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Proton VPN Review 2026 — 8.4 / 10

March 2026•2 min read

8.4

/ 10

$0Free plan (unlimited data)

$2.99/mo Plus (2-year)

18,100+Servers in 129+ countries

SwissJurisdiction

The good and the bad

+ Best free VPN plan in existence — unlimited data, no speed throttling, no ads, strict no-logs

+ Swiss jurisdiction — strongest privacy laws in Europe, outside Five/Fourteen Eyes

+ 100% open-source apps, independently audited, backed by Proton Mail team (CERN scientists)

+ Secure Core routes traffic through privacy-friendly countries (Iceland, Sweden, Switzerland) before exit

+ Proton ecosystem — VPN, Mail, Drive, Calendar, Pass, all encrypted

− Free plan limited to 1 device, 5 server locations, no streaming or torrenting

− Plus plan renewal price jumps significantly after initial term ($9.99/mo)

− 30-day money-back guarantee is prorated — you only get back the unused portion

− Speeds are good but not class-leading — NordVPN and ExpressVPN are still faster

Pricing

$0Free — forever, unlimited data

$9.99Plus — 1 month

$3.99Plus — 1 year

$2.99Plus — 2 years

Proton Unlimited ($12.99/mo or $7.99/mo for 2 years) adds Proton Mail, Drive, Calendar, and Pass. 30-day money-back guarantee (prorated).

Try Proton VPN free — no card, no limits, no catch

Unlimited data. No speed throttling. No ads. Upgrade to Plus anytime.

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The verdict

Proton VPN is the only VPN I’d recommend to someone who says “I don’t want to spend anything.” The free plan is genuinely usable — unlimited data, no ads, real encryption. That alone puts it ahead of every other free VPN. The paid Plus plan sits comfortably between NordVPN and Mullvad in philosophy: strong privacy credentials, Swiss jurisdiction, open-source code, but with actual streaming support and a proper server network. The renewal price jump is the one downside — $2.99/mo becomes $9.99/mo after your initial term. Watch for it. But as a starting point for anyone who cares about privacy, Proton is unmatched.

Get Proton VPN Plus — 70% off →