Score Breakdown
Pros
- Excellent privacy and transparency
- Blazing-fast speeds
- Exceptional for streaming
- Generous global server network
- Open-source apps
- Linux GUI app
- 10 simultaneous connections
- The best free plan on the market
Cons
- No 24/7 live chat yet
- App design could be more user-friendly
- Confusing MacOS kill switch design
While most free VPNs are at best underwhelming and at worst dangerous, Proton VPN is the rare exception to the rule. Its free plan limits how you can connect, but it doesn’t impose any monthly usage restrictions, sell your data or plaster your screen with ads, making it hands-down the best free VPN on the market. And if you’re willing to shell out for the company’s paid plan, you’ll enjoy an all-around outstanding VPN.
I put Proton VPN through the wringer by running over 250 internet speed tests, trying its apps on several devices and scrutinizing its privacy policy. I also checked for DNS leaks, tried all major features and streamed several hours of movies and TV shows to assess its geo-unblocking capabilities. I talked with Proton VPN representatives via email and over video calls during my evaluation.
Whether you’re a Netflix streaming junkie, a frequent international traveler or someone with serious privacy concerns, Proton VPN is a compelling choice. Proton VPN’s premium tiers do just about everything well, from delivering fast speeds and excellent streaming support to providing features like discreet app icons and a proprietary VPN protocol that caters to privacy-critical users.
Although Proton is intuitive, its apps aren’t quite as user-friendly as those of competitors like NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark. And despite Proton’s focus on privacy, I was disappointed in its MacOS kill switch, which wasn’t as transparent about its limitations when switching servers as it should have been. I brought this to Proton’s attention, and the company promised a fix with an appropriately worded warning between connections in its next MacOS app update.
Overall, Proton VPN is the best free VPN on the market, with a solid premium tier for folks who need more servers and better streaming capabilities.
Proton VPN speed: Lightning-quick
- Average speed loss: 15.8%
- Number of servers: 11,800-plus
- Number of countries: 117
Whether you’re on a blazing-fast fiber-optic connection, unreliable satellite internet or something in between, Proton VPN should give you the bulk of your standard bandwidth.
All VPNs lower your internet speed somewhat. Normally, your internet-connected devices communicate directly with your ISP’s DNS servers, but when you’re using a VPN, there’s another stop your internet traffic has to make, which slows it down. The fastest VPNs only reduce your internet download speed by an average of 25% or less, and Proton severely undercut that with a solid 16% average internet download speed loss. Though not quite as speedy as NordVPN’s bewilderingly fast 3% average speed loss, Proton is no slouch, and one of the fastest VPNs on the planet.
For context, Netflix recommends an internet speed of 15Mbps or greater for a 4K video stream. So even if you’ve got a download speed of 25Mbps -- slow by today’s standards -- Proton shouldn’t affect your daily activities.
Speed tests are great, but real-world performance is what matters. In my testing, Proton VPN worked smoothly for all of the bandwidth-intensive tasks I threw at it, like downloading large games and watching movies -- I didn’t notice any buffering, even while streaming 4K videos.
Speeds remain snappy regardless of the server or protocol
Two main elements dictate speeds with a VPN: server location and VPN protocol. Based on my experience, Proton VPN should provide the bulk of your base internet speeds regardless of the VPN protocol or country server you use.
Usually, you’ll experience slower speeds on geographically distant servers because your data travels further before reaching its destination. While my benchmarking confirmed this, I didn’t experience drastic drops, even when tunneling through a server on the other side of the globe. I experienced a perfectly respectable average 31% internet download speed drop on Singapore servers, for instance, which are fairly far from my home office in North Carolina. Sure, that’s nearly twice as slow as its total 16% average speed loss, but it’s still faster than the overall average speed loss of some rival VPNs.
Generally, the WireGuard VPN protocol is faster than OpenVPN, which remained true in my testing. The biggest overall average speed loss I measured was 25% using OpenVPN on Windows (even though some individual server averages were slower), which should still be usable, even on slow or unreliable networks. By comparison, I clocked an average 19% internet speed loss with WireGuard on Windows, and a blazing-fast 6% speed loss using WireGuard on MacOS. I didn’t experience alarming internet speed reductions using any combination of servers and protocols.
Proton VPN’s large international server network is great for travel and streaming
Boasting 11,800-plus servers across 117 countries, Proton VPN provides an extensive international footprint, making Proton VPN one of the best VPNs for travel. For context, Proton offers more overall servers and countries than most of the VPNs we’ve tested, giving you more connection choices than many rivals. When you’re visiting another location, you may want to use a local server for extra privacy, or a server from your home country to access region-restricted content. Because of its generous server selection, Proton gives you plenty of options -- to the point where I’m considering using it on my personal devices when I galavant across the globe for my honeymoon later this year. This means you can unblock tons of streaming services, including foreign Netflix libraries or region-specific sites such as BBC iPlayer and CBC Gem.
