Proton VPN review: our verdict

This Proton VPN review looks at the VPN from Proton, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail, and asks whether it is the right choice for people who care most about privacy. For that buyer, the answer is clearly yes. Proton VPN publishes the code for all of its apps, has had its no-logs policy checked by an outside auditor every year for five years running, operates under Swiss law, and offers the most generous free plan in the category: no data cap, no ads and no activity logs. The paid VPN Plus plan adds faster servers across a much larger network, up to ten devices, a DNS-level ad and malware blocker, and Secure Core multi-hop routing.

It is not perfect. Its feature list is shorter than some rivals, the free plan picks your server for you from a small set of countries, live chat is reserved for paying users, and independent testers have recorded higher latency than the fastest competitors. Those are fair trade-offs for a service that leads on transparency, which is why it heads our free VPN ranking and features prominently in our privacy-focused lists.

NerdBible did not run its own hands-on trial for this review. It is an editorial assessment based on Proton's plans, features and policy pages, its published audit results, and the findings of independent review outlets, all credited and linked below.

What is Proton VPN and who is it for?

Proton VPN encrypts your internet connection and routes it through Proton's servers, hiding your IP address from the sites you visit and your traffic from whoever runs the network you are on. Proton says on its no-logs policy page that it was founded by scientists who met at CERN and is based in Switzerland, where it is not obliged to keep logs. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad, Chromebook and Android TV, with extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

Proton VPN suits:

  • Privacy-first users. Open-source apps, published audits and a plain no-logs policy make it one of the easiest VPNs to verify rather than simply trust.
  • Anyone who needs a free VPN they can rely on. The free plan has no data limit and no ads, which almost no other free VPN offers.
  • People already using Proton services. One Proton account covers the VPN, Proton Mail, Proton Pass and Proton Drive, and the Proton Unlimited bundle combines them.
  • Travellers and public Wi-Fi users. A kill switch in every app and an always-on mode keep the connection protected when networks change.

Key features

Secure Core multi-hop routing

The Secure Core page explains that paid users can route traffic first through hardened servers in Switzerland, Iceland or Sweden, which Proton owns and runs in high-security data centres, before it exits through a second server. The idea is that even if the exit server were compromised, your real IP address would remain hidden. It is slower than a normal connection, so it is best saved for sensitive moments.

NetShield Ad-blocker

NetShield is a DNS filter that blocks connections to known ad, tracker and malware domains. Proton lists it as a paid feature, and TechRadar rated the ad blocking as effective.

Kill switch, always-on VPN and leak protection

Proton's features page says every app has a kill switch, which cuts internet access if the VPN drops, and an always-on mode that reconnects automatically. DNS queries are resolved on Proton's own servers, and IPv6 traffic is handled so it cannot reveal your address. ZDNET's own leak checks across several server locations found no leaks.

Protocols, Stealth and VPN Accelerator

Proton uses WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, with AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption and forward secrecy. Its own Stealth protocol wraps WireGuard inside ordinary-looking encrypted web traffic for networks that interfere with VPNs, and Smart Protocol picks a working configuration automatically. VPN Accelerator is Proton's technology for improving speed over long distances, and the company says it can make a large difference on distant connections.

Split tunnelling, profiles and Tor over VPN

Split tunnelling, available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and Android TV, lets you choose which apps or addresses use the VPN. Paid users can also route traffic to the Tor network through dedicated servers, which PCMag notes is a rare feature, and save connection profiles for quick switching.

How much does Proton VPN cost? Plans and pricing structure

Current prices for your region appear in our comparison above. Here is how the plans are structured, according to the Proton VPN pricing page:

  • Proton Free: one device at a time, medium speed, servers in a handful of countries chosen for you, no ads and no logs. No credit card is needed.
  • VPN Plus: up to ten devices, Proton's highest speeds, the full server network, NetShield, Secure Core, and priority support with live chat.
  • Proton Unlimited: everything in VPN Plus plus the paid versions of Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive and Pass.

Paid plans are offered on monthly, one-year and two-year terms, with the lowest effective cost on the longer commitments, and each comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Introductory prices renew at a higher rate, though TechRadar notes that Proton's renewal increases are smaller than most rivals'.

Is Proton VPN safe? Privacy and security

This is where Proton VPN is strongest. Its audit announcement says the security firm Securitum has examined its server infrastructure for five consecutive years and found nothing indicating that it logs browsing activity or identifying connection data, and Proton publishes the full reports. The same post says Proton has been ordered in hundreds of legal cases to hand over user logs and could not, because none existed. Securitum has also audited Proton's apps, and all of the app code is open source, backed by a bug bounty programme.

