Read Mashable’s full review of Proton VPN.
Proton VPN is my number one VPN for most people, especially those who already have a little familiar with the technology. It points to priority user privacy, it has a huge network of servers, it performs well, and has all the basic security features (plus some extras) I’ve looked for in a quality VPN. Although there is also a level 1 free Proton VPN, you can use it anytime, which is well worth the effort. It limits your few crowded servers and ignores most features, but the simple fact that it doesn’t have any data limit makes it the best free VPN in my book.
Proton VPN is the first and only award-winning VPN to mix and choose from (as mentioned above), scoring highly on our measures of trustworthiness, performance, user-friendliness and value. The first one is the most important thing, and what really makes this service different from its peers is that Proton VPN seems to be actively focusing on digital privacy, not just using it as a marketing strategy. This is the first VPN to open applications in 2020, with infrastructure and operating procedures Being audited Its strict No-Logs policy has been verified every year since 2022. Anyone can read the results of these reviews without having to create an account first. (It would be better if the company started these reviews at the time of release in 2017, but this helped greatly ensure the drone policy implemented in court in 2019.) Proton VPN has kept the transparency report for a longer time – since 2018, it shows that it has never complied with any legal requests to date. The company has a long track record of publicly supporting online liberal causes worldwide. It practices its preaching.
From a performance standpoint, the paid “Plus” version of Proton VPN felt great in my tests – mainly because it doesn’t look like using a VPN at all. All the servers I’ve tried are reliable and fast, regardless of their location. (I was also able to successfully geo-restrict the UK streaming service from my home in Chicago.) As of March 2025, Proton VPN’s huge server network now has over 12,000 locations in 117 countries; it is currently unparalleled in size and geo-diversity.
Proton VPN’s sleek web-crazy app contains a list of these servers, with certain features to customize one’s protection types and scopes, including multi-hop servers (“Secure Core” (“Secure Core”, AKA Double VPN Server), AD/Malware/Malware/Malware/Tracker Blocker (“NETSHIELD) (“NETSHIELD), “kill kill kill kill tor tor Septer, tor Servers and Split tonnel and thealnel and thealnel and tonnel and Thealneling”. Also, users can get up to 10 simultaneous connections and on-demand support with live chat. If you think this isn’t the right VPN for you, or if you want to downgrade to Proton VPN for free, you can guarantee 30 days.
By the way, split tunneling is now available only on Windows and Android applications for Proton VPN. However, the Spring and Summer 2025 feature roadmap says MacOS and Linux support is in progress. (By the way, the roadmap is very extensive – Proton VPN only seems to get better over time.)
While the free tier of Proton VPN has its limits, there is no limit to the amount of data you can use, which is really good. It is subsidized by the provider’s paid subscribers, so there are no ads and you do not need to allocate any credit card information when you sign up. If you go this route, you can confiscate most of the features of proton VPN, except for its kill switch and its proprietary “stealth” protocol to avoid censorship. You will also lose full access to their server network, including the ability to choose which server you connect to (i.e. location spoof and content liberate). In my experience, most of the free servers on Proton VPN are very full and slow. If you actually pay for this service, this would be less forgiving, and ultimately, I think if you can take a moment to find a less crowded server, you can browse regularly.
