streaming compatibility tested by VPNTesting.com. Results may vary by server and region.

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

ProtonVPN Platform Compatibility
🖥 Desktop
🪟 Windows
🍎 macOS
🐧 Linux
💻 Chromebook
📱 Mobile
🍎 iOS
🤖 Android
📺 TV & Streaming
📺 Android TV
🔥 Amazon Fire TV
🍎 Apple TV
🎮 Gaming
🎮 PlayStation via router
🎮 Xbox via router
🎮 Nintendo Switch via router
🌐 Browser Extensions
🌐 Chrome
🦊 Firefox
🌐 Edge
📡 Router
📡 Install on your router

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 FirefoxApple 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.

Get ProtonVPN Now
30 days Money-back guarantee - cancel anytime, no questions asked.

Performance & Speed

Our Take
Stealth protocol (for censorship bypass) and WireGuard both deliver competitive speeds. Secure Core routing adds latency by design - it routes through privacy-friendly countries first. For everyday use, disable Secure Core for faster speeds.

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.

Get ProtonVPN Now
30 days Money-back guarantee - cancel anytime, no questions asked.

Privacy & Security

Our Take
Swiss jurisdiction, fully open-source apps, and a track record rooted in CERN and the Proton Mail team. No independent audit of the no-logs policy yet, but the open-source codebase and Switzerland's strong privacy laws provide reasonable assurance. Secure Core is a genuine differentiator.
ProtonVPN's privacy promise

ProtonVPN does not log user traffic or store any information that can identify what an individual user is doing online.

ProtonVPN Privacy Policy
Our analysis:
  • 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)
ProtonVPN Transparency Report 🇨🇭 Switzerland
59 government requests (2025) ▲ +11% · No browsing data disclosed
Government59
2020 - 2025
NO LOGS COURT-TESTED

Does ProtonVPN Keep Logs?

4/6 verified
Policy No-logs policy independently verified Read policy Verified
Audit Securitum (Apr 2024) - 3 audits total Verified
Jurisdiction 🇨🇭 Switzerland (14-Eyes member) Flagged
Infrastructure Colocated, restricted access Claimed
Ownership Proton AG - Switzerland Verified
Policy updated 1 time since monitoring began. Last: Apr 6, 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.
ProtonVPN Infrastructure & Trust
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

moderate Terms of Service 06/04/2026

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.