Key takeaway: Proton VPN is fast and features a massive server network, making it great for travel and streaming. Its speed performance improved meaningfully from my previous year’s testing. In my everyday usage, Proton didn’t noticeably affect my internet connection, and I was impressed with how many different country servers I could pick from.
Value: Your money goes a long way
- Free, $10 a month, $60 for the first year or $108 for the first two years (one- and two-year plans renew at $80 per year)
- Money-back guarantee: 30 days
- Payment options: Credit card, debit card, PayPal, bitcoin
- Apps available for: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Chromebooks, browsers
If you decide to use Proton VPN’s paid plan, you’ll find good value with its excellent mix of fast speeds, solid streaming options and strong privacy practices at a price that meets or beats competitors offering similar service.
Proton VPN’s $10 a month plan is slightly cheaper than Surfshark, NordVPN and ExpressVPN, but more than the wallet-friendly Mullvad ($5 a month). While a monthly plan can be great for commitment-free VPN usage, many providers offer discounted rates when signing up for a longer term. Proton’s one-year plan starts at $60 a year, which is less than ExpressVPN ($100 for the first year), the same as NordVPN and more expensive than Surfshark ($48 for the first year). Like most competitors, Proton hits you with price hikes. Its one- and two-year plans renew at $80 a year, which is considerably lower than the astronomical $140 or $117 that NordVPN and ExpressVPN charge. I like that with Proton, I don’t have to babysit my subscription.
The beauty of Proton is its delicate balance that caters to everyone from privacy enthusiasts to casual users. You may be able to find slightly more private or user-friendly VPNs, but it’s difficult to find a rival that delivers both simultaneously without cutting corners.
Like Proton VPN, NordVPN is fast, excellent for streaming and gives you generous global server networks. Nord’s apps are a bit more user-friendly than Proton’s, but Proton just edges out Nord on privacy. Anyone who’s used a VPN before should be fine with either, but I’d recommend Nord for absolute VPN beginners. If you have serious privacy concerns though, Proton VPN is the way to go.
While Proton ticks almost every privacy box, Mullvad takes things even further. If you’re concerned about privacy to the point where you don’t even want to have a registered account, Mullvad -- unlike Proton -- doesn’t require signing up for one. However, Mullvad’s significantly smaller server network and unreliable streaming performance make it unsuitable for travel and entertainment enthusiasts who want to unblock foreign Netflix libraries or watch BBC iPlayer, areas where Proton excels.
Overall, Proton VPN’s value is tough to beat. For the money, you get a fast VPN with stellar streaming chops that doesn’t sacrifice privacy.
Proton’s free plan is the best (and only) free VPN option we recommend
Usually, we at CNET don’t recommend using free VPNs. Often, if you’re not paying cash for a VPN, it’s costing you in some other way, from slow speeds or screens plastered with ads to malware-infected apps. Proton VPN subverts that trope with its free VPN plan that doesn’t sell your data or have any in-app ads. If you need a VPN and can’t or don’t want to pay, Proton VPN is the only option we enthusiastically vouch for. You can even start using Proton VPN’s free plan without signing up for an account using a guest account on Android.
Although Proton VPN’s no-cost tier doesn’t skimp on privacy, it does have some limitations. There are no monthly usage restrictions, but you can’t choose a server manually, meaning when you click connect, you’re automatically shuffled onto a server. Moreover, you only get access to a fraction of the countries available to its premium plan (Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland and the US). And you can only connect on one device at a time instead of the 10 simultaneous connections with its paid plan. By comparison, PrivadoVPN’s free plan lets you pick a server manually but limits you to 10GB of monthly usage. However Privado hasn’t been audited, making it unsuitable for folks with critical privacy concerns.
The shortcomings of Proton VPN’s free tier ultimately feel reasonable for a free service. Plus, you’ve got a great upgrade path in Proton’s solid premium plan.
Proton VPN apps are pretty refined but could be better for beginners, and its MacOS kill switch is confusing
Ultimately, Proton VPN’s apps aren’t bad, they’re just not quite as streamlined as some alternatives.
