ProtonVPN review 2023: Cost, features and more

ProtonVPN is a virtual private network (VPN) service from Proton, a Swiss company that also offers privacy-centric email, calendar, and online storage services. The VPN alone is great, with high speeds and servers in over 65 countries. It’s also noteworthy that you can subscribe to a package including ProtonVPN Plus and premium subscriptions to Proton’s other services for less than what some competitors charge for a standalone VPN.

Customer service is only available by email, so it’s best suited for tech-savvy users who can independently handle basic troubleshooting. It’s not the cheapest VPN, but it’s reasonably priced compared to top industry competitors. And when you factor in performance, it stands out as a good choice for anyone looking for a privacy-centric suite of services including a VPN.

ProtonVPN overview and facts

ProtonVPN traces its roots to Switzerland in 2014. Proton launched its first products, Proton Mail and ProtonVPN, to facilitate truly private communications with journalists and activists worldwide. Proton is supported by several major nonprofit organizations and comes from a country with privacy laws so strict they inspired the well-known financial haven of Swiss bank accounts.

While there are relatively few online reviews from past users, they’re split evenly between negative and positive. Complaints primarily focus on the company’s slow customer service responses.

ProtonVPN isn’t available for as many unique types of devices offered by other providers. You can get versions for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS devices. Chromebook and Android TV are also supported. If you use software or a device with OpenVPN or IKEv2 support, you’re able to log in and connect to a ProtonVPN account.

ProtonVPN is among the fastest on our list of the Best VPN Services for download speeds, and the single fastest for uploads. It supports most features we look for in a top-rated VPN service. If you can handle the pricing and mediocre customer service, Proton stands out as a top choice.

ProtonVPN pricing

Like most competitors, ProtonVPN pricing is best when you commit to a long term upfront. For the VPN alone, the best monthly price is $4.99 per month when paying for 24 months.

Proton offers a generous free tier with unlimited bandwidth and no advertising. However, it’s limited to around 100 servers in three countries and has fewer features and slower speeds than competitors. When it comes to free plans, Proton’s is a really good one with more features than what’s offered in most free plans from other providers.

The Proton Unlimited plans are also worth looking at if you want more privacy online in general. Proton Unlimited products go head-to-head with popular alternatives from Google, Microsoft, Apple, and other major tech companies and come with far more focus on privacy (and no ads).

Business plans are also available, though pricing isn’t made public. If you want custom pricing for your small business, you’ll need to contact Proton for sales support.

Proton Free

As the name suggests, the introductory tier is free forever. Proton’s free VPN offering is generous, providing users with unlimited bandwidth. However, speeds may be limited, and users can only access a small subset of Proton’s servers. The free VPN allows users to connect to servers in three of the 67 countries Proton offers with a paid plan. 

VPN Plus

The paid VPN Plus subscription gives you full access to all premium VPN features. Pricing starts at $9.99 for a single month. Paying for 12 months, you’ll pay $5.99 per month. With a two-year subscription, you’ll pay $4.99 per month.

Proton Unlimited

Proton Unlimited includes everything in VPN Plus and premium access to Proton Mail, Proton Calendar and Proton Drive. These make an excellent alternative to Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. Proton Unlimited costs $12.99 monthly, $9.99 per month when you pay annually, or $7.99 per month when paid every two years.

ProtonVPN plans

Proton’s VPN comes in two versions: free and premium. The premium version is available as a standalone VPN or as part of the Proton Unlimited bundle. If you’re brand new to VPNs, the Proton free plan is a good way to get started and test the functionality.

While the free plan includes unlimited bandwidth, the slower speeds and smaller network make it ideal for activities like web browsing and email. If you want to stream video or transfer large files, a paid plan unlocks the fastest available speed and all features.

Proton Free

Proton Free works with a limited set of VPN features. But with no advertising and no fees, it’s tough to complain about the limitations. You can use the service as much as you’d like with unlimited bandwidth. However, only a small percentage of Proton’s servers are available to free customers. The only supported countries are the United States, Netherlands and Japan.

Proton Free is great for testing out the service and limited use. But if you want an always-on VPN connection, you’ll likely find the free version limiting.

VPN Plus

VPN Plus includes access to all 2,696 servers in 67 countries. According to ProtonVPN reporting, the service maintains 3.15 terabits per second (Tbps) in network capacity. With average download and upload speeds above 250 Mbps, depending on your home or office internet speed, you may not even notice a difference in speed when connected to the VPN.

Premium features include access for up to 10 devices at once, high-speed streaming on video services like Netflix and Disney+ from anywhere, multi-hop privacy, priority customer support and built-in ad blocking and malware filters.

ProtonVPN add-ons and optional features

Proton’s entire suite of privacy-focused services are available to add-on to your ProtonVPN service. The best way to get these services is with a subscription to Proton Unlimited.

Proton Unlimited

Proton Unlimited isn’t an add-on; it’s a package including VPN Plus and Proton’s other premium services. For business users, Proton Unlimited is comparable with Google Workspace but with privacy-focused products, rather than products built around a search and advertising business.