Terms of Service
Last modified: 12 March 2026
By using the proton.me or protonvpn.com(new window) website and making use of a Proton Account (the “Account”) and all its related features, including Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, Proton VPN and Proton Pass and Proton Docs (the “Services”) and other services like Proton Wallet operated by Proton Financial AG, you agree to be bound by the following terms of service (the “Terms”). These Terms cover all present and future features provided by your Account. The Services are operated by Proton AG (“We”, the “Company”), a Swiss company located at Route de la Galaise 32, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland, which is under the supervision of the non-profit Proton Foundation (Switzerland). Use of your Account or the Services includes registering an Account, keeping an Account open (not deleted by you or not deleted or deactivated by Proton), or accessing our website or mobile/desktop applications, or making use of our services. Please read these Terms carefully before you use your Account or the Services. By using your Account or the Services, you are agreeing to be bound by these Terms. You may not use your Account or the Services if you do not agree to these Terms. These Terms apply every time you use your Account or the Services.
Last modified: 31 March 2026
By using the proton.me or protonvpn.com(new window) websites, making use of a Proton Account (the “Account”) and all its related features or otherwise using our services (with or without an Account) Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, Proton VPN and Proton Pass, Proton Meet, and Proton Docs (the “Services”) and other services like Proton Wallet operated by Proton Financial AG, you agree to be bound by the following terms of service (the “Terms”). These Terms cover all present and future features provided by your Account. The Services are operated by Proton AG (“We”, the “Company”), a Swiss company located at Route de la Galaise 32, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland, which is under the supervision of the non-profit Proton Foundation, based in Switzerland. Please read these Terms carefully before you use your Account or the Services. By using your Account or the Services, you are agreeing to be bound by these Terms. You may not use your Account or the Services if you do not agree to these Terms. These Terms apply every time you use your Account or the Services.
The Proton Wallet integration with the Services is operated by Proton Financial AG (a subsidiary of the Company) under independent terms of use. If you use Proton Wallet or receive Bitcoin in Proton Wallet, you also consent to the Proton Wallet terms of use.
The Proton Lumo integration with the Services is subject to its own terms of use(new window). By using Lumo with your Account, you also consent to the Lumo terms of use.
If you agree to these Terms on behalf of a company or another legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind such entity, its affiliates, and all users who access the Services through your Account to these Terms. In the absence of such an authority, you are not authorized to use the Services.
If you agree to these Terms on behalf of a company or another legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind such entity, its affiliates, and all users who access the Services through your Account to these Terms. In the absence of such an authority, you are not authorized to use the Services. If you operate an organization on our Services, you must ensure that all individuals with access to an Account within your organization have read and understood these Terms, and you accept that any actions taken by such users may result in enforcement measures being applied to the organization’s Account.
1. Users of the Services
The Services are provided exclusively to individuals who are at least 13 years of age, and even then, only to minors who have obtained parental or legal guardian consent to open and maintain an Account.
The Services are provided exclusively to persons or legal entities. Accounts registered by “bots” or automated methods are not authorized and will be terminated.
Each user is solely responsible for all actions performed through the Services.
2. Authorized use of the Services
You agree not to use your Account or the Services for any illegal or prohibited activities. Unauthorized activities include, but are not limited to:
Disrupting the Company's networks and Servers in your use of the Service;
Accessing/sharing/downloading/uploading illegal content, including but not limited to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) or content related to CSAM;
Infringing upon or violating the intellectual property rights of the Company or a third party;
Infringing upon or violating the intellectual property rights or personality rights of the Company or a third party;
Harassing, abusing, insulting, harming, defaming, slandering, disparaging, intimidating or discriminating against someone based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, nationality or disability;
Trading, selling or otherwise transferring the ownership of an Account to a third party (with the exception of Lifetime Accounts, which can be sold or traded exclusively through the Company);
Sharing your Account or login credentials with any other person or entity, except where such sharing is expressly permitted under your subscription plan or has been otherwise authorized in writing by the Company;
Reselling, sublicensing, or otherwise making the Services available to any third party, except where expressly permitted under your subscription plan or authorized in writing by the Company;
Promoting illegal activities or providing instructional information to other parties to commit illegal activities;
Having multiple free Accounts (e.g. creating bulk signups, creating and/or operating a large number of free Accounts for a single organization or individual);
Accessing the Services through automated means (including but not limited to bots, scripts, or similar technologies);
Paying for your subscription with fraudulent payment means, such as a stolen credit card;
Engaging in spam activities, which are defined as the practice of sending irrelevant or unsolicited messages or content over the internet, typically to a large number of recipients, notably for the purposes of advertising, phishing, or spreading malware or viruses;
Sending junk mail, bulk emails, or mailing list emails that contain persons that have not specifically agreed to be included on that list. You agree not to use the Services to store or share content that violates the law or the rights of a third party;
Abusive registrations of email addresses (including aliases) for third-party services;
Using a free account email address (including aliases) for the unique purpose of registering to third-party services;
Attempting to access, probe, or connect to computing devices without proper authorization (i.e. any form of unauthorized "hacking");
Referring yourself or another one of your accounts to unduly benefit from our referral program's benefits (see section 9 for discretionary benefits of the program).
Any Account found to be committing any of the the listed unauthorized activities will be immediately suspended or restricted accordingly (which can include features and capabilities restrictions).
Any Account found to be committing any of the listed unauthorized activities will be immediately suspended or restricted accordingly (which can include features and capabilities restrictions).
The Company may also terminate Accounts which are being used for illegal activities that are not listed above, particularly in response to orders from the competent authorities informing of such illegal activity.
We reserve the right to limit service capacity for free Accounts which use of resources (e.g. bandwidth) is excessive and hurts the user experiences of other users in an unfair way.
The Company reserves the right to suspend or delete free Accounts that have been inactive for a consecutive period of twelve months. For more information, we invite you to read our inactive account policy.
We reserve the right to limit service capacity for Accounts which use of resources (e.g. bandwidth) is excessive and hurts the user experiences of other users in an unfair way.
The Company reserves the right to suspend or delete Accounts that have been inactive for a consecutive period of twelve months. For more information, we invite you to read our inactive account policy.
If you would like to contest the suspension of your account, please submit an appeal through our Abuse Appeal Form.
3. Inactive Accounts
The Company reserves the right to suspend or delete free Accounts that have been inactive for a consecutive period of 12 months and/or part or all of their associated data and content according to this section.
If you have been inactive on your free Account for a consecutive period of 12 months or more, access to your Account and all or part of the data associated with your Account (including but not limited to emails stored in Proton Mail, files stored on Proton Drive, calendar entries in Proton Calendar and passwords in Proton Pass) may be deleted. You will receive notices 30, 15 and 7 days in advance before such action is taken on the recovery email associated with your Account.
Accounts under an active paid subscription are always considered active and no action will be taken against your paid Account under this section. Terminating your active paid subscription (or being downgraded to free due to a failure to pay for the subscription) will make your Account subject to this section again.