With the exception of its Linux app, Proton VPN offers a reasonably uniform experience across all platforms. However, some features, like split tunneling, are absent on iOS/iPadOS and MacOS, although that’s true of most VPN providers since it’s an Apple-side limitation. Split tunneling lets you use a VPN for some apps but not others. I used split tunneling in Proton to stream an episode of The Jetty from BBC iPlayer on my Windows PC while installing Life is Strange Remastered via Steam outside of a VPN for faster download speeds.
I appreciated the Proton VPN app’s slick interface, which feels modern yet relatively intuitive. Essential VPN tasks like picking a server, changing protocols and toggling on settings like the kill switch are fairly simple. With support for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone/iPad, Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and web browsers, you can install Proton on virtually any device you own. There’s even a graphical user interface for its Linux app, a rarity among VPNs, which makes it easier to use for Linux newcomers than command-line interface apps.
Power users who want more granular control over selecting a server may appreciate the ability to pull up a list of servers and view server load information. While I like this feature for advanced privacy enthusiasts, it’s not as user-friendly as apps from NordVPN, Surfshark or ExpressVPN. For instance, most of Proton’s competitors let you simply click connect on a location at the city level, and then you’re connected to a server automatically. With Proton’s desktop apps, you’ll need to search for a city, then connect to the country, which feels counterintuitive. Alternatively, you can scroll through a list of specific cities and pick a server, but the choices can be overwhelming. Proton told me over a video call and reiterated over email that it has an upcoming overhaul to its apps, starting with Windows, to lend them the easier-to-navigate design of its Android app.
Although the server load information in Proton’s desktop apps is helpful, you can’t tell what the server load is until you hover your mouse over that specific location. The experience on mobile is more polished -- you can click into a city to view all servers, with server load info clearly visible. I still appreciate the advanced manual control Proton offers, but I look forward to upcoming refinements that will hopefully mimic the mobile app experience on desktop to make it even more intuitive for VPN beginners.
Your IP address is revealed when switching servers on Mac
While most major features worked as expected, I experienced a confusing design oversight with Proton VPN’s kill switch on MacOS. A kill switch cuts off your internet connection in case your VPN unexpectedly disconnects, which should prevent your public IP address from being viewed by apps you’re using and websites you’re visiting. The kill switch prevented my public IP address from being accessible when switching servers or in case of an unexpected internet connection on Windows, but it didn’t on Mac. My public IP address was unmasked while changing servers. Notably, this is an Apple limitation and not Proton’s fault. But I’d like more transparency that your public IP address is unprotected when changing servers. I explained this to Proton over videoconference and email, and the Proton team promised a fix in its next MacOS app update.
It’s not uncommon for VPN providers to break the encrypted tunnel when switching servers -- only a few VPN providers, including NordVPN and Mullvad -- have implemented safeguards. But most providers display a pop-up notification explaining that your public IP address is available while changing servers. Technically, there is a notification showing your unmasked public IP address, but because Proton’s app blurs the screen when jumping servers, the risk isn’t clear to users. A simple solution would be adding a pop-up explaining that your IP address isn’t hidden, or having the app readable rather than blurred so you can tell that your IP is briefly visible to apps and websites.
Considering Proton’s onus on serious privacy, I’d like a clear, obvious notification for transparency that your IP address isn’t hidden when jumping from server to server on MacOS, and look forward to the forthcoming fix.
Proton VPN is an exceptional VPN for streaming
With its snappy speeds and terrific region-restricted content unblocking, Proton VPN is a fantastic VPN for streaming.
Because they mask your public IP address, VPNs can make it look like you’re in a different city, state or country. Accordingly, many folks rely on VPNs for streaming geographically restricted content, like foreign Netflix libraries. (You may even be able to save money using a VPN for streaming.) Proton VPN’s fast speeds make it an excellent option for watching 4K UHD and 1080p HD videos. I was able to stream buttery smooth 4K movies on a variety of services. With support for Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, you can easily use Proton on your smart TV.
In my testing, I was blown away by Proton VPN’s effortless unblocking capabilities. I easily watched Murdoch Mysteries on a Canadian server from CBC Gem and Dead and Buried via BBC iPlayer. Amazon Prime Video US and UK streaming worked with Proton, so I enjoyed Alex Garland’s Civil War on Amazon Prime Video UK (on Max in the States).
For Netflix, Proton unlocked US, Canadian, UK, South African, Romanian, Australian and Japanese libraries. I even successfully streamed from Netflix Egypt, which is notoriously difficult to unblock -- only a handful of other VPN providers, including ExpressVPN, loaded Netflix Egypt. Max US and international streaming support was pretty solid -- using a Romanian server, I streamed Interstellar (unavailable on Max US).
