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Proton VPN Review
Reviewed by Carlos Gil · Founder & Editor, The Best Network
Updated 7 min readEditorially reviewed
Quick facts
- Starting price
- Free; VPN Plus $9.99/mo, or $53.88 for the first year (renews at $83.88/yr)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Best for
- Privacy-minded individuals and small teams who want an audited no-logs VPN, a usable free tier and the option to bundle Proton Mail, Pass and Drive
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chromebook, Chrome and Firefox extensions, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, routers
BestStacked Score
Weighted average of 5 categories. Methodology below.
Quick answer
Is Proton VPN worth it, and is the free plan enough?
Proton VPN encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through Proton's servers, hiding your IP address from the sites you visit and your traffic from your local network. Its free plan has no data cap and no ads, but it covers one device and picks the server for you. On October 15, 2026, VPN Plus cost $9.99 a month, or $53.88 for the first year and $83.88 a year after that. Plus adds 10 devices, every country, streaming and P2P servers, Secure Core, the NetShield blocker and 24/7 live chat. Proton publishes an annual no-logs audit by Securitum and open-sources its apps. A VPN is one layer of security, not anonymity, and it doesn't make a business compliant on its own.
- Best for
- Privacy-minded people who want an audited no-logs VPN, plus anyone who wants a free VPN with no data cap.
- Skip it if
- You need port forwarding on mobile, split tunneling on iPhone, a dedicated IP on a personal plan, or more than 10 devices.
- Strongest capability
- Public audit reports and open-source apps, plus Secure Core's multi-hop routing through Iceland, Switzerland and Sweden.
- Biggest limitation
- Introductory prices end: a 1-year VPN Plus plan renews at $83.88, up from $53.88, and support for free users has no live chat.
- Current cost
- Free; VPN Plus $9.99/mo, $53.88 first year or $83.76 for two years (then $83.88/yr); Proton Unlimited from $119.88/yr.
The Verdict
Proton VPN is one of the few VPNs whose free plan you could keep using indefinitely: Proton documents no data limit, no ads and no logs, with the trade-offs of one device and a server chosen at random. VPN Plus is a capable paid plan, with Secure Core multi-hop servers, the NetShield ad, tracker and malware blocker, Stealth for restrictive networks, split tunneling, port forwarding on P2P servers and Tor over VPN. Its transparency record is strong: Securitum has audited its no-logs policy every year since 2022, Proton links the reports, and its apps are open source. The limits are real. Introductory prices renew higher, several features are missing on some platforms, live chat is for paid plans only, and Proton's own pages disagree on where its data lives and how many countries the free plan covers. We score Proton VPN 7.9/10.
Best for
People who value audited no-logs claims and open-source apps, free users who need unlimited data, and Proton Mail or Pass users who can bundle.
Skip if
You need port forwarding or split tunneling on every device, a personal dedicated IP, or the lowest renewal price.
AlternativesNordVPN, Mullvad, Surfshark
The Background
What Is Proton VPN?
Proton VPN is a virtual private network from Proton AG, the Swiss company that also runs Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Pass and Wallet. A VPN encrypts the traffic between your device and a Proton server, so your internet provider or the Wi-Fi operator can't see which sites you visit, and those sites see the server's IP address instead of yours. Proton's server page listed 20,839 servers in 149 countries on October 15, 2026. There are apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Chromebook, Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV, Chrome and Firefox extensions, and router setups. What a VPN doesn't do matters as much. It doesn't make you anonymous: the sites you sign in to still know who you are, and browser fingerprinting and cookies still work. It doesn't stop phishing, malware you install yourself or weak passwords, although NetShield blocks known malicious domains on paid plans. And it doesn't make a business compliant with GDPR, HIPAA or any other regulation; that depends on your own processes and contracts.
The Product
Proton VPN Features: What You Actually Get
Secure Core multi-hop servers
Secure Core routes your traffic through a first server in a privacy-friendly country before it exits from a second server in the country you choose. Proton's support article names the entry countries as Iceland, Switzerland and Sweden and says Secure Core is available on all paid plans; its server page listed 124 Secure Core servers in 68 countries. The idea is that someone watching the exit server can't easily trace the traffic back to you.
A journalist working from a hotel network connects through Secure Core so an exit-server compromise doesn't reveal their real IP address.
