vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
Proton VPN benefits from its partnership with the well-known, secure email service ProtonMail. The two companies are legally separated for security reasons, but Proton VPN still draws heavily on existing technology and security from the email service.
However, fans of ProtonMail will be happy to hear that Proton VPN also has a similar focus on security, privacy, and total anonymity.
Its biggest strengths include an attractive and user-friendly interface, robust security, and a strict no-logs policy. Downsides include unimpressive speeds, a lack of live chat support, and fairly pricey long-term subscriptions.
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Try Proton VPN Risk-Free For 30 Days!
| 💸 Price | 4 USD/month |
| 📆 Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
| 📝 Does VPN keep logs? | No |
| 🖥 Number of servers | 1250+ |
| 💻 Number of devices per license | 10 |
| 🛡 Kill switch | Yes |
Proton VPN has a medium-sized server network of 4,461 servers in 91 countries. I tested server speeds in multiple locations to find out if this VPN’s speeds are as fast as it claims.
My speed before connecting to Proton VPN was 64 Mbps.
I used the VPN’s Fast Connection feature to connect to a nearby server in the US. Unfortunately, my download speed was extremely slow for a location that was supposed to provide my fastest connection — it stood at 1.52 Mbps.
On the Server Selection list, Proton VPN shows how much traffic there is on each server, which is useful for finding fast servers.
For my next test, I manually selected a server on the US West Coast that showed low traffic. My speeds were significantly better this time — download dropped to 30 Mbps, which is still good.
My speeds in Germany were functional, but not great, at under 20 Mbps.
In other parts of Europe, including the UK, the speeds were similar. Surprisingly, I also got consistent results all the way across the world in Hong Kong, where my download speed reached 16 Mbps — enough for HD.
Overall, Proton VPN’s network speeds were perfectly functional and reliable for most online activity in many different locations around the world.
Proton VPN is packed with robust security features to protect your connection. Your IP address is masked and kept safe with built-in DNS leak protection.
I did not detect any DNS leaks during my tests. This means that the VPN managed to keep my location and IP address safe, so the websites I was accessing couldn’t identify me.
Proton VPN protects your data with secure AES-256 encryption and a 4096-bit RSA key exchange. If you’re not sure what that means, rest assured that it’s a very secure algorithm.
In addition, the Perfect Forward Secrecy feature protects all connections by generating a unique new encryption key each time you connect to a server.
This means that even if your encryption key were somehow compromised, all of your data from previous connections would be completely safe.
In terms of protocols, Proton VPN supports OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec connections. This isn’t the longest list of protocols I’ve seen, but the ones that are supported are very secure.
An additional security feature, Secure Core, automatically routes your traffic among several different servers in privacy-friendly countries—including Switzerland, Iceland, and Sweden — before reaching your final destination. This provides a strong extra layer of protection.
Located in privacy-friendly Switzerland, Proton VPN has a strong focus on delivering total anonymity to users. The privacy policy is very transparent and straightforward.
Proton VPN follows a strict no-logging policy that is backed up by Swiss law, which doesn’t require retention of any information about your connection, session bandwidth, IP address, or online activity.
Because Proton VPN doesn’t keep any user logs, it can’t be forced to hand over identifying information to any third parties.
The number of simultaneous devices supported depends on your subscription tier. Free plans allow only 1 device, Basic plans allow 2 simultaneous devices, Plus plans allow 5 simultaneous devices, and Visionary plans allow 10 simultaneous devices.
Proton VPN offers good device compatibility, with user-friendly native apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. All apps are open source and have undergone an independent audit, and you can use OpenVPN in the beta version of iOS.
You can also find detailed manual configuration guides for Linux, and its newly improved Linux command line is the beta stage of testing.
Proton VPN recently released an app for ChromeOS as well, it’s available for any Chromebook that supports Android apps.
Proton VPN is extremely user-friendly. The download and installation process is fast and straightforward, and there are native apps available for all major platforms.
When you first open the Proton VPN app, you’ll be able to view a helpful tour of the features. The interface is sleek and attractive. There’s also a button that automatically connects you to the fastest available server.
One of the best things you can do with the app is save connection profiles that have different settings. This makes it easy to use Proton VPN for a variety of purposes without having to manually change your settings each time.
Proton VPN scores major points with its user-friendly app interface. The app is easy to navigate and designed in an intuitive way.
The first time you open the app, you are given a brief tour with pop-up tips that walk you through all of the app’s important features.
The app displays available server locations on the left, with your current connection status on the top of the screen.
There’s also a clear map on the right that marks countries that have Proton VPN servers with a triangle. A solid green triangle appears on your current server country, making it easy to see your current status and where you’re connected.
There are 3 easy ways to connect to the VPN:
You can also click Create Profile to create convenient personalized configurations that you can come back to whenever you want.
This is an excellent feature that makes Proton VPN incredibly easy to use even when you’re in a hurry.
For each profile, you can choose a specific country or individual server to connect to. You can also add special features for different activities, including Secure Core, P2P, and Tor over VPN.
Additional advanced settings are easy to access through the Options menu.
One thing to be aware of is that the automatic kill switch is disabled by default, so you should switch it on before connecting if you want to take advantage of the feature.
Overall, I was very impressed with Proton VPN’s app and have no complaints. It delivers an excellent user experience.
Proton VPN offers a free plan and three paid plans: Basic, Plus, and Visionary.
The free plan gives you access to servers in just three countries, connection to only one device, and slower connection speeds. All of the paid plans give you access to Proton VPN’s high-speed servers in all server locations.
All of Proton VPN’s paid packages provide high-speed connections. The Plus and Visionary subscriptions include access to Secure Core servers and access to special servers for multiple platforms and websites.
The Visionary plan also includes a ProtonMail subscription.
The Basic plan is very reasonably priced, while the Visionary plan is on the pricey side.
All plans are available in both monthly and annual subscriptions, with small discounts offered on annual subscriptions.
If you’re interested in Proton VPN, I recommend taking some time to consider what your main purposes are with the VPN. This can help you decide which plan will give you the best value. The Plus plan will likely provide you with the best value for money if security and anonymity are your main focus.
The paid plans differ in the number of simultaneous connections you can have, and the Plus and Visionary plans include more advanced security features than the Basic.
When you sign up for the free service, you get a 7-day trial of Proton VPN Plus. You can also take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee offered on all paid subscriptions.
Proton VPN accepts multiple payment methods, including major credit cards, PayPal, and anonymous cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
Proton VPN’s support team is fairly reliable but it has room for improvement when it comes to customer support.
Unlike many of its competitors, Proton VPN does not offer live chat support. The only way to get in contact with the support team is via email or a support ticket.
When I submitted a question to the support team, it took about 24 hours to get a response, which is pretty typical for email support. However, I was pleased with the quality of the response. I found Proton VPN’s customer service to be friendly, thorough, and helpful.
The Proton VPN website also has a comprehensive, regularly updated knowledge base that can answer many common questions and concerns.
A super-private VPN with an attractive interface, but unimpressive speeds and no live chat support.
With robust security and proven respect for privacy, it’s clear that Proton VPN is a top-shelf provider for anyone concerned about staying secure online.
Its attractive, user-friendly app has one of the best designs that I’ve seen. This VPN also has plenty of great features for movie enthusiasts. It falls short on a few important aspects, however, such as diverse support channels, speed, and wallet-friendly prices.
Katie is an experienced tech researcher and writer with a passion for fluff-free web content.