Email, calendars and file sharing are all encrypted to keep prying eyes and hackers out of your sensitive communications and information.

ProtonVPN customer support and experience

Proton support earns Proton VPN mediocre reviews from past users. On Trustpilot, ProtonVPN currently holds a 2.6-star rating. Complaints focus on slow customer service responses and high prices.

When logged in as a premium user, you get access to priority support and live chat is available during limited hours.

Downloading and installing ProtonVPN is simple and straightforward on supported devices. Native versions are available for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook and Android TV. A browser plugin for Chrome, Firefox and Chromium browsers is currently available in beta.

ProtonVPN vs. NordVPN

NordVPN and ProtonVPN are neck and neck when it comes to download speeds. And pricing is similar with ProtonVPN coming in slightly less expensive. When deciding between the two, the most important place to focus is how you plan to use your VPN and how much you trust each provider.

NordVPN features download speeds that are negligibly slower than ProtonVPN. For uploads, however, the difference is a bit more stark. ProtonVPN averages 252 Mbps for uploads compared to 186 Mbps with NordVPN. Both are very fast, and you’re more likely to run into limits from your internet service provider’s speeds than from either VPN provider when handling basic tasks like email and web browsing.

For trust and privacy, the two are a bit different. Both are privacy-first companies, but ProtonVPN offers a larger ecosystem of privacy products and comes with more transparency. NordVPN is generally considered safe but fell victim to a hack in 2018. 

Unless you’re an advanced user, you’ll probably find the two extremely similar when in use. Extremely tech-savvy users may find a few more useful options from NordVPN, while those more concerned about privacy may have a slight preference for Proton.

ProtonVPN vs. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a top VPN provider also featuring very good speeds. It’s a bit more expensive than ProtonVPN, so it’s best for users looking for the unique additional features that ProtonVPN is missing. Those are mostly limited to a longer list of supported devices, however, as both are missing dedicated IP addresses.

ExpressVPN is expensive, fast, and has top-tier support among VPN companies. Proton is a little less expensive, a little faster, and has support that’s not as extensive. Again, outside of advanced or highly technical users, most won’t notice much difference when connected. That makes cost and the specific features you need the big differentiator between Proton and ExpressVPN.

To learn about ExpressVPN’s features, check out our full review.

Is ProtonVPN right for your business?

Overall, ProtonVPN is a very good service that’s worth considering for personal and business users. If you own a small business and want a secure, private connection for your own use, ProtonVPN (and other Proton products) may be an excellent fit.

ProtonVPN also offers business accounts, but you’ll have to contact Proton for pricing options as your team grows. That being said, it may be worth hopping on the phone because Proton offers a bundle of privacy-focused services to complement its VPN that could be ideal for your team.

ProtonVPN is a good choice for businesses regardless of how many users you need to sign up. It’s not the cheapest around and doesn’t support every possible device, but prices are competitive, speeds are blazing fast and it’s from a trusted company with a strong privacy-first philosophy. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Does ProtonVPN offer a free trial?

Instead of a free trial, ProtonVPN offers a free VPN service with unlimited bandwidth. Free customers have slower speeds and fewer servers available than paid customers, but this is among the best free VPN plans we’ve seen.

Where is ProtonVPN based?

ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland, outside of the five eyes, a data-sharing agreement between five major countries. Switzerland is known for its privacy laws, so ProtonVPN users can feel protected knowing their data will remain private from government surveillance. However, as an EU member, you may have more potential legal concerns than some countries with less overall regulation.

Where are ProtonVPN’s VPN servers?

ProtonVPN operates about 2,700 servers in 67 countries. Those cover all continents aside from Antarctica.

How secure is ProtonVPN?

ProtonVPN is extremely secure. ProtonVPN users have a secure connection through industry-standard VPN protocols. In case of a DNS leak, the VPN has a kill switch that immediately cuts off your connection to ensure none of your data is revealed. The company maintains a strict no-log policy and all apps are open source and audited for vulnerabilities.

What VPN protocols does ProtonVPN offer?

Protocols vary based on the device you use. Major supported protocols include WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 and Stealth. Stealth is a Proton-designed VPN protocol based on WireGuard tunneled over TLS.

How do I connect to ProtonVPN’s VPN?

The easiest way to get started with ProtonVPN is to download its software on your device. You can install browser extensions to only encrypt your web browser traffic or cover your entire device with apps for Windows, Mac and Linux devices.

Does ProtonVPN keep logs?

ProtonVPN follows a strict no-log policy. It doesn’t track your visited websites, communications traffic or content, IP addresses, session lengths or other location-based information.

How fast is ProtonVPN?

ProtonVPN is among the fastest VPN services available today. The average download speed with ProtonVPN is 253 Mbps and uploads are nearly as fast, clocking in at 252 Mbps (the fastest average upload on our list).

What devices work with ProtonVPN?

Proton VPN software works with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chromebook and Android TV devices. You may be able to extend protection if your router supports a compatible VPN protocol.