NetShield ad, tracker and malware blocker
NetShield is Proton's DNS-level filter. It runs at two levels, malware only, or ads, trackers and malware, and Proton says it is included in VPN Plus and all other paid plans on every platform. It isn't on the free plan.
A small-business owner turns on the full NetShield level on staff laptops to block known malicious and tracking domains while on the VPN.
Stealth protocol and kill switch
Stealth is Proton's obfuscated protocol for networks that block VPNs. Its support article lists it on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and iPadOS and Android TV, and on the Linux app when Proton Protocols (beta) is enabled; the free VPN page says free users get it too. The kill switch blocks internet traffic if the VPN drops and is on all free and paid plans; Proton's advanced kill switch keeps blocking traffic even after a restart.
A traveller on a campus or hotel network that blocks VPN traffic switches to Stealth, with the kill switch on so nothing leaks if the tunnel drops.
Split tunneling, port forwarding, P2P and Tor
All four are paid-plan features. Split tunneling, which sends chosen apps or sites outside the VPN, is documented on Windows, macOS (experimental), Linux, Android, Android TV and the browser extension, not on iPhone. Port forwarding works on Windows, Linux and macOS (early access) and requires a P2P server. P2P file sharing is allowed on servers marked for it, and Tor over VPN servers let you open .onion sites in a normal browser.
A home-office user keeps their bank's app outside the VPN with split tunneling on Windows and forwards a port for a P2P client on a P2P server.
Feature recap
- No-logs policy with annual Securitum audits (reports for 2022 to 2026)
- Open-source apps on GitHub
- Free plan: 1 device, unlimited data, no ads, random server
- Secure Core multi-hop through Iceland, Switzerland and Sweden (paid)
- NetShield ad, tracker and malware blocker (paid)
- Stealth protocol and kill switch on free and paid plans
- Split tunneling, port forwarding, P2P and Tor over VPN (paid)
- 10 devices on VPN Plus; 24/7 live chat on paid plans
The Numbers
Proton VPN Pricing: Every Plan Explained
These are USD prices from protonvpn.com/pricing on October 15, 2026, read in a browser. Discounted prices apply to the first billing period only; Proton states the renewal price next to each plan. Prices exclude any tax added at checkout.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Included Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton Free | $0 | $0 | 1 device, servers in 10 countries chosen at random (Proton's free-vs-paid page says 5), unlimited data, no ads, no logs, kill switch, Stealth | Occasional use on one device |
| VPN PlusBest value | $9.99/mo | $53.88 first year, then $83.88/yr; or $83.76 for 2 years, then $83.88/yr | 10 devices, every server country, streaming and P2P servers, Secure Core, NetShield, split tunneling, port forwarding, Tor over VPN, priority support and live chat | Individuals who want the full VPN |
| Proton Unlimited | $12.99/mo | $119.88/yr (renews at $119.88); or $191.76 for 2 years, then $119.88/yr | VPN Plus plus Mail Plus, Drive Plus and Pass Plus: 500 GB storage, 15 addresses, 3 custom domains, VPN on 10 devices, Wallet | People who use, or want, several Proton apps |
| VPN for Business | From $8.99/user/mo | From $6.99/user/mo billed yearly | VPN Essentials (2-user minimum); VPN Professional from $9.99/user/mo yearly adds a dedicated server and IP in 20+ countries | Small teams that need a managed VPN |
Pricing scenarios (our calculations from Proton's published USD prices, October 15, 2026; tax excluded). VPN Plus month to month costs $119.88 a year. The 1-year plan costs $53.88 for the first year and renews at $83.88, so two years on it cost $137.76. The 2-year plan costs $83.76 up front and then renews as a 12-month plan at $83.88, so it's the cheapest way to cover two years. Every renewal of VPN Plus costs $83.88 a year, about $6.99 a month, which is still below the monthly rate. Proton Unlimited at $119.88 a year costs $36 more than a VPN Plus renewal and adds Mail Plus, Drive Plus and Pass Plus, so it pays off if you'd buy one of those anyway. The 30-day money-back guarantee covers all subscriptions, but Proton's terms say a refund can be requested only once per user, cash and bank-transfer payments aren't refundable, and app-store purchases follow the store's refund rules. The terms also say a renewal is charged at the then-current price, which can differ from today's.
