Proton VPN
by Proton AG
Swiss no-logs VPN with open-source audited apps.
Score
Score
Our verdict
Proton VPN remains one of the strongest privacy-focused VPNs in 2026. It’s Swiss-based with a strict no-logs policy, fully open-source audited apps, and a much-expanded network—20,000+ servers across 140+ countries—plus Secure Core multi-hop routing for added protection. Performance is competitive thanks to WireGuard, a Stealth protocol for censorship circumvention, VPN Accelerator, and 10 Gbps servers on paid tiers. The free plan is generous for testing (unlimited data) but limited: one device, medium speed, and servers in 10 randomly assigned countries with no location choice. Pricing is clear across monthly, annual, and 24‑month terms, but note the fine print: the 2‑year price is an introductory promo that renews annually at a higher effective monthly rate. Proton also offers broader bundles—Proton Unlimited for one user, Duo and Family for households, and business VPN tiers with dedicated IPs on VPN Professional. The ecosystem now includes Proton Docs/Sheets and the Lumo AI assistant (as an add-on), making Proton compelling beyond VPN alone.
Overview
Screenshot
Score breakdown
Overall score
Scores are editorial assessments by the Compare Best AI team on a 0–10 scale.
Expert review
CBAI Editorial Team
Compare Best AI · Editorial Team
## Overview
How we tested
Days tested
7 days
Tasks evaluated
- ·Streamed geo-restricted libraries (Netflix/Prime) on optimized servers
- ·Measured WireGuard vs OpenVPN speeds with VPN Accelerator
- ·Bypassed DPI on Stealth protocol from a restricted network
- ·Seeded and leeched a Linux ISO via P2P with port forwarding
Method
Compared against NordVPN and ExpressVPN using identical inputs
Reviewer
CBAI Editorial Team
Plans & pricing
Proton Free
Trying Proton VPN with no commitment
- 1 device; unlimited data; medium speed
- Servers in 10 countries randomly selected — no country choice
- No streaming, no P2P, no NetShield, no Secure Core
- Open-source, audited apps; Swiss no-logs
- No credit card required
- Limitation: Browser extensions require a paid plan
VPN Plus
Best overall for privacy, streaming and P2P
- 10 devices; highest speed; 10 Gbps servers
- 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries; streaming & P2P
- NetShield, Secure Core, Tor over VPN; Stealth/WireGuard/OpenVPN
- Kill switch, split tunnelling, port forwarding; connection profiles
- Priority support and live chat; 30‑day money‑back
- $6.99/mo billed yearly; $4.99/mo billed 24 months (intro promo; renews annually higher)
Proton Unlimited
Single user wanting full Proton bundle
- Everything in VPN Plus for 1 user (10 VPN connections)
- 500 GB total storage shared across Mail + Drive
- Proton Mail: 15 addresses, 3 custom domains
- Proton Pass Premium: 50 vaults, unlimited aliases, integrated 2FA, Dark Web Monitoring, Emergency Access
- Includes Proton Calendar, Docs and Sheets
- 30‑day money‑back; browser extensions included
- $9.99/mo billed yearly; $7.99/mo billed 24 months (intro promo; renews annually higher)
VPN + Pass bundle
VPN Plus with Proton Pass Premium
- VPN Plus features for 1 user
- Proton Pass Premium (50 vaults, unlimited aliases, 2FA, DWM, Emergency Access)
- 30‑day money‑back
- $8.99/mo billed yearly; $6.99/mo billed 24 months (intro promo; renews annually higher)
Proton Duo
Two people sharing Proton services
- 2 users, 20 simultaneous VPN connections
- Approx. 2 TB total storage across services
- Includes VPN Plus features, Proton Mail/Drive/Calendar/Docs/Sheets and Pass Premium
- 30‑day money‑back
- $14.99/mo billed yearly; $11.99/mo billed 24 months (intro promo; renews annually higher)
Proton Family
Families needing multiple accounts
- 6 users, 60 simultaneous VPN connections
- Approx. 3 TB total storage across services
- Includes VPN Plus features, Proton Mail/Drive/Calendar/Docs/Sheets and Pass Premium
- 30‑day money‑back
