Proton VPN review
The strongest free tier and a privacy-first record
- Editor score
- 4.5 / 5
- User rating
- Not rated yet
- Starting from
- $4.49/mo
- Last reviewed
- Jul 30, 2026
Overview
Proton VPN comes from Proton AG, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail, and it is built around privacy first. All of its apps are open source, it operates under Swiss privacy law, and it has an independently audited no-logs policy.
It is also the only reputable provider whose free plan we would actually use. The free tier has no data cap and no ads, but limits you to a handful of countries and one device. Paid plans from $4.49/mo open up 5,800+ servers in 91 countries, ten simultaneous connections, streaming support and Secure Core, which routes traffic through hardened servers in privacy-friendly jurisdictions before it exits.
For restrictive networks, the Stealth protocol disguises VPN traffic to get past firewalls and censorship, alongside WireGuard and OpenVPN. The trade-offs sit mostly on the free tier: streaming and most server locations require a subscription.
Best for: privacy-focused users, journalists, and anyone who wants a trustworthy free VPN.
Look elsewhere if: you want streaming access without paying.
Our editorial score
A weighted average of the criteria below. Scored by our team, not by users, and never influenced by commercial relationships.
The best choice for privacy purists, and the only free tier we would actually recommend using.
- Privacy & logging×1.59.4/10
Among the strongest we measured in this category.
- Speed×1.259.2/10
Among the strongest we measured in this category.
- Value×18.7/10
Comfortably above average, with no significant weaknesses.
- Apps & usability×18.7/10
Comfortably above average, with no significant weaknesses.
- Streaming & unblocking×18.8/10
Comfortably above average, with no significant weaknesses.
Last reviewed on July 30, 2026.
+What we liked
- Genuinely usable unlimited free tier
- Fully open-source apps
- Swiss jurisdiction and strong track record
−Where it falls short
- Free tier is limited to a few countries
- Streaming unblocks require a paid plan
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