Privacy and transparency
No-logs policy, audits, open source and Swiss jurisdiction
Proton's privacy policy, last modified July 30, 2025, says "Proton VPN is a no-logs VPN service" and that it does not log VPN session data. Proton backs that up with an independent audit every year. Its no-logs audit announcement (protonvpn.com/blog/no-logs-audit, first published April 22, 2022 and updated June 16, 2026) says the security firm Securitum reviewed the no-logs claims in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, and links each year's report. Proton describes the scope as on-site reviews of VPN and server configuration, operating procedures and staff interviews, and quotes the 2026 conclusion that Securitum did not identify persistent records that would let Proton associate a specific user with activity. We read Proton's announcement, not the full PDF reports, so check the reports for exact dates and scope.
An audit is a point-in-time check of the systems the auditor was shown; it can't prove what happens every day between audits. Proton's July 14, 2026 transparency report adds that, under Swiss law, Proton VPN is not obligated to save connection logs.
Proton says all of its apps that are out of beta are open source, with the VPN app code on GitHub (github.com/ProtonVPN), and it publishes app security audit reports from its open-source page. Anyone can inspect the code, though that is not the same as an independent review of every release.
Jurisdiction, as Proton states it: its features page says that because Proton VPN is based in Switzerland it is "protected by some of the world's strongest privacy laws", and its trust page says it is headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and US jurisdiction. In July 2025 Proton announced that it is moving most of its physical infrastructure out of Switzerland, citing proposed Swiss surveillance rules, and its VPN privacy policy now says account data servers are in Switzerland, Germany or Norway. See "Where Proton's pages differ" below.
Beyond the VPN
Proton's ecosystem: Unlimited, Workspace and VPN for Business
Proton VPN is one app in a wider suite: Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive, Docs and Sheets, Pass (passwords), Wallet, and newer apps such as Lumo and Meet. Proton Unlimited bundles VPN Plus with Mail Plus, Drive Plus and Pass Plus for $12.99 a month or $119.88 a year: 500 GB of storage, 15 email addresses, 3 custom domains and the VPN on 10 devices. Duo and Family bundles cover two and up to six accounts; Proton's plans page lists them without prices, so check checkout for current rates.
For businesses, Proton sells two separate things. Proton's business suite (proton.me/business/plans) covers email and collaboration: Mail Essentials at $6.99 per user a month billed yearly ($7.99 monthly), Workspace Standard at $12.99 ($14.99 monthly) and Workspace Premium at $19.99 ($24.99 monthly), with Enterprise quoted, a 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Proton VPN for Business (proton.me/business/vpn/pricing) is the managed VPN: VPN Essentials at $6.99 per user a month billed yearly ($8.99 monthly) with a 2-user minimum, VPN Professional at $9.99 ($11.99 monthly), which adds a dedicated server and IP in 20+ countries, and VPN and Pass Professional at $10.99 ($12.99 monthly) with a 3-user minimum. The VPN Professional checkout totals shown for two users ($719.64 a year) are higher than the per-user price alone, and the page doesn't itemize the difference, so confirm the total before you buy.
Teams that mostly need network access controls, a cloud firewall or device-posture checks should also look at NordLayer, a business network-security product rather than a consumer VPN. Teams that want private email, calendars and files with the VPN alongside will get more from Proton's Workspace plans.
See Proton VPN for BusinessRead before you buy
Where Proton's pages differ
Free-plan countries: protonvpn.com/pricing says the free plan connects "to servers in 10 countries (randomly selected)", and Proton's support article on changing servers lists 10 countries. Proton's free-vs-paid page (protonvpn.com/free-vpn/free-vs-paid) says "5 countries". All three were read on October 15, 2026.
Free-plan speed: the pricing FAQ promises "no artificial speed limits" on the free plan, while the same page's comparison table rates free speed "Medium" against "Highest" on paid plans. Proton doesn't explain the rating; it may reflect server load rather than a cap.
Data location: the VPN privacy policy says account data servers are in Switzerland, Germany or Norway, and a July 2025 Proton post says most physical infrastructure is moving out of Switzerland. Proton's Digital Services Act page (last modified May 13, 2026) still says its infrastructure and data are located "exclusively in Switzerland".
VPN Accelerator: a 2021 support article says it is free to all Proton VPN users, while the 2026 pricing page shows a "Premium feature" label next to it.