If your account is free, you are considered active by performing one of the following actions at least once in a period of 12 months:
logging in to your Account on our web, desktop or mobile apps; or
if you are already logged in, using one of our products (for example, accessing your inbox, reading an email, connecting to a VPN server, etc.).
Activity is considered by Account, not by email address. Keeping an active Account ensures that any email addresses you created for that Account (@proton.me, @pm.me, etc.) also remain active.
If you are subject to insurmountable circumstances that won't allow you to stay active on your Account in a period of 12 months, please contact our Customer Support so that they can prevent deletion under this section.
4. Limited warranties and liability
The Company does not make any warranty about the reliability of the Services or the security of user data, despite best efforts. The Service is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, accuracy, non-infringement, or warranties that may arise from course of dealing or course of performance or usage of trade.
The Company offers the Proton Scribe feature as part of the Services. Proton Scribe is a writing assistant which provides you with some suggestions for email or document drafting. Proton Scribe is not designed to provide answers and may not always provide factually correct information. The content provided by Proton Scribe should not be relied upon for any specific purpose without verification of its accuracy or completeness. Proton does not offer any warranty about the accuracy or completeness of the content suggested by Proton Scribe.
The Company has no obligation to store or forward the contents of terminated Accounts. We also have no obligation to store messages or contents for accounts that exceed their storage quotas. Furthermore, you will not hold the Company liable or seek indemnification if confidential material is unintentionally released as the result of a security failure or vulnerability in the performance of the Services or if data is deleted for an inactive account (see section 3). Due to the encrypted nature of the Services, you acknowledge that the Company has no ability or obligation to recover your data if you misplace your password.
To the extent not prohibited by law, you acknowledge and agree that in no event will the Company be responsible or liable to you or any third party, under any theory of responsibility or liability, for any indirect, special, exemplary, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages (including, but not limited to, procurement of substitute goods or services; loss of data, use, or profits; business interruptions; or any other damages or losses), for any multiplier on or increase to damages, or for any costs or fees (including attorneys’ fees), whether under these Terms or otherwise, arising in any way in connection with your Account, the Services, or these Terms, whether arising at law, in equity, or otherwise, and whether based in contract, strict liability, tort (including negligence or otherwise), common law, statute, equity, or otherwise, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damage, or for any other claim, demand, or damages whatsoever, arising out of or related to your use or inability to use your Account or the Services.
Without limitation of the foregoing, and to the extent not prohibited by law, the total liability of the Company’s parties for any reason whatsoever arising out of or related to the use of, or inability to use, your Account or the Services, or these Terms, shall not exceed $100, or the amount you paid us, if any, for use of your Account or the Services, whichever amount is greater. This liability, if any, shall be complete and exclusive. The foregoing limitations will apply even if the above stated remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Applicable law in some locations, such as the State of New Jersey, does not allow the waiver of implied warranties, the limitation of liability of certain damages set forth above, including the provisions of this section that limit or exclude special, exemplary, consequential, or punitive damages, or limit or exclude the use of any multiplier on or increase to damages, and limit the liability of the Company or any of the Company’s parties, to the greater of either $100 or the amount paid by you for use of your Account or the Services. These limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. The provisions of this section do not apply to the extent, and only to the extent, not permitted by applicable law.
IF YOU ARE A CALIFORNIA RESIDENT, YOU WAIVE CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE § 1542, WHICH SAYS: A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS THAT THE CREDITOR OR RELEASING PARTY DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE AND THAT, IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER, WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR OR RELEASED PARTY.
5. Service level agreement (SLA)
The Company aims to provide Service availability of 99.95% or better. If downtime in any month exceeds 0.05% of that month, the Company will credit the user’s Account. Service credits are applied at the user’s request and will apply toward the balance due at the end of the next billing cycle (either monthly or yearly).
The Company calculates service credits in the following way:
If the monthly uptime is less than 99.95% but equal to or greater than 99.0%, the service credit is equal to 10% of the Service’s monthly cost;
If the monthly uptime is less than 99.0%, the service credit is equal to 30% of the Service’s cost.
Some performance issues are excluded from downtime calculations, such as:
Issues caused by factors outside of the Company’s reasonable control;
Issues that resulted from any actions or inaction by a user or a third party;
Issues that resulted from the user’s equipment and/or third-party equipment (not within the primary control of the Company). For the avoidance of any doubt, the Company does not provide any internet or network services and any performance issues related to that type of services shall be deemed not in the primary control of the Company;
Issues that arise from the Company’s suspension or termination of rights to use the Service in accordance with the Terms;
Downtime caused by reasonable scheduled maintenance that is announced in advance.
This SLA Section does not apply to the Dedicated IP feature of Proton VPN Business and Enterprise subscriptions. To ensure the best redundancy possible for those services, we recommend customers to configure back-up servers via the administrator control panel.
6. Indemnification
You agree that the Company, and any parents, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, agents, or third-party contractors (the "Indemnified Parties") cannot be held responsible for any third-party claim, demand, or damages, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of your use of your Account or the Services. You agree that the Indemnified Parties will have no liability in connection with any such third-party claim, demand, or damages, and you agree to indemnify any and all resulting loss, damages, judgments, awards, costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses of the Indemnified Parties in connection therewith. You will also indemnify and hold the Indemnified Parties harmless from and against any third-party claims, demands, or damages arising out of your use of your Account or the Services.
7. Privacy
Our Privacy Policy and its sub-policies explain the way we handle and protect your personal data and privacy in relation to your Account, your use of the Services, and your browsing of the proton.me or protonvpn.com(new window) website. By agreeing to the present Terms and to be able to use the Services, you also agree to our Privacy Policy and its sub-policies.
If, in the provision of the Services, the Company processes, on the user’s behalf (where the user acts as a Data Controller), any personal data that is subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the company’s data processing agreement shall apply.
8. Intellectual property
All trademarks, service marks, logos, trade names, and other proprietary designations of PROTON (the “PROTON Trademarks”) displayed on this website are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Company, and numerous of the PROTON Trademarks are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and with multiple trademark offices around the world. See, e.g., U.S. Reg. Nos. 4,751,245, 4,754,889; CH Reg. No. 662,183; EU Reg. No. 17,893,097. Nothing in these Terms of Service should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to use any of the Proton Trademarks without our prior written permission in each instance. All goodwill generated from the use of the Proton Trademarks will inure to the Company’s exclusive benefit.
9. Terms of Payment
Subscriptions for the Services are charged on a monthly, yearly or bi-yearly billing cycle, depending on your selection. After the initial term, the subscription is renewed automatically for the duration as specified during your initial purchase and you will be charged accordingly, unless cancelled or modified by you. Credit balances are automatically deducted accordingly. You are responsible for keeping payment information in relation with your Account up to date.
