Cloudflare WARP vs Proton VPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Proton VPN: it is first in our ranking of VPNs, though Cloudflare WARP grades higher (3.2 against 2.8) on value for money and the free plan.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Proton VPN grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cloudflare WARP
Free Cloudflare app that encrypts traffic, with an optional paid tier
Proton VPN
Open-source Swiss VPN with a free plan that has no data cap
Which one is for you
Pick Cloudflare WARP if
- Fits if you want a free app that encrypts your traffic and DNS on public Wi-Fi
- Works for people who want family-friendly DNS filtering
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to appear in another country, as Cloudflare says WARP can't
- Not for you if you want anonymity: Cloudflare says WARP doesn't provide it
- Watch out: WARP+ ties the paid tier to more Cloudflare cities, not a choice of server country
- Watch out: WARP+ Unlimited can only be bought inside the iOS or Android app
Pick Proton VPN if
- Fits if you want a free VPN on one device with no data cap
- Works for Proton Mail users who want the VPN on the same bill, at $119.88 a year for Unlimited
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: one device, medium speed, and Proton picks the country from 10
- Skip it if you want ad blocking, streaming or P2P for free, as all three are paid features
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $9.99 a month
- Watch out: the $3.49 a month is the first 24 months only; VPN Plus then renews at $83.88 a year
- Tight if you have more than 10 devices, the VPN Plus limit
How we grade them
| 3.2GPACloudflare WARPVery good | 2.8GPAProton VPNGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe 1.1.1.1 app with WARP is free. WARP+ Unlimited is $4.99 a month, close to the category's middle of $5. | CVPN Plus bills $83.76 for the first 24 months, about $3.49 a month over two years, just above the cheaper quarter of VPNs, which tops out at $3.33. It then renews at $83.88 a year, above the middle. Monthly is $9.99, and Proton Unlimited adds Mail, Drive and Pass for $119.88 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe core app is free with no cap listed. WARP+ is a paid extra. | BFree for good with no card, no ads and no data limit, so one person could live on it. The limits are one device, medium speed, and servers in 10 countries picked for you. |
| Features | CEncrypted traffic, DNS-only mode, 1.1.1.1 for Families and a local proxy mode, but it can't choose a server country or unblock region-locked content. | BSecure Core routing through Switzerland, Iceland or Sweden, the Stealth protocol, NetShield blocking, port forwarding, a kill switch and open-source apps with published audits, on 10 devices with Plus. It covers the whole job. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from 216K App Store ratings. Install the app and switch it on. | B4.65 from about 120,000 App Store ratings, just under the 4.7 an A needs. On the free plan there's no card and nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No browser extension, and the business Zero Trust client is a separate product. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | a free, simple encrypted connection | a free VPN with no data cap |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cloudflare WARP and Proton VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cloudflare WARP starts at $4.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Proton VPN starts at $6.99 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
Proton VPN scores higher, and starts $2 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 3 score higher than Cloudflare WARP for less, and 2 score higher than Proton VPN for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Proton VPN is open source, according to its own site.
- Cloudflare WARP also covers malware protection.
- Proton VPN also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Cloudflare WARP | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.99 per month (WARP+ Unlimited, as shown on the US App Store) | $83.88 per year at renewal (VPN Plus), after a first year for $53.88 |
| Free plan | The 1.1.1.1 app with WARP is free: it encrypts device traffic to Cloudflare's network or routes DNS queries through the 1.1.1.1 resolver. | Proton Free: 1 device, servers in 10 countries chosen at random, medium speed and no data limit. No credit card needed. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Cloudflare, Inc. | Proton AG |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | protonvpn.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cloudflare WARP
- Cloudflare states WARP does not provide anonymity and does not let you pretend to be in another country, so it cannot unblock region-locked content.
- Cloudflare's WARP+ page ties the paid tier to more Cloudflare cities, not to a choice of server country.
- WARP+ Unlimited can be bought only inside the iOS or Android app, through the Apple or Google store.
- Cloudflare's separate Zero Trust client for businesses is a different product with its own documentation.
Proton VPN
- The free plan covers one device and picks the server country for you from 10 countries.