Hulu, Peacock, Paramount Plus and Crunchyroll all played fine using US servers. I experienced issues with Hulu on my Android TV box -- it detected a VPN connection -- but I had no such problems on Windows or MacOS. In a few rare instances, I encountered a hiccup, like Netflix Norway loading while tunneling through an Egyptian server (I suspect this was a virtual server) or Japan Netflix initially not playing, but a quick server change sorted out any kinks.
Proton offers responsive support, although it’s not 24/7 yet
In an ideal world, your VPN should work flawlessly out of the box. But sometimes you’ll need assistance, whether that’s installing a VPN app on a new device, asking a question about billing or understanding how different features function. Proton VPN has a robust knowledge base, an active blog with helpful guides and live chat. Its support area is simple to navigate, covering everything from creating a free account and troubleshooting common VPN issues to using Proton on different platforms. Its help guides have plenty of pictures to complement the written text, although I didn’t find many videos, which could be handy for VPN newcomers.
Unlike many VPN providers, Proton VPN doesn’t currently offer 24/7 live chat. Instead, its customer service is available from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. CET, and you’ll need to be an existing customer to contact its support team. However, a Proton VPN representative told me via videoconference and reaffirmed over email that it plans to roll out 24/7 live chat by the end of the year. Whereas many rivals, like NordVPN, first direct you to an AI chatbot, I got a real person in under one minute. I asked about what encryption Proton VPN’s proprietary Stealth protocol used, and the customer service agent gave me a detailed yet digestible answer within less than 5 minutes. Although it lacks round-the-clock live chat at the moment, Proton’s fast, knowledgeable customer help is great when you need it.
I don’t mind Proton VPN’s current lack of 24/7 live chat. Its customer service representatives were knowledgeable and responsive in my experience, and limiting its live chat hours probably saves Proton -- and accordingly you as the customer -- some cash. Absolute VPN beginners expecting a lot of off-hours customer support may consider an alternative, but so long as you’re comfortable getting your hands dirty and digging into Proton’s vast FAQ section for some DIYing, you’ll be fine. Plus, 24/7 live chat is a planned upgrade that should be available by the end of 2025.
Key takeaway: Mac users should be aware of an unclear design choice that doesn’t obviously highlight your unmasked public IP address when switching servers, even with the kill switch enabled. Aside from that, Proton VPN has great device support, and even includes a rare Linux GUI app. While its apps are decent, they may be overwhelming for VPN beginners. Fast speeds and fantastic unblocking capabilities make Proton one of the best VPNs for streaming.
Privacy and transparency: Among the best in the game
- Jurisdiction: Switzerland (Not in the Five, Nine or 14 Eyes)
- Encryption: AES-256 or ChaCha20
- Open-source apps
- No DNS leaks detected
- Independently audited
- Protocols available: WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEV2/IPSec or Stealth
Proton VPN has built its reputation around privacy and transparency. Its privacy-friendly jurisdiction, which is outside the Five, Nine and 14 Eyes data-sharing alliances, is complemented by its open-source apps and nifty privacy features. In my testing, I didn’t experience any DNS leaks, although I did encounter an issue with the kill switch on MacOS, which means your public IP address may be exposed when changing servers.
Its apps are open-source, so anyone can inspect the source code to look for vulnerabilities -- a great move for transparency. Only a handful of our other VPN top picks, including PIA and Mullvad, have open-source apps. You’ll find a choice of different VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 and Proton’s proprietary Stealth. The aptly named Stealth protocol masquerades as standard web traffic to bypass VPN blocks, so you may be able to use Stealth on school Wi-Fi or other networks that restrict VPN usage.
Aside from the standard privacy suite, Proton offers specialty servers, nifty platform-specific features and strong transparency.
Advanced features: Secure Core servers and Tor over VPN servers
A standard VPN connection routes your internet traffic through an encrypted server before it reaches its destination and should suffice for the average user who needs essential privacy. But for folks with serious privacy concerns -- like asylum seekers or political activists -- Proton VPN packs a privacy punch.
Its Secure Core servers are double VPN, or double hop, servers, meaning a second VPN connection makes it even harder to trace your data back to its source (your device). Secure Core servers doubly encrypt your web traffic and are physically located in Iceland, Sweden and Switzerland, with extra protections in place, like biometric security to guard your data privacy.
You also get access to Tor Over VPN servers, which deliver similar benefits to Secure Core servers -- enhanced privacy compared to a standard VPN connection -- but using The Onion Router instead of an additional VPN server. Both its Secure Core and Onion servers will be slower than a traditional VPN connection since your data makes extra “stops” with detours through additional servers. But if you’ve got critical privacy needs, Tor over VPN and multi-hop servers are nice inclusions.