Proton also says every server is bare metal with full-disk encryption, so physical access to a machine would not expose encryption keys. Switzerland sits outside the EU, and Proton states that Swiss law does not require it to keep logs.

No VPN makes you anonymous on its own. Sites can still identify you through your accounts, cookies and browser fingerprint, so a VPN is one layer of privacy, not the whole answer.

What could be better

  • Fewer extras than some rivals. TechRadar scored its features lower than its other categories, noting it lacks the breadth of add-ons some competitors bundle.
  • Latency. PCMag's only listed drawback was high latency in its speed testing, and TechRadar found OpenVPN connections slow compared with WireGuard.
  • Free plan limits. One device, medium speeds and no choice of server country on the free tier.
  • Support on the free tier. Live chat is for paying customers; free users rely on help articles and email tickets, according to TechRadar. CNET also wanted round-the-clock live chat.
  • Price. CNET called the prices middling: not the most expensive VPN, but not a budget option either.

Who should choose something else?

If you want the lowest possible price on a long plan, several large VPNs undercut Proton. If you want a VPN packed with extras such as antivirus or identity monitoring in one app, a bundle from another provider may suit you better. And if you only need occasional protection on hotel or café Wi-Fi, Proton's free plan may be all you ever need, so try it before paying for anything.

Is Proton VPN worth it? The bottom line

Proton VPN is one of the most trustworthy VPNs available. Its open-source apps, five years of published no-logs audits and Swiss base give it a privacy record few competitors can match, and its free plan is the only one in the category that most experts recommend without heavy caveats. VPN Plus is worth paying for if you want the full server network, Secure Core, NetShield and up to ten devices. Choose a rival only if raw low latency or a large bundle of extras matters more to you than verifiable privacy.

What other reviewers found

  • PCMag gave Proton VPN its top rating and Editors' Choice, describing the free plan as the best it has seen and its privacy standards as industry-leading, with high latency the only drawback it listed.
  • TechRadar concluded that it does everything you could ask of a VPN you can trust and praised its WireGuard speeds and Swiss base, while noting slow OpenVPN speeds, some kill switch quirks and a thinner feature set.
  • CNET praised its outstanding privacy and transparency and called the free plan the only no-cost VPN it recommends, but criticised the lack of round-the-clock live chat and middling prices.
  • ZDNET called it a very solid free VPN and found no leaks across multiple servers, though it found the fixed dark theme made some app controls harder to see.

Where they agree, where they differ, and what it means for you

All four outlets agree on the two things that matter most: Proton VPN's privacy credentials are among the best in the industry, and its free plan is the one free VPN they are comfortable recommending. CNET puts it most directly, calling it "the best (and only) no-cost VPN I recommend".

They differ on performance and polish. PCMag recorded high latency and TechRadar found OpenVPN slow, while CNET judged it fast enough for everyday tasks; the practical lesson is to stick with WireGuard, which TechRadar found very fast. On design, PCMag found the client slick and TechRadar clean, while CNET and ZDNET wanted a friendlier layout. For a buyer, the conclusion is consistent: choose Proton VPN when privacy and trust come first, and accept that the very lowest latency or the longest feature list may be found elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions

Is Proton VPN really free?

Yes. Proton VPN's free plan has no data limit, shows no ads and keeps no activity logs, and it needs no credit card. It covers one device at a time at medium speed, and Proton chooses your server from a small set of countries. Proton says the free service is funded by paying subscribers, and upgrading to VPN Plus unlocks the full network and extra features.

Is Proton VPN safe and trustworthy?

It has one of the strongest track records in the industry. Its apps are open source and independently audited, and the firm Securitum has audited its no-logs infrastructure for five consecutive years, with full reports published. Proton says that when courts ordered it to hand over logs, it had none to give. It is based in Switzerland, where it is not required to keep logs.

How many devices can I use with Proton VPN?

The free plan protects one device at a time. VPN Plus and Proton Unlimited allow up to ten simultaneous connections, which can be computers, phones, tablets, TVs or browser extensions. Proton offers apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad, Chromebook and Android TV, plus extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

What is Secure Core in Proton VPN?

Secure Core is Proton's multi-hop feature for paid plans. Your traffic first passes through a Proton-owned server in Switzerland, Iceland or Sweden, held in a high-security data centre, before leaving through a second server in the country you chose. If that exit server were ever compromised, your real IP address would still be shielded. It adds some delay, so it is best for sensitive tasks.

Does Proton VPN slow down your internet?

Every VPN adds some slowdown because traffic takes a longer route and is encrypted. Reviewers found Proton fast with the WireGuard protocol, though PCMag recorded high latency and TechRadar found OpenVPN slow. Choosing WireGuard, connecting to a nearby server and leaving VPN Accelerator switched on usually gives the best results on paid plans.

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