- The headline $3.49 a month is the first 24 months of VPN Plus; it then renews at $83.88 a year, and the 1-year plan's $53.88 also covers only the first year.
- Ad and malware blocking, streaming and P2P are paid features; VPN Plus covers 10 devices.
Key features
Cloudflare WARP
- Encrypted traffic to Cloudflare
- In Traffic and DNS mode the app sends device traffic to Cloudflare's network over MASQUE, using post-quantum encryption, according to Cloudflare's documentation.
- DNS-only mode
- Routes only DNS queries through the 1.1.1.1 resolver, over DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS, without tunneling the rest of the traffic.
- 1.1.1.1 for Families
- A DNS setting inside the app that, according to its App Store listing, protects against malware, phishing and crypto-mining sites.
- Local proxy mode
- On desktop, an advanced setting sends only the apps you point at the local proxy (HTTPS or SOCKS5) through WARP.
- WARP+ Unlimited
- A paid tier that adds more Cloudflare cities to connect to. Payment goes through the Apple or Google store.
Proton VPN
- Free plan without a data cap
- Proton Free has no data or artificial speed limits, but connects one device to servers in 10 countries that you cannot choose.
- Secure Core
- Routes traffic through Proton's own servers in hardened data centers in Switzerland, Iceland or Sweden before it leaves the network.
- Stealth protocol
- An obfuscation protocol based on WireGuard tunneled over TLS, meant to get past firewalls and VPN blocking.
- NetShield
- DNS filtering on paid plans that blocks ads, trackers and domains known for malware.
- Open-source, audited apps
- All apps are open source, and Proton publishes the results of the independent audits it commissions.
- Port forwarding and kill switch
- Port forwarding for P2P, plus a kill switch and always-on VPN in every app.
Plans
Cloudflare WARP
WARP (free)$0
Traffic and DNS, DNS only or traffic only modes on every supported platform.
WARP+ Unlimited$4.99
per month, bought through the App Store or Google Play
Connects through a larger set of Cloudflare cities. One licence key covers up to five devices. $4.99 is the US App Store price.
Proton VPN
Proton Free$0
One device, servers in 10 randomly selected countries, medium speed, no data limit and no ads.
VPN Plus, 1 month$9.99
per month
10 devices, 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries, streaming, P2P and the NetShield blocker, billed monthly.
VPN Plus, 1 year$83.88
per year at renewal, after a first year for $53.88
The same features as monthly. The first year costs $53.88 ($4.49 a month), then it renews at $83.88 a year.
VPN Plus, 2 years$83.88
per year at renewal, after a first term of 24 months
The first 24 months cost $83.76 ($3.49 a month), shown against $9.99 a month, then it renews every 12 months at $83.88.
Proton Unlimited, 1 year$119.88
per year
VPN Plus plus premium Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive (500 GB) and Pass. Also sold monthly at $12.99.
Proton Unlimited, 2 years$119.88
per year at renewal, after a first term of 24 months
The first 24 months cost $191.76 ($7.99 a month), then it renews every 12 months at $119.88.
Ways to pay less
Cloudflare WARP
No public discounts listed.
Proton VPN
- Other savings
VPN Plus 2-year plan: first 24 months for $83.76
The 2-year VPN Plus plan bills $83.76 for the first 24 months ($3.49 a month), then renews at $83.88 every 12 months.
- Other savings
VPN Plus 1-year plan: first year for $53.88
The 1-year VPN Plus plan bills $53.88 for the first year ($4.49 a month) before renewing at $83.88.
- Other savings
Proton Unlimited 2-year plan: first 24 months for $191.76
The 2-year Proton Unlimited plan bills $191.76 for the first 24 months ($7.99 a month), then renews at $119.88 every 12 months.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cloudflare WARP or Proton VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cloudflare WARP is cheaper to start with: $4.99 a month, against $6.99 a month when paid by the year for Proton VPN. Cloudflare WARP starts at $4.99 per month (WARP+ Unlimited, as shown on the US App Store), and Proton VPN starts at $83.88 per year at renewal (VPN Plus), after a first year for $53.88.
Which has a free plan, Cloudflare WARP or Proton VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Cloudflare WARP and Proton VPN have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cloudflare WARP and Proton VPN run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Proton VPN lists a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.