Discreet app icons hide the fact that you have a VPN installed on your device
One of my favorite Proton VPN features is its discreet app icon functionality. You can change the Proton VPN app icon on mobile devices to look like a different application, like a weather or notes app. Accordingly, if your phone or tablet is seized and searched, it will look as though you don’t have a VPN installed. I could see this being a helpful option for folks traveling to countries that frown upon VPNs. This sort of thoughtful design sets Proton apart from many competitors. Currently, its discreet app icons are only available on Android.
Proton VPN has a reader-friendly privacy policy, undergoes regular third-party audits and publishes a decent transparency report
Privacy policies can be nearly impossible to decipher and sometimes make me feel like I’ve stumbled headlong into the maze from The Shining. Thankfully, Proton VPN’s privacy policy is one of the most reader-friendly -- not just among VPN companies but in general.
The company is pretty clear that it doesn’t log any user data:
“Account activity: Proton VPN is a no-logs VPN service. When you use the Service, we do NOT do any of the following:
- Log users' traffic or the content of any communications
- Discriminate against devices, protocols, or applications
- Throttle your internet connection”
Like most VPN services, Proton maintains a strict no-logs policy, but you should remain skeptical of those claims from any VPN service. That said, Proton undergoes regular audits by reliable third parties to back up its zero-log claims. I appreciate its annual cadence: Proton underwent a successful no-logs audit in July 2024 conducted by Securitum, which found no evidence of logging practices. This followed up audits in 2022 and 2023. Although audits don’t paint a complete picture, they’re an important trust signal that VPN companies can provide.
Proton’s transparency report states that it received 27 legal orders in 2024, denying all 27. I like that 100% completion rate because it indicates that Proton VPN has your back when other people come looking for data.
With its clear, concise privacy policy and regularly audited no-logging policy, Proton VPN should put even the most privacy-conscious users at ease.
Proton’s non-VPN offerings may log IP addresses in rare circumstances
Although Proton VPN doesn’t log your session data, its non-VPN offerings -- like its email client -- may log your IP address. Its privacy policy states: “IP logging: By default, we do not keep permanent IP logs in relation with your Account. However, IP logs may be kept temporarily to combat abuse and fraud, and your IP address may be retained permanently if you are engaged in activities that breach our Terms of Service (e.g. spamming, DDoS attacks against our infrastructure, brute force attacks).”
Essentially, Proton doesn’t log IP addresses out of the box, but may under certain circumstances with its non-VPN product suite, like its Proton Mail email client. As TechCruch reported in 2021, Proton Mail complied with a request from Swiss authorities for a user’s IP address. That’s because under Swiss Law, VPNs and email are treated differently. Under Swiss Law, VPN services are exempt from IP address logging, whereas, with email, IP logs can be requested by law enforcement agencies.
While IP logging may not affect VPN users, I can see how someone with strict privacy concerns may be worried about signing up for Proton Mail or Proton Drive. Still, all your files, including emails, are encrypted, so the identifiable information Proton has about you is limited to IP addresses.
Key takeaway: Proton offers a slew of privacy amenities, including specialty servers, discreet app icons, third-party audits and one of the most reader-friendly privacy policies I’ve encountered. Overall, it’s an excellent option for folks with serious privacy concerns, although the MacOS kill switch design oversight may be worrisome to Apple aficionados until the app update fix rolls out.
Proton VPN is excellent for privacy-conscious people and streaming junkies alike
Because of its free plan that doesn’t sacrifice privacy, Proton VPN is the best free VPN provider available. But, while true, that superlative does its premium plan a disservice. Fast speeds, outstanding streaming service unblocking plus excellent privacy and transparency make Proton VPN a compelling alternative to rivals like NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Proton does just about everything well; whether you want to watch foreign Netflix libraries, have critical privacy concerns or want to travel internationally, it’s a solid choice.
Although its apps aren’t quite as user-friendly as they could be, they’re not difficult per se, just not as polished as offerings from NordVPN, Surfshark or ExpressVPN. The big downside is Proton’s unclear kill switch on MacOS. I don’t expect every VPN provider to maintain an encrypted tunnel when changing servers, but the kill switch revealing public IP addresses when changing servers without an obvious warning is a blemish considering Proton’s reputation for privacy. I’d like to at least see a pop-up warning folks that their IP address may be temporarily unmasked. Notably, Proton promised a fix to the MacOS app in its next update, so I was impressed (although not surprised) with its receptive response to my feedback.
Otherwise, Proton VPN is a terrific VPN that works for various situations, from travel and streaming to serious privacy.