Scoring
How the score is built
BestStacked weights five sub-scores: ease of use 20%, features 25%, pricing 20%, support 15% and integrations 20%. For Proton VPN they come only from Proton's documentation, not from testing. Ease of use 8.0: apps on every major desktop, mobile and TV platform and the kill switch on all plans, but OpenVPN only in the Linux app and random server choice on Free. Features 8.6: Secure Core, NetShield, Stealth, split tunneling, port forwarding, P2P and Tor are documented, but split tunneling skips iPhone, port forwarding is desktop-only and there's no personal dedicated IP. Pricing 7.8: a free plan with unlimited data, a 30-day refund and renewals ($83.88 a year) below the monthly rate, offset by intro prices that rise at renewal. Support 7.2: 24/7 live chat on paid plans and a support center, but no live chat for free users and no phone line. Integrations 7.6: the Unlimited bundle with Mail, Drive and Pass, router setups and TV apps, but few third-party connections. That works out to 7.9 out of 10.
The Tradeoffs
Proton VPN Pros and Cons
What we love
- Free plan with unlimited data, no ads and no logs
- Annual no-logs audits by Securitum, with reports linked by Proton
- Open-source apps on GitHub
- Secure Core multi-hop routing on all paid plans
- NetShield, split tunneling, port forwarding and Tor included in VPN Plus
- VPN Plus renews at $83.88 a year, below the $9.99 monthly rate
- Bundles with Proton Mail, Drive and Pass in Proton Unlimited
What could be better
- Introductory prices rise at renewal ($53.88 first year, then $83.88)
- Free plan: one device and a server chosen at random
- Live chat only on paid plans; no phone support
- No split tunneling on iPhone; port forwarding on desktop only
- No dedicated IP on personal plans
- Proton's pages disagree on free-plan countries and data location
The Audience
Who Should Use Proton VPN?
Best for: privacy-minded individuals
If you want a VPN whose no-logs claim has been audited every year and whose apps you can inspect, VPN Plus covers 10 devices with Secure Core, NetShield and Tor over VPN.
Best for: free users and Proton Mail customers
The free plan works for occasional use on one device without a data cap. If you already pay for Proton Mail or Pass, Proton Unlimited adds the VPN for less than buying each app separately.
Skip if: you need business network controls or mobile power features
Teams that need a cloud firewall, device posture checks or site-to-site links should look at NordLayer. If you need port forwarding on mobile or split tunneling on iPhone, Proton doesn't document either.
The Methodology
How We Reviewed Proton VPN
This is an editorial review, not a hands-on test. We didn't use Proton VPN for this review and make no speed, streaming-unblocking or leak-test claims. It's based on Proton's own documentation, all checked on October 15, 2026: the protonvpn.com pricing page (read in a browser in USD, with the 1-month, 12-month and 24-month options), the free VPN and free-vs-paid pages, the features and server pages, support articles on the free plan, bandwidth, Secure Core, NetShield, protocols, kill switch, split tunneling, port forwarding, P2P, Tor, live chat and refunds, the privacy policy, Proton's terms of service, the no-logs audit announcement, the transparency report, the open-source page, and proton.me pricing and business pages. Competitor prices come from each vendor's own pricing page the same day. Where Proton's pages differ, we report both. Proton's tracked partner link appears only on the business-suite button; it does not affect the score.
Our editorial evaluation considers product information, official documentation, pricing, features and professional experience. It is not a claim of documented hands-on testing.
Our review methodology →What changed
- : First published. Editorial review based on Proton VPN's pricing page (read in a browser in USD), free-plan, features and server pages, support articles, privacy policy, terms of service, no-logs audit announcement, transparency report and open-source page, plus proton.me pricing and business pages, all checked October 15, 2026. Sub-scores were approved by the editor on October 15, 2026.
The Field
Proton VPN vs The Competition
Prices below were read on each vendor's own pricing page on October 15, 2026, in USD unless noted, and are introductory where marked. BestStacked hasn't reviewed these VPNs yet.