The prices displayed on our Websites and Apps at the time of your initial purchase are subject to change. If the renewal price has changed, you will be charged the then-current price valid at the time of the renewal of your subscription. If you do not wish to continue using our paid Services, you must cancel your subscription before its renewal date by visiting your Account dashboard and following the cancel subscription steps. If you are unable to access your Account dashboard, you may cancel your subscription by contacting our Customer Support.
Certain Proton subscription plans (Essentials, Professional, Business Suite) are intended for companies and businesses. By subscribing to these plans, you represent that you are acting as a company or business. Proton relies on this representation to apply the correct tax treatment and may request additional information or documentation (such as a VAT or GST number). Other Proton subscription plans are intended for consumers. By subscribing to these plans, you represent that you are acting as a consumer, and Proton will rely on this representation to apply the correct tax treatment. Depending on your status (business or consumer) and your place of purchase, prices may be displayed inclusive or exclusive of indirect taxes (VAT, GST) as required by applicable law. If Proton becomes aware that pricing was based on an incorrect representation, Proton reserves the right to adjust the subscription price accordingly.
Certain Proton subscription plans (Essentials, Professional, Workspace, Business Suite) are intended for companies, businesses and organizations. By subscribing to these plans, you represent that you are acting as such. Proton relies on this representation to apply the correct tax treatment and may request additional information or documentation (such as a VAT or GST number). The other Proton subscription plans are intended for consumers. By subscribing to these plans, you represent that you are acting as a consumer, and Proton will rely on this representation to apply the correct tax treatment. Depending on your status (business or consumer) and your place of purchase, prices may be displayed inclusive or exclusive of indirect taxes (VAT, GST) as required by applicable law. If Proton becomes aware that pricing was based on an incorrect representation, Proton reserves the right to adjust the subscription price accordingly.
You may cancel your subscription within 30 days of the initial purchase and receive a refund for any unused portion of the service period. Here, any unused portion of the service period refers to the prorated remaining full days of the subscription period. Refunds will be processed within 30 days of the request. We may also provide you with a full refund upon request if you are using Proton VPN or Proton Drive. To request a refund, please contact us using our support form. For the sake of clarity, the cancellation and the request for refund must both be addressed within the 30-day period. Payments made by cash or bank transfers are not refundable. Refunds can only be requested once per user. This refund option is only applicable to users who have subscribed to Proton's Services directly through Proton's official channels (website and apps). If you have subscribed to Proton's Services through the intermediary of a third-party, please refer to their respective refund policy.
Past the abovementioned 30-day period, the Services provided by the Company are non-refundable and any refund or credit given will be at the sole discretion of the Company. Paid Accounts which are terminated due to a violation of these Terms will incur the loss of all payments and credits and are not eligible for refund. If you terminate your Account before its term for convenience on the basis of a specific regulation allowing you to do so (including but not limited to Chapter VI of the EU Data Act), you agree that early termination penalties apply, whereas these termination penalties correspond to the remainder of the payment that would otherwise have been due for the agreed term of your Account subscription.
If the Company chooses to issue a refund for any reason, The Company will only refund in the original currency of payment and to the original payment method. If you request a credit balance to be converted between different currencies which the Company supports, the Company has discretion over the exchange rate applied.
If you are a business user, you might be eligible to a free trial period upon subscription to a Proton Business plan. In such case, the duration of the free trial shall be specified at sign-up. At the expiration of the trial period, you will be enrolled into a full-fledged paid subscription (that itself also automatically renews) and will be charged according to your Proton Business plan, unless you cancel your subscription before the end of the trial period by visiting your Account dashboard and following the cancel subscription steps. If you are unable to access your Account dashboard, you may cancel your subscription by contacting our Customer Support. Proton may modify the eligible plans and/or the duration of the free trial at any time, including stop offering free trials. Each business user may benefit only once of the cancellation during a free trial period.
If you fail to fulfill your obligation of payment as a user of a paid Account, your account may, at our discretion, be automatically downgraded to a Free account after the failure to proceed to payment. If your Account exceeds the limits of our free subscription tier (for example, including but not limited to by exceeding storage capacity or having sub-users) after the downgrade, your Account will be put in a delinquent restricted state which will limit the use of features of the Account.
The limits put on delinquent restricted accounts are as follow:
If your Account exceeds the storage capacity limit, your Account will be prevented from receiving emails, sending emails with attachments, create new calendar events and uploading files to your Drive (you may however still send emails without attachments and receive emails from Proton);
If your Account is an organization account with sub-users and/or invited users, your custom domain(s) will be disabled, your sub-users will be restricted and/or your invited users will be separated from your Account.
We may delete Accounts in a delinquent restricted state, and/or part or all of the data they contain after 12 months in that state. The following actions on your part will remove the Account of that state:
Subscribing to a paid tier with a valid payment subscription means, provided such paid tier covers the features you are using
Removing the excess features (for example, by reducing your used storage capacity or deleting sub-users so that they do not exceed the limits of a free plan).
Subscriptions and credits are linked to the Account they have originally been purchased for and cannot be transferred to another account.
If you rely on dispute or chargeback mechanisms of third-party payment processors, you waive your right to the above-mentioned refund from the Company and consent to rely upon the dispute resolution procedure of the third-party payment processor. Furthermore, if the result of the dispute or chargeback mechanisms causes the Company to be liable for additional costs (e.g. dispute fee), you authorize the Company to charge that amount on your Account. In case of a dispute or chargeback, we reserve our right to suspend your account until settlement of the dispute.
Participating in Proton's referral program (by inviting a third party to create an account and use a Service through the dedicated in-Service process) may reward you with credits on your Account and/or additional features (such as storage space) for your Account, based on availability and specific promotional campaigns. These benefits are provided by Proton at its own discretion and no referral activity shall entitle you to credits, additional features, and/or a right to a payment from Proton. Referrals are intended to be private direct recommendations of the Services and any referral done through a public platform and/or website will not lead to any reward and may cause ineligibility for future referral benefits. For the avoidance of any doubt, no monetary compensation is offered by Proton for any such referral, unless agreed otherwise in writing by Proton.
Participating in Proton's referral program (by inviting a third party to create an account and use a Service through the dedicated in-Service process) may reward you with credits on your Account and/or additional features (such as storage space) for your Account, based on availability and specific promotional campaigns. These benefits are provided by Proton at its own discretion and no referral activity shall entitle you to credits, additional features, and/or a right to a payment from Proton. For the avoidance of any doubt, no monetary compensation is offered by Proton for any such referral, unless agreed otherwise in writing by Proton.
10. Modification of plan or billing cycle
Modification of plan
If you select a new paid plan, your subscription will be immediately updated, and you will receive a prorated credit for the unused portion of your previous plan that will be automatically applied to your account.
The creation of additional addresses (aliases) is possible with paid plans. Once you have reached the limit of aliases, you can create more by upgrading your plan or purchasing more aliases depending on your plan.
You can delete up to one alias per year. Otherwise, aliases generally cannot be deleted. This limit does not apply to custom domains.
Cancellation of plan
If you do not want your plan to renew, you need to downgrade your plan before the end of your subscription period.