- $23.99/mo billed yearly; $19.99/mo billed 24 months (intro promo; renews annually higher)
VPN Essentials (Business)
Small teams starting with business VPN
- Includes 2 users; add users: $8.99/mo ($6.99/mo yearly; $5.99/mo 24 months)
- Business management; gateways on business tiers
- No dedicated IPs on this plan
- 30‑day money‑back
- $13.98/mo billed yearly; $11.98/mo billed 24 months (intro promo; renews annually higher)
VPN Professional (Business)
Businesses needing dedicated IPs and gateways
- Add users: $11.99/mo ($9.99/mo yearly; $8.99/mo 24 months)
- Dedicated IP add-on: $49.99/$39.99/$35.99 each (monthly/yearly/24 months)
- Business gateways; priority support
- 30‑day money‑back
- $59.97/mo billed yearly; $53.97/mo billed 24 months (intro promo; renews annually higher)
Pricing may vary by region. Always verify on the vendor's website.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Proton VPN | NordVPN | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | |||
| Free plan available | |||
| Security | |||
| Fully open-source apps (audited) | |||
| Privacy | |||
| Secure Core multi-hop via owned servers | |||
| Advanced | |||
| Tor over VPN servers | |||
| Protection | |||
| Ad/tracker/malware blocking | |||
| Censorship | |||
| Stealth/obfuscated protocol | |||
| Business | |||
| Dedicated IP add-on | |||
Is it right for you?
Good fit for
Privacy seekers
Swiss jurisdiction, no-logs policy, open-source audited apps, and Secure Core improve anonymity beyond typical VPNs.
Frequent travelers
20,000+ servers in 140+ countries and Stealth protocol help bypass geo-blocks and censorship reliably.
Streamers
Streaming-optimized servers and VPN Accelerator deliver higher, more consistent speeds on paid plans.
P2P users
Port forwarding, P2P servers, and a kill switch make torrenting safer on paid tiers.
Less suited for
Set-and-forget free geo-unblocking
Free tier assigns 1 of 10 countries at random; you cannot choose locations for streaming.
Fixed long-term low price
The 24‑month rates are promotional and renew annually at a higher effective monthly cost.
User reviews
Editorial score
Distribution is estimated from our editorial score. Verified user reviews coming soon.
Use cases
Typical ways teams rely on this tool — from everyday tasks to specialized workflows.
- Privacy and anonymity
- Streaming and geo-unblocking
- Secure P2P/torrenting
- Bypassing censorship/firewalls
Privacy & compliance
Security & data practices
Highlights we track from the vendor's documentation. Always confirm current terms, subprocessors, and regional policies on their official site.
- No-logs policy
- Open-source apps
- Independent audits
- Swiss jurisdiction
- GDPR-ready
Details
Category
Price
- Free
- VPN Plus $9.99/mo ($6.99/mo billed yearly
- $4.99/mo billed 24 months)
- Proton Unlimited $12.99/mo ($9.99/mo billed yearly
- $7.99/mo billed 24 months)
- VPN + Pass $11.99/mo ($8.99/mo billed yearly
- $6.99/mo billed 24 months)
- Proton Duo $19.99/mo ($14.99/mo billed yearly
- $11.99/mo billed 24 months)
- Proton Family $29.99/mo ($23.99/mo billed yearly
- $19.99/mo billed 24 months)
- VPN Essentials from $17.98/mo for 2 users ($13.98/mo billed yearly
- $11.98/mo billed 24 months
- +$8.99/$6.99/$5.99 per extra user)
- VPN Professional from $73.79/mo ($59.97/mo billed yearly
- $53.97/mo billed 24 months
- +$11.99/$9.99/$8.99 per extra user
- dedicated IP add-on $49.99/$39.99/$35.99 each)
Free version
Best for
- Bypassing geo-blocks and censorship
- Privacy and anonymity with no-logs and Secure Core
- Ad/tracker blocking with NetShield
- Safe P2P/torrenting on paid servers
Frequently asked questions
Proton VPN
Security & IT
Ready to get started?
Visit the Proton VPN website to explore plans and start your free trial.
Was this page helpful?
Compare Best AI may earn a commission when you click links on this page. This does not influence our editorial scores or recommendations. Advertiser disclosure