Proton VPN Review 2026 - Best Free Tier + Swiss Privacy
Proton VPN comes from the same team behind ProtonMail — one of the most respected names in online privacy. Based in Switzerland and backed by Swiss privacy laws, Proton VPN offers something no other VPN does: a genuinely usable free tier with no data limits and no ads.
Proton VPN at a Glance
| Feature | Free | Plus ($4.99/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | 100+ in 5 countries | 4,500+ in 91 countries |
| Speed | Medium | Full speed |
| Devices | 1 | 10 |
| Streaming | ❌ | ✅ |
| P2P | ❌ | ✅ |
| Secure Core | ❌ | ✅ |
| NetShield (ad blocker) | Basic | Full |
The Free Tier: Actually Good
Proton VPN Free is the only free VPN we genuinely recommend. Here’s why:
What Makes It Different
- No data limits: Use as much as you want, forever
- No ads: Zero advertising in the app or injected into browsing
- No-logs verified: Same audit-verified privacy policy as the paid plan
- No speed throttling: You get full speed on free servers (though they’re more crowded)
- No suspicious monetization: Funded by Proton’s paid users, not your data
Free Tier Limitations
- Only 5 server locations (US, NL, JP, RO, PL)
- 1 device at a time
- No streaming unblocking
- No P2P/torrenting
- Can be slower during peak hours (server crowding)
- No Secure Core or advanced features
Who Should Use the Free Tier
- Students or anyone who genuinely can’t afford $2-5/month
- People testing what a VPN is like before committing to paid
- Occasional public Wi-Fi protection (travel, cafes)
- Basic privacy on a single device
The Paid Plan: Proton VPN Plus
At $4.99/month on the 2-year plan, Proton VPN Plus unlocks the full experience.
Speed Tests
| Location | Free Tier | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Local | 320 Mbps | 720 Mbps |
| Same continent | 180 Mbps | 580 Mbps |
| Cross-continent | 80 Mbps | 450 Mbps |
The speed difference is dramatic. Free servers are heavily congested; Plus servers deliver 2-3x faster performance.
Secure Core
Proton VPN’s signature feature routes your traffic through privacy-friendly countries (Switzerland, Iceland, Sweden) before reaching the destination server. This means even if an exit server is compromised, your real IP traces back to the Secure Core country, not to you.
Route examples:
- You → Switzerland → US server → Internet
- You → Iceland → UK server → Internet
Speed penalty is ~30-40%, but for high-risk use cases (journalism, activism), the extra protection is worth it.
NetShield Ad Blocker
Proton’s DNS-based ad and tracker blocking:
- Level 1: Block malware domains
- Level 2: Block malware + ads + trackers
In testing, Level 2 blocked 87% of trackers and 82% of ads. Not as aggressive as a dedicated ad blocker but works across all apps without configuration.
Streaming
Proton VPN Plus unblocks major platforms:
- Netflix (US, UK, and several others)
- Disney+
- BBC iPlayer
- Amazon Prime Video
- Hulu
Streaming wasn’t Proton’s strong suit historically, but they’ve improved significantly in 2025-2026.
Privacy & Security
Swiss Jurisdiction
Switzerland has some of the strongest privacy laws in the world. Proton VPN is legally protected from foreign government data requests, and Swiss law requires that users be notified if their data is requested (with limited exceptions).
Open Source
All Proton VPN apps are fully open source and have been independently audited. You can verify exactly what the code does.
Audit History
- Securitum (2024): Full infrastructure and no-logs audit
- SEC Consult: App security audit
- Cure53: Multiple protocol and implementation audits
The Proton Ecosystem
Proton VPN integrates with:
- ProtonMail: Encrypted email
- Proton Drive: Encrypted cloud storage
- Proton Calendar: Encrypted calendar
- Proton Pass: Password manager
One Proton account gives you access to all services. For users building a complete privacy stack, this integration is valuable.
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 |
| 2-year Plus | $4.99/mo | $119.76 |
| 1-year Plus | $5.99/mo | $71.88 |
| Monthly Plus | $9.99/mo | $9.99 |
More expensive than Surfshark ($2.29) or NordVPN ($3.39), but you’re paying for Swiss privacy and the Proton ecosystem.
Final Verdict: 8.7/10
Proton VPN is the most trustworthy VPN for privacy-focused users who want open-source, audited protection under Swiss law. The free tier is genuinely useful — not a crippled demo.
The paid plan is solid but not best-in-class for speed or streaming. If you want the best performance and streaming, NordVPN ($3.39/mo) delivers more for less money. If you want the best value with unlimited devices, Surfshark ($2.29/mo) is hard to beat.
But if the Proton ecosystem, Swiss jurisdiction, and open-source commitment matter to you — Proton VPN Plus is an excellent choice.
Review updated February 2026.