If you have a Proton VPN Plus account, when you cancel your Proton VPN Plus plan (downgrade), the cancellation is applied at the end of the current cycle.
If you have a Proton VPN Essentials, Business or Enterprise account, you can terminate your subscription by sending a termination notice to your account representative or through our Customer Support Form at the latest 30 day before the renewal of your subscription. When you do so, the cancellation is applied at the end of the current cycle. If you notify us less than 30 days before the renewal date of your subscription, your plan will renew for another term and will be cancelled at the end of that new renewal cycle.
For all other Plans, Proton does not automatically remove paid features on your behalf (for instance, if you are over the free plan storage quota, we do not randomly delete data to fit the free plan storage quota), so you must first remove paid features before downgrading. If you downgrade before the end of your subscription period, we will provide you with an Account credit for the unused portion of your subscription. Credits obtained this way must be used within 24 months or expire.
Modification of billing cycle
If you increase the billing cycle of your subscription (e.g. from 1 month to 1 year), the change is applied at the end of your current subscription cycle.
11. Modification to the Terms of Service
Within the limits of applicable law, the Company reserves the right to review and change these Terms at any time. As long as you are using your Account or the Services, you are responsible for regularly reviewing these Terms. Continued use of your Account or the Services, including non-deletion of your Account after such changes are performed shall constitute your consent to them. The latest Terms will apply going forward and to any dispute or issue arising after the Terms have been updated.
12. Severability
If any of the provisions of these Terms are held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be void or unenforceable, such provisions, unless they materially affect the entire intent and purpose of these Terms or unless otherwise provided herein, shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary and replaced with a valid provision that best embodies the intent of these Terms, so that these Terms shall remain in full force and effect.
13. Applicable law and language
This section defines different rules depending on whether you use Proton's services for business purposes (business user) or as a consumer user, and if the latter, where you reside. Please refer to the appropriate section applying to you.
If you are a business user (anywhere in the world) or a consumer user (residing outside of the United States of America), you agree that these Terms shall be governed in all respects by the substantive laws of Switzerland, to the maximum extent permitted by law. Any disputes, actions, claims, or other controversies arising out of or relating in any way to these Terms, your Account, the Services, your use of (or lack of use of) or access to (or lack of access to) your Account or the Services, or any advertising, promotion, or other communications between you and the Company, whether based in contract, warranty, tort, statute, regulation, ordinance, or any other legal or equitable basis, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts of the Canton of Geneva and Section 13.1 below does not apply. By using your Account or the Services, you irrevocably agree that the courts of the Canton of Geneva shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or relating in any way to these Terms or its subject matter or formation to the extent permitted by law.
If you are a consumer user residing in the United States of America, you consent to the extent permitted by law to the jurisdiction of the courts of the Canton of Geneva to settle any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or relating in any way to these Terms or its subject matter or formation and agree that any such claim that is brought in Switzerland shall be governed in all respects by the substantive laws of Switzerland. You further agree that for any disputes, actions, claims, or other controversies arising out of or relating in any way to these Terms, your Account, the Services, your use of (or lack of use of) or access to (or lack of access to) your Account or the Services, or any advertising, promotion, or other communications between you and the Company, whether based in contract, warranty, tort, statute, regulation, ordinance, or any other legal or equitable basis, if brought in the United States and found to have jurisdiction in the United States, shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the state where you reside; provided, however, that the arbitration provisions herein shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act and the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) Consumer Arbitration Rules (the “AAA Rules”), as described more fully below in Section 13.1. A printed version of these Terms and of any related notice given in electronic form shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to these Terms to the same extent as other documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form.
13.1. Binding arbitration agreement and class action waiver
These Terms of Service contain a class action waiver as well as an arbitration provision, which requires you to arbitrate any claims (with certain exceptions) you may have on an individual basis. Arbitration on an individual basis means that you will not have, and that you waive, the right for a judge or jury to decide your claims, and that you may not proceed in a class, consolidated, or representative capacity in any forum, as described in more detail below. You have the right to opt out of arbitration and/or the class action waiver, as explained below. Please read this section and the class action waiver section carefully – it may significantly affect your legal rights, including your right to file a lawsuit in court and to have a jury hear your claims. It contains procedures for mandatory binding arbitration and a class action waiver.
Informal dispute resolution. Either party asserting a dispute shall first try in good faith to resolve it by providing written notice as specified below to the other party describing the facts and circumstances (including any relevant documentation) and allowing the receiving party 30 days in which to respond. Both you and the Company agree that this dispute resolution procedure is a condition precedent which must be satisfied before initiating any arbitration against the other party.
Binding arbitration agreement
Scope of the arbitration agreement. Mindful of the high cost of legal disputes, not only in dollars but in time and energy, both you and the Company agree that any and all disputes, actions, claims, or other controversies arising out of or relating in any way to these Terms, your Account, the Services, your use of (or lack of use of) or access to (or lack of access to) your Account or the Services, or any advertising, promotion, or other communications between you and the Company, whether based in contract, warranty, tort, statute, regulation, ordinance, or any other legal or equitable basis, shall be resolved exclusively through final and binding individual arbitration, and the parties expressly waive any and all rights to appeal any order or judgment of the arbitrator or seek confirmation of an order or judgment of the arbitrator to the extent permitted by applicable law. “Dispute” will be given the broadest possible meaning allowable under law. All Indemnified Parties are intended beneficiaries of this binding arbitration agreement and class action waiver.
This agreement to arbitrate covers and includes threshold questions of arbitrability. The arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, shall have exclusive authority to resolve any and all disputes arising out of or relating to the formation, existence, scope, validity, interpretation, applicability, or enforceability of this agreement to arbitrate, or any part of it, or of these Terms, including, but not limited to, any claim that all or any part of this agreement to arbitrate or the Terms is void or voidable. If any party disagrees about whether the foregoing provision (or any portion of this agreement to arbitrate, including without limitation the provisions relating to arbitration) can be enforced or whether it applies to the dispute, the parties agree that the arbitrator will decide that dispute. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, the parties agree that any issue concerning the validity of the class action waiver below must be decided by a court, and an arbitrator does not have authority to consider the validity of the class action waiver. Both you and the Company understand and agree that we are waiving our right to sue or go to court to assert or defend our rights, except as set forth below.
Exceptions. Notwithstanding the remainder of this binding arbitration agreement, you and the Company agree that the following types of disputes will be resolved in court, unless both you and the Company agree to submit the dispute to arbitration pursuant to this binding arbitration agreement: (1) disputes or claims within the jurisdiction of a small claims court consistent with the jurisdiction and dollar limits that may apply, as long as it is brought and maintained as an individual dispute and not as a class, representative, or consolidated action or proceeding; (2) disputes or claims where the sole form of relief sought is injunctive relief (including public injunctive relief); or (3) intellectual property disputes.
