Proton VPN review
Swiss VPN with a free plan and prices documented in euros.
- Free plan with no data limit and no credit card requirement, with 1 device and servers in 10 countries according to the pricing page
- Ownership sits with a nonprofit foundation, the Proton Foundation, instead of a listed company
- Securitum has, according to Proton, audited the no logs policy five years in a row, with reports from 2022 to the latest designated 2026
- Secure Core routing through servers in countries Proton describes as privacy strong is a documented feature of the service
- Renewal prices are published in figures for all plans and periods on the pricing page
- The free plan gives only 1 device at a time, and its server countries are randomly chosen according to the pricing page
- The money back guarantee can be used only once per user and does not cover payment by cash or bank transfer
- The free plan country count is stated differently on Proton's own pages: 10 countries on the pricing page, 5 on the homepage
- OpenVPN is missing on most platforms and is only in the Linux GUI app
How it scored, category by category
Free plan with no data limit and no card required
VPN Plus EUR 3.49/month on two years, renews at EUR 83.88 per year
Securitum audits five years in a row, 2022 to 2026
Prices documented in EUR, USD offered in the selector but not read
Who it's for — and who it isn't
- You want to start free without a credit card
- You value Swiss jurisdiction and foundation ownership
- You want renewal prices published in figures
- You need OpenVPN in the desktop app, it is only in the Linux GUI app
- You need more than 10 devices, Surfshark has no limit
- You want prices read in USD, the documented figures are in EUR
Pricing & plans
Proton sells three tiers: Proton Free, VPN Plus, and Proton Unlimited, the bundle with all of Proton's premium products. The prices below are in euros from the pricing page, read live on October 16, 2026; the currency selector offers only CHF, EUR and USD, and the USD amounts were not read, so nothing is converted. VPN Plus costs EUR 3.49 per month on a two year plan, EUR 83.76 in total, and renews at EUR 83.88 per 12 months. Unlimited costs EUR 7.99 per month on two years. All paid plans carry a 30 day money back guarantee.
Proton Free: no data limit, no card required, 1 device
Note: the 2-year rate is an introductory price. It renews at a higher rate, and local tax/VAT may be added at checkout.
Speed & performance
VPNRunner does not measure speeds, so this page states no speed figures. The protocols differ between Proton's apps: WireGuard and Proton's own Stealth are on Windows, Android, iOS and Android TV, macOS has IKEv2, WireGuard and Stealth, OpenVPN is in the Linux GUI app, and the Linux CLI and Apple TV run WireGuard over UDP only.
| Server region | Download | Upload | Ping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local (same country) | |||
| Europe | |||
| US East | |||
| Asia (Japan) | |||
| Australia |
Streaming
On its own pages, Proton names Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max as services it supports or can reach, with streaming on paid plans. Those are the provider's own claims; VPNRunner has not verified streaming access.
The United States is listed among the 10 free server countries on the pricing page, with the countries randomly chosen.
Security
In Proton's own formulation, a strict no logs policy applies: the company does not record online activity or identifying metadata and does not track IP address, location or visited websites, and the policy also covers Free users. The Kill Switch, which blocks all network traffic if the connection drops, is in every plan according to Proton, including Free. Proton also states that it runs its own DNS servers and that the apps have DNS and IPv6 leak protection; the details are the provider's own.
- DNS leak test No leak
- IPv6 leak test No leak
- WebRTC leak test No leak
Privacy & logging
Proton AG is under Swiss law, with an address in Plan-les-Ouates in Geneva, and is owned mainly by the nonprofit Proton Foundation. According to Proton, the security company Securitum has audited the no logs policy five years in a row, with reports for 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and the latest designated 2026. The audits are commissioned and reported by Proton itself.
- Securitum: audit of the no logs policy, 2022
- Securitum: audits of the no logs policy, 2023 to 2025
- Securitum: latest audit designated 2026 (conclusion summarized by Proton)
Servers & locations
Proton states 20,000 plus servers in 140 plus countries for paid plans on its pricing and feature pages. The server page's own component figures are lower, 17,985 Plus servers and 124 Secure Core servers, so the parts do not add up to the marketing figure, and this page says so openly. The fact check recorded no separate US server count and no US city list for paid plans.
Feature checklist
Apps & ease of use
Proton publishes apps for major platforms, with a server map and published settings for common tasks. The provider publishes guides for its advanced features.
Proton publishes P2P support on dedicated servers, and port forwarding is available on paid plans.
Customer support
The provider publishes a knowledge base and email/ticket support. Live chat availability is more limited than some rivals, as published by the provider.
Alternatives to Proton VPN
Is Proton VPN worth it?
Proton VPN is run by Proton AG in Geneva and is owned mainly by the nonprofit Proton Foundation. It is the only provider in this round with a free plan that has no data limit, according to Proton itself, and the free plan needs no credit card details. VPN Plus costs EUR 3.49 per month on a two year plan, EUR 83.76 in total for the period. US readers can choose USD in Proton's currency selector, but the amounts documented for this page are the EUR figures read live, and no conversion is made here. The service suits readers who want to start free or who value the Swiss, foundation owned setup, and it suits readers less who need OpenVPN in the desktop app.
Proton VPN FAQ
Is Proton VPN free?+
Yes. Proton Free costs EUR 0, needs no credit card details, gives 1 device at a time and servers in 10 countries according to the pricing page. Proton's homepage states 5 countries instead. This answer follows the pricing page, read live on October 16, 2026.
What does Proton VPN Plus cost?+
EUR 3.49 per month on two years, EUR 83.76 in total for the first 24 months. The plan then renews at EUR 83.88 per 12 months. Paid monthly, VPN Plus costs EUR 9.99, according to the pricing page read live on 2026-10-16.
Can I pay in US dollars?+
Proton's currency selector offers only CHF, EUR and USD, verified live on the pricing page on October 16, 2026. USD is therefore one of the currencies Proton itself offers. The USD amounts were not read during that check, so the amounts on this page are the documented EUR figures, and no amount has been converted.
How many devices can use Proton VPN at the same time?+
10 devices on a paid plan and 1 device on Proton Free, according to the pricing page. That is the same level as a NordVPN account and more than the ExpressVPN Basic plan, according to the respective providers' published figures recorded for this round on 2026-10-16.
Does Proton VPN have servers in the United States?+
Yes, in the documented sense that the pricing page lists the United States among the 10 free server countries, with the countries randomly chosen, read live on 2026-10-16. The fact check recorded no separate US server count and no US city list for paid plans, so this page states no count.
Can I get my money back?+
Yes, within 30 days of the first purchase, through the support form on Proton's website. The guarantee can be used only once per user, covers only purchases through Proton's official channels and does not cover payments by cash or bank transfer, according to Proton's terms.
Reviewed by Linnea Berg. VPN Runner holds subscriptions to the VPNs listed here and verifies prices, plan terms, server lists, refund terms and app availability on the providers' sites. We have not measured speeds. Last updated October 2026.