Planet 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 they share a 2.8 GPA.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Planet VPN grades higher on value for money. Proton VPN grades higher on features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Planet VPN
Free VPN with no data cap and a paid plan for 60+ countries
Proton VPN
Open-source Swiss VPN with a free plan that has no data cap
Which one is for you
Pick Planet VPN if
- Fits if you want a free VPN with no monthly data cap
- Works for browser-only use through an extension
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want servers outside 5 countries on free, as 60+ countries need Premium
- Watch out: the 12-month renewal price is not stated on the page
- Watch out: the plans page shows dollars, while its FAQ quotes euros
- Watch out: the refund window is 14 days
- Tight if you want split tunneling or P2P, as those are Premium
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
| 2.8GPAPlanet VPNGood | 2.8GPAProton VPNGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPremium is $47.88 for 12 months billed once, $3.99 a month, at the edge of the category's cheapest quarter. It covers up to 10 devices. | 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 | BFree has no traffic, bandwidth or time limits, and needs no card or registration, but is only 6 locations in 5 countries. | 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 | CPremium adds the 60+ country network, split tunneling, P2P and streaming servers. Free is a narrow slice of it. | 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 the free version needs no registration, so you install it 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 | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and browser extensions. | 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 with no data cap | 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: Planet VPN and Proton VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Planet VPN starts at $3.99 a month when paid by the year 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 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 Planet VPN 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.
- Planet VPN also covers site & app blocker.
- Proton VPN also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Planet VPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $47.88 for 12 months, billed once ($3.99 a month) | $83.88 per year at renewal (VPN Plus), after a first year for $53.88 |
| Free plan | 6 locations in 5 countries with no traffic, bandwidth or time limits, no card and no registration needed. | 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 | Planet VPN | Proton AG |
| Price read from | freevpnplanet.com | protonvpn.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Planet VPN
- The plans page shows dollars for the 12-month term; its FAQ gives monthly at EUR 9.99 and 48 months at EUR 95.52 billed once.
- Free servers cover only 5 countries; the 60+ country network, P2P and streaming servers need Premium.
- The refund window is 14 days from purchase, per the plans page.
- The 12-month renewal price is not stated on the page.
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
Planet VPN
- Free version
- Unlimited traffic and time on 6 locations in 5 countries (USA, UK, Netherlands, Germany, France), with no sign-up needed.
- Premium network
- 1,260+ servers in 60+ countries, including servers optimized for P2P, streaming and Double VPN.
- Split tunneling and kill switch
- Premium adds split tunneling and system configuration options, alongside DNS and WebRTC leak protection.
- Smart filters
- In the browser extensions, filters decide which websites load and which are blocked.
- Protocols
- Supports OpenVPN, IKEv2 and its own StarGuard protocol, and publishes custom OpenVPN configs for routers.
- Multi-device subscription
- One Premium subscription covers up to 10 devices at the same time, including a router.
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
Planet VPN
Free$0
No traffic or time limits on 6 locations in 5 countries. Premium servers, split tunneling and an ad-free app are paid.
Premium 1 year$47.88
for 12 months, billed once
$3.99 a month, shown as 60% off a crossed-out $119.88. Up to 10 devices on one subscription.
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
Planet 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, Planet VPN or Proton VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Planet VPN is cheaper to start with: $3.99 a month when paid by the year, against $6.99 a month when paid by the year for Proton VPN. Planet VPN starts at $47.88 for 12 months, billed once ($3.99 a month), 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, Planet VPN or Proton VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Planet VPN and Proton VPN have a free plan.
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.