For the avoidance of doubt, the waiver of the right to bring claims in or otherwise participate in a class, representative, or consolidated action or proceeding set forth in the class action waiver provision below does not prevent you from seeking public injunctive relief in an individual capacity to the extent otherwise permitted by law.
You and the Company also agree that for disputes or claims where both injunctive relief (including public injunctive relief) and non-injunctive relief are sought, you and the Company will first submit the dispute or claim for non-injunctive relief to arbitration pursuant to this section. The arbitrator will not be permitted to grant injunctive relief (unless the parties mutually agree otherwise). Once the arbitration of the dispute or claim for non-injunctive relief has concluded, you and/or the Company may seek the injunctive relief (including the public injunctive relief) in court to the extent permitted by law.
Any litigation in court of the foregoing types of disputes (except for small claims court actions) may be commenced only in a federal or state court located within county (or parish) and State in which you reside, and you and the Company each consent to the jurisdiction of those courts for such purposes. Regardless of whether the foregoing types of disputes in this section are resolved by a court or pursuant to arbitration, you and the Company agree that the dispute is subject to the class action waiver provision set forth below.
How arbitration works. Either party may initiate arbitration of a dispute, which will be settled by final and binding arbitration, using the English language, administered by AAA under the AAA Rules then in effect (those rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference into this section, and as of the date of these Terms), and the parties expressly waive any and all rights to appeal any order or judgment of the arbitrator or seek confirmation of an order or judgment of the arbitrator to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Unless you and the Company agree otherwise, including to conduct the arbitration by telephone or video-conference, any arbitration hearing shall take place in the county (or parish) and State where you reside, unless the arbitrator determines that a different location would better serve the convenience of the parties. Payment of all filing, administration, and arbitrator costs and expenses will be governed by the AAA Rules, except that if you demonstrate that any such costs and expenses owed by you under those rules would be prohibitively more expensive than a court proceeding, the Company will pay the amount of any such costs and expenses that the arbitrator determines are necessary to prevent the arbitration from being prohibitively more expensive than a court proceeding (subject to possible reimbursement as set forth below).
Each party is responsible for his, her, their or its own attorneys’ fees and expenses, and the Company will not pay your attorneys’ fees or expenses except to the extent ordered to do so by the arbitrator. If you prevail in arbitration, however, you will be entitled to an award of reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses to the extent allowed for under applicable law and ordered by the arbitrator. In the event the arbitrator determines the claim you asserted in the arbitration to be frivolous according to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11, or brought for an improper purpose, you agree to reimburse the Company for all fees associated with the arbitration paid by the Company that you otherwise would have been obligated to pay under the AAA Rules.
In determining whether an action is frivolous, the arbitrator may consider whether the Company has offered you a full refund of the sum you paid for items you purchased from the Company or has otherwise offered full relief to you in relation to your individual claim. If the arbitrator, upon final disposition of the case, finds your dispute was not frivolous, the Company will reimburse any filing fees that you paid and were not otherwise reimbursed. Judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court that has jurisdiction. Any arbitration under these Terms will take place on an individual basis – class arbitrations and class actions are not permitted. You understand that by agreeing to these Terms, you and the Company are each waiving the right to trial by jury or to participate in a class action or class arbitration.
Class action waiver. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, you and the Company each agree that any proceeding to resolve any dispute, claim, or controversy will be brought and conducted only in the respective party’s individual capacity and not as part of any class (or purported class), consolidated, multiple-plaintiff, or representative action or proceeding (“class action”). You and the Company agree to waive the right to participate as a plaintiff or class member in any class action. You and the Company expressly waive any ability to maintain a class action in any forum. If the dispute is subject to arbitration, the arbitrator will not have the authority to combine or aggregate claims, conduct a class action, or make an award to any person or entity not a party to the arbitration. Further, you and the Company agree that the arbitrator may not consolidate proceedings for more than one person’s claims, and it may not otherwise preside over any form of a class action. For the avoidance of doubt, however, you can seek public injunctive relief to the extent authorized by law and consistent with the exceptions clause above.
If this class action waiver is limited, voided, or found unenforceable, then, unless the parties mutually agree otherwise, the parties’ agreement to arbitrate shall be null and void with respect to such proceeding so long as the proceeding is permitted to proceed as a class action. If a court decides that the limitations of this paragraph are deemed invalid or unenforceable, any putative class, private attorney general, or consolidated or representative action must be brought in a court of proper jurisdiction and not in arbitration.
Opt out provision and governing law. You have the right to opt-out and not be bound by the arbitration provisions including or excluding the class action waiver set forth in these Terms by sending written notice of your decision to opt-out to:
Proton AG
Attn: Legal
Route de la Galaise 32,
1228 Plan-les-Ouates
Geneva, Switzerland
The opt-out notice must be sent to the foregoing address within 30 calendar days of your first agreeing to these Terms. Should you not opt out in accordance with this section within the 30-day period, then this agreement to arbitrate will become fully effective and binding as of the date you first agreed to these Terms. If you opt out of only the arbitration provisions, and not also the class action waiver, the class action waiver still applies. You may not opt out of only the class action waiver, but not the other arbitration provisions.
This binding arbitration agreement and class action waiver are governed by, and interpreted, construed, and enforced in accordance with, the Federal Arbitration Act and other applicable federal law. To the extent state law applies to any aspect of this binding arbitration agreement and class action waiver, or to any disputes and claims that are covered by this binding arbitration agreement and/or class action waiver, the laws of the State in which you reside will apply. We will provide notice of any material changes to this binding arbitration agreement and/or class action waiver (which may be satisfied by updating these Terms, unless not otherwise permitted by law, in accordance with the provisions in the section “Modification to the terms of service”), in which case you will have the right to opt out of the arbitration provisions and/or class action waiver within 30 days after such change, consistent with the terms above. Except as set forth above regarding the class action waiver provision, if any portion of these arbitration provisions is deemed invalid or unenforceable, it will not invalidate the remaining portions of these arbitration provisions. Only the arbitrator is authorized to make determinations as to the scope, validity, or enforceability of this binding arbitration agreement, including whether any dispute falls within its scope, as set forth above. However, the parties agree that any issue concerning the validity of the class action waiver above must be decided by a court, as set forth above, and an arbitrator does not have authority to consider the validity of the waiver.
14. Miscellaneous
These Terms do not affect your statutory rights or your legal rights, if any, as a consumer.
Headings are for reference purposes only and in no way define, limit, construe or describe the scope of such section.
Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision.
We may assign these Terms in whole or in part. Moreover, we may delegate our rights and responsibilities or use contractors or agents to fulfill its obligations under these Terms.
These Terms represent the entire agreement between you and us in connection with your use of your Account or the Services, and they supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral, or written between you and the Company with respect to your Account or the Services.
In case of discrepancy between the English version of these Terms and any translated version, the English version shall prevail.

