Mysterium VPN 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 1.8.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Proton VPN grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mysterium VPN
Decentralized VPN that runs on Mysterium Network's peer nodes
Proton VPN
Open-source Swiss VPN with a free plan that has no data cap
Which one is for you
Pick Mysterium VPN if
- Fits if you want your traffic to leave through a peer-run network, not one company's servers
- Works for people who read open-source code before trusting a client
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need an iPhone app, as none was confirmed on the pages read
- Not for you if you want a fixed monthly price, because none was found
- Watch out: traffic exits through nodes run by other members of the network
- Watch out: the vendor's VPN site answered with a bot check, so plans and prices are unverified
- Watch out: the Play listing is titled Mysterium Dark from NetSys Inc., so check which app you are installing
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
| 1.8GPAMysterium VPNWeak | 2.8GPAProton VPNGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo plan or price was read, so there is nothing to set against the category's $3.99 to $8 a month. The Google Play listing talks about paying for what you use. | 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 | FNo free plan or free trial is on record in the listing. | 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 | CPeer-run nodes, residential IP addresses and WireGuard encryption. The listing confirms no iOS app. | 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 | CNo rating on record. You pay in crypto or by use, which is a learning curve compared with a monthly plan. | 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 | BWindows, Mac, Linux and Android clients, but no iOS app confirmed and no integrations on record. | 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 peer-run VPN client you can inspect | 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: Mysterium VPN and Proton VPN. How we grade
Where they differ
- Proton VPN also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Mysterium VPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $83.88 per year at renewal (VPN Plus), after a first year for $53.88 |
| Free plan | None | 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 | Mysterium Network | Proton AG |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | protonvpn.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mysterium VPN
- Pricing is unverified: the vendor's VPN site answered with a bot check, so no plan or price was read.
- The Google Play listing, for an app titled Mysterium Dark from NetSys Inc., describes paying for what you use, not a monthly plan.
- No iOS app was confirmed on the pages read.
- Traffic exits through nodes run by other members of the network.
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
Mysterium VPN
- Peer-run node network
- The network site counts more than 22,000 active nodes across 135+ countries and says it has no central point of control.
- Residential IP addresses
- The project's desktop client page describes a VPN running on Mysterium's residential network.
- Open-source code
- The desktop client is published on GitHub, and the Google Play listing says the source code is open for anyone to see.
- WireGuard encryption
- The Google Play listing says the app uses the WireGuard protocol with ChaCha20, Poly1305 and BLAKE2.
- Crypto payment and no email
- The Google Play listing says there is no email requirement and that cryptocurrency can be used to pay; it also describes a pay-for-what-you-use model.
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
Mysterium VPN
Pricing could not be confirmed. See mysteriumvpn.com.
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
Mysterium VPN
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, Mysterium VPN or Proton VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mysterium VPN has no price we could confirm, 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, Mysterium VPN or Proton VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Proton VPN has a free plan. Mysterium VPN does not.
Which platforms do Mysterium VPN and Proton VPN run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Proton VPN lists an iOS app and a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows, Linux 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.