| Tool | Starting Price | Free plan | Best Feature | BS Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN | Free; VPN Plus $9.99/mo, or $53.88 for the first year (renews at $83.88/yr) | Yes | Secure Core multi-hop servers | 7.9/10 |
| NordVPN | Basic $3.49/mo on a 2-year plan ($94.23 for the first 27 months), renews at $139.08/yr | No | Meshnet, Double VPN and a large server network | —No BestStacked review yet |
| Surfshark | Starter $2.49/mo on a 2-year plan ($67.23 for the first 27 months), renews at $79/yr | No | Unlimited simultaneous devices | —No BestStacked review yet |
| ExpressVPN | Basic $2.99/mo on a 2-year plan ($83.72 for the first 28 months), renews at $99.95/yr | No | Its own Lightway protocol | —No BestStacked review yet |
| Mullvad | €5/mo flat, no long-term discounts | No | Sign-up with an account number, no email | —No BestStacked review yet |
| NordLayer | Lite $8/user/mo billed yearly, 5-user minimum | No | Business network security: firewall, device posture, SSO | —No BestStacked review yet |
NordVPN: NordVPN has no free VPN plan. It lists 10 devices, Meshnet private networking (free), Double VPN and Onion over VPN servers, and a Deloitte no-logs assurance engagement completed in December 2025. Its renewals cost more than Proton's. Our Proton VPN vs NordVPN comparison covers the head-to-head.See Proton VPN vs NordVPN →
Surfshark: Surfshark lets you protect as many devices as you like and says Deloitte audited its no-logs policy in 2023 and 2025. Its renewal-price page lists Starter at $79 a year after the first term.
ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN's Basic plan covers 10 devices and uses Lightway, a protocol it built in-house. Its trust page lists KPMG privacy audits in 2022, 2023 and 2025.
Mullvad: Mullvad charges one flat monthly rate, asks for no username, password or email, and accepts cash. It covers 5 devices and publishes infrastructure audits (Cure53 in 2024, Radically Open Security in 2023), but no free plan.
NordLayer: NordLayer is Nord Security's business product, not a consumer VPN. It lists SSO on every plan, a cloud firewall and device posture checks on higher plans, and a dedicated server at $40 a month on Core and Premium. Compare it with Proton VPN for Business.
In The Wild
How People Actually Use Proton VPN
A remote worker on public Wi-Fi
VPN Plus at $53.88 for the first year covers a laptop and phone on café and airport networks, with the kill switch on and NetShield blocking known malicious domains. Budget $83.88 for each renewal.
A student or occasional user on one device
Proton Free gives unlimited data with no ads on one device. Accept that Proton picks the server, and that streaming and P2P servers need a paid plan.
A five-person consultancy
Proton VPN for Business Essentials costs $6.99 per user a month billed yearly, about $419 a year for five people at list price, with a 2-user minimum. If the team also wants private email and files, compare Proton's Workspace plans, which bundle Mail, Calendar and Drive.
The Ecosystem
Proton VPN Integrations
A VPN's integrations are mostly platforms and bundles. Proton VPN runs on these, and connects to the rest of Proton's suite through Proton Unlimited and the business plans.
- →Windows, macOS and Linux apps
- →iPhone, iPad and Android apps
- →Chromebook, Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV
- →Chrome and Firefox browser extensions
- →Routers (OpenWrt, AsusWRT, DD-WRT, pfSense and others), Free included
- →Proton Unlimited: Mail, Drive, Pass and Wallet
- →Proton Pass bundle on VPN and Pass Professional (business)
Proton documents protocol and feature availability per platform, and several features are missing on some apps. Check the support article for your device before buying.
Common Questions
Proton VPN FAQ
The Final Word
Should You Use Proton VPN?
Proton VPN suits people who care about verifiable privacy claims: an audited no-logs policy, open-source apps and features like Secure Core that most rivals don't offer at this price. Its free plan is a real option for one device, with no data cap. Buy VPN Plus on the 2-year plan if you'll keep it, because renewals cost $83.88 a year; consider Proton Unlimited if you'd pay for Proton Mail or Pass anyway. Look elsewhere if you need unlimited devices (Surfshark), anonymous sign-up and flat pricing (Mullvad), or business network controls (NordLayer). We score Proton VPN 7.9/10.
Yes, if
you want an audited no-logs VPN with open-source apps, a free plan without a data cap, or a bundle with Proton Mail and Pass
No, if
you need port forwarding or split tunneling on every device, a personal dedicated IP, more than 10 devices or business network-security controls
Proton VPN Is Part Of These Stack Packs
About the reviewer
Carlos Gil
Founder & Editor, The Best Network
Carlos Gil is the bestselling author of The End of Marketing, a LinkedIn Top Voice, and founder of The Best Network. He brings 15+ years in marketing to practical reviews of AI, SaaS, email marketing, creator, and ecommerce software.
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