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).

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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?

Our Take
Secure Core (multi-hop through privacy-friendly countries), NetShield (ad/malware blocker), and full Tor over VPN support. Port forwarding is available on paid plans. The feature set is privacy-focused rather than entertainment-focused.
ProtonVPN Feature Comparison
Kill Switch WinMaciOSAndroidLinux
Split Tunneling WinMaciOSAndroidLinux
Dedicated IP
Multihop (Double VPN)
Ad/Tracker Blocker
Open-Source Client
Warrant Canary
P2P/Torrenting (dedicated servers)
Tor/Onion Support (Tor over VPN)
Smart DNS
Obfuscated Servers
2FA/MFA
Post-Quantum Encryption
Custom DNS (NetShield)
Developer Tools
Simultaneous Devices 10
What Unique Features Does ProtonVPN Offer?
Secure Core Routes traffic through hardened servers in privacy-friendly countries before exit Only at ProtonVPN
Open Source Apps All client apps are fully open source and independently audited Similar to: Mullvad VPN, IVPN, Private Internet Access, Windscribe
NetShield DNS-level ad, tracker, and malware blocker Similar to: NordVPN, Surfshark
Stealth Protocol Obfuscation protocol designed to bypass VPN blocks in censored countries Only at ProtonVPN
VPN Accelerator Speed optimization technology that increases VPN connection speeds by up to 400% Only at ProtonVPN
Proton Sentinel Advanced account protection that detects and blocks suspicious login attempts Only at ProtonVPN

