Lantern 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, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.6.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Lantern grades higher on value for money. Proton VPN grades higher on the free plan and 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.
Lantern
Nonprofit, open-source VPN built to get past censorship
Proton VPN
Open-source Swiss VPN with a free plan that has no data cap
Which one is for you
Pick Lantern if
- Fits if you live somewhere that blocks sites and apps and need something free to try first
- Works for people who want a VPN from a nonprofit and are fine with open-source code
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free VPN with a stated data allowance, because the daily limit isn't given
- Not for you if you want everything tunnelled out of the box, since Full Tunnel is a setting you turn on
- Tight if you're staying free: server choice, faster speeds, ad blocking and 5 devices are all Pro
- Watch out: the 2-year price doesn't say what it renews at, and the yearly total is shown as a calculated figure
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
| 2.6GPALanternGood | 2.8GPAProton VPNGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$3.63 a month on the 2-year Pro plan and $4 a month billed yearly, which is inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs ($3.99). The monthly plan is $12, and the page doesn't say whether the 2-year price renews the same. | 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 | CFree forever with no sign-up, on all five platforms. But there's a daily data limit in most countries and the pricing page doesn't say how much, so you'll find the edge by hitting it. | 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 | CSmart Routing, switching between protocols when one is blocked, an optional private-server mode and ad blocking on Pro. The gap is that it only protects blocked and sensitive traffic until you turn on Full Tunnel. | 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 | BNo store rating on record, but it's an app you install and use with no account. Pick a mode and connect. | 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 | BAndroid, iOS, Windows, Mac and Linux. Phones and computers covered, but no API or integrations are listed. | 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 VPN for getting past blocked sites | 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: Lantern and Proton VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Lantern starts at $3.63 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 $3.36 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than Lantern 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
- Lantern is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Lantern | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $3.63 per month on the 2-year Pro plan, billed every 2 years | $83.88 per year at renewal (VPN Plus), after a first year for $53.88 |
| Free plan | Free forever with no sign-up. In most countries it has a daily data limit; the pricing page does not give the amount, and the vendor says the free version is not capped where paying is blocked or unsafe. | 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 | Brave New Software Project, Inc. | Proton AG |
| Price read from | lantern.io | protonvpn.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Lantern
- The free version has a daily data limit in most countries, and the pricing page does not state it.
- Server selection, ad blocking and use on up to 5 devices need Pro.
- By default Lantern protects only blocked and sensitive traffic; Full Tunnel has to be switched on to cover everything.
- Payment depends on where the app came from: Google Play and the App Store use in-app purchases, while desktop and direct Android downloads use cards or UnionPay through Stripe.
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
Lantern
- Smart Routing
- Sends blocked and sensitive traffic through Lantern and lets everything else connect directly. A Full Tunnel mode routes all traffic.
- Censorship circumvention
- Supports several protocols and switches automatically when one is blocked, which is what the product is built for.
- Private Server mode
- Lets you run Lantern on your own hardware or cloud account, paying only your own server costs.
- Built-in ad blocking
- Pro includes blocking of ads and trackers inside the app.
- Open source
- The code is public on GitHub, and the vendor says it keeps no logs of browsing activity and has been reviewed by independent security experts.
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
Lantern
Free$0
Secure VPN with a daily data allowance and the anti-censorship protocols, on all five platforms.
Pro, 1 month$12
per month
Server location choice, faster speeds and unlimited bandwidth, premium servers, up to 5 devices and built-in ad blocking.
Pro, 1 year$4
per month, billed yearly
The same Pro plan billed once a year; the page shows the yearly total as a calculated amount, not a fixed figure.
Pro, 2 years$3.63
per month, billed every 2 years
The same Pro plan billed every 2 years. The page does not say whether it renews at the same 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
Lantern
- Annual discount
Longer Pro terms cost less per month
Pro is $12 a month, $4 a month billed yearly and $3.63 a month billed every 2 years.
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, Lantern or Proton VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lantern is cheaper to start with: $3.63 a month, against $6.99 a month when paid by the year for Proton VPN. Lantern starts at $3.63 per month on the 2-year Pro plan, billed every 2 years, 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, Lantern or Proton VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Lantern and Proton VPN have a free plan.
Which platforms do Lantern 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.