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

ProtonVPN Kill Switch & Split Tunneling
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:

  1. You select the exit server country that you want to use as your VPN server location.
  2. 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

VPN Protocol Encryption Open Source Windows macOS iOS Android Linux
WireGuard ChaCha20-Poly1305 Yes Default
OpenVPN (UDP) AES-256-GCM Yes
OpenVPN (TCP) AES-256-GCM Yes
IKEv2/IPsec AES-256 No
StealthBased on TLS (obfuscated WireGuard over TLS) ChaCha20-Poly1305 Yes
Open-Source Client

The encryption cipher protects your traffic in transit. All ciphers listed here are considered secure by current standards. Open source protocols can be independently audited. The default protocol is what the app uses unless you change it.

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?

Our Take
Clean, open-source apps on all major platforms. The map-based server selector is distinctive. 10-device limit is generous. Linux support is among the best of any provider, with a full GUI app.

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

Our Take
120 countries is strong geographic coverage, though 81 are virtual locations. Physical servers in 39 countries. Secure Core servers in Iceland, Sweden, and Switzerland add a privacy layer. The free tier is limited to 5 countries.

ProtonVPN has servers in 126 countries across 6 continents. Last updated: 29/03/2026

VPN Server Locations: ProtonVPN
Simple World MapAuthor: Al MacDonald Editor: Fritz Lekschas License: CC BY-SA 3.0 ID: ISO 3166-1 or "_[a-zA-Z]" if an ISO code is not available
FewMany No servers

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

Our Take
Email support only - no live chat. Response times are acceptable but slower than competitors with 24/7 chat. The knowledge base and community forums are comprehensive.

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.

Get ProtonVPN Now
30 days Money-back guarantee - cancel anytime, no questions asked.

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

Our Take
ProtonVPN is the privacy community's VPN of choice. Open-source, Swiss-based, with a free tier that's genuinely usable. It's not the fastest or the most feature-rich for streaming, but it's the most trustworthy if privacy is your primary concern.

Based on our hands-on testing and data analysis, here is our overall assessment of ProtonVPN.

How we tested Proton VPN Review: Swiss-Based, 15,000+ Servers, Free Plan
🔒 Purchased with our own money (no free accounts)
🧪 3 leak tests: IP, DNS, WebRTC
📊 Scored using published methodology
💰 Affiliate partnerships do not influence scores
28,554 VPN tests run on this site · latest 7 Jun 2026
💡 Connection stability is monitored across full test sessions

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.

8.7 / 10 Excellent

Built by privacy advocates, backed by Swiss law. The trust leader in the VPN space.

Best for: Privacy-first users and anyone who values transparency
Not for: Users who want the absolute fastest speeds or dedicated IPs
Leak Tests No-Logs Audit Kill Switch Jurisdiction Split Tunneling Open Source
From $3.59/mo (best plan)
$9.99/mo if paying monthly
30-day money-back guarantee
Our rating scale
Rating Rubric
9 - 10Exceptional - best in class, no significant weaknesses
8 - 8.9Excellent - highly recommended with minor trade-offs
7 - 7.9Good - solid choice for most users
6 - 6.9Adequate - works but has notable limitations
5 - 5.9Below average - consider alternatives
Below 5Not 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.

Show all 40 updates (37 more)

Who Owns ProtonVPN?

Proton AG Switzerland

Proton AG

Key People
Andy Yen CEO & Founder
Jason Stockman Co-founder
Quick Facts
Founded 2014
~500 employees
Notable Events
Sep 2021 Controversy Disclosed compliance with Swiss court order to log IP of French climate activist. Led to updated privacy policy and Proton switching from Switzerland to Iceland for some operations.
ISO Certifications
ISO 27001
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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.