Proton VPN vs Urban 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 2.4.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Proton VPN grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Proton VPN
Open-source Swiss VPN with a free plan that has no data cap
Urban VPN
Free VPN extension and apps, with a paid Premium plan
Which one is for you
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
Pick Urban VPN if
- Fits if you only need a free VPN extension in your browser
- Works for Windows users who want a free app with no bandwidth cap
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want it for work, as free use is non-commercial only
- Tight if you use Android free, since it stops at 100MB a day
- Watch out: the pricing page offers 30 days on the yearly plan, while the Premium page says no guarantee
- Watch out: the 3-day trial is Android and iOS on the yearly plan only, not Windows or the website
- Skip it if you want iOS free, as iOS needs Premium
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAProton VPNGood | 2.4GPAUrban VPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CPremium is $59.40 a year, $4.95 a month, between the category's cheapest quarter and middle. Monthly is $12.99. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | BThe extension and Windows app are free with no bandwidth limit, but only for non-commercial use, and Android stops at 100MB a day. |
| Features | 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. | CPremium servers, up to 8 devices, double VPN, kill switch and an adblocker. Free covers only the extension and Windows app. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record, and the listing shows nothing to set up beyond installing an app. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BExtension, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, though iOS is Premium only. |
| Best for | a free VPN with no data cap | a free browser VPN with a paid upgrade |
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: Proton VPN and Urban VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Proton VPN starts at $6.99 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Urban VPN starts at $4.95 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
Proton VPN scores higher, and starts $2.04 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 Proton VPN for less, and 15 score higher than Urban 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.
At a glance
| Proton VPN | Urban VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $83.88 per year at renewal (VPN Plus), after a first year for $53.88 | $59.40 per year; $12.99 on the monthly plan |
| Free plan | Proton Free: 1 device, servers in 10 countries chosen at random, medium speed and no data limit. No credit card needed. | Browser extension and Windows app with no bandwidth limit; Android is free up to 100MB a day. |
| Free trial | None listed | 3-day free trial on the 1-year plan, Android and iOS only. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Proton AG | Urban VPN |
| Price read from | protonvpn.com | urban-vpn.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Urban VPN
- Free use is limited to non-commercial purposes; iOS is available only to Premium users.
- Android's free connection stops at 100MB a day, per the vendor's why-free page.
- Refund wording conflicts: the pricing page offers 30 days on the yearly plan, the Premium page says no guarantee.
- The 3-day trial is not available on Windows or through the website.
Key features
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.
Urban VPN
- Free extension and Windows app
- The vendor says the browser extension and Windows app stay free, with no bandwidth limit, for non-commercial use.
- Premium servers
- Premium unlocks 652+ servers in 89 countries, reserved for paying users, with WireGuard and AES-256 encryption.
- Up to 8 devices
- One Premium account covers up to 8 devices at once, with a My Premium Account console to manage them.
- Double VPN and kill switch
- The pricing page lists Double VPN and a kill switch among Premium protections.
- Urban Adblocker
- A separate browser extension for blocking ads, offered free alongside the VPN.
- Free tools
- Includes a password generator, IP location check, and DNS and WebRTC leak tests on the site.
Plans
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.
Urban VPN
Free$0
Browser extension and Windows app, with no bandwidth limit. Free for non-commercial use.
Premium 1 year$59.40
per year
Shown as $4.95 a month, 68% off $12.99. Dedicated servers, up to 8 devices and Premium support.
Premium 6 months$41.88
for 6 months
Shown as $6.98 a month, 47% off $12.99. Same Premium features as the yearly plan.
Premium 1 month$12.99
per month
Monthly Premium with the same features. The 30-day money-back note applies to the yearly plan only.
Ways to pay less
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.
Urban VPN
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Proton VPN or Urban VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Urban VPN is cheaper to start with: $4.95 a month when paid by the year, against $6.99 a month when paid by the year for Proton VPN. Proton VPN starts at $83.88 per year at renewal (VPN Plus), after a first year for $53.88, and Urban VPN starts at $59.40 per year; $12.99 on the monthly plan.
Which has a free plan, Proton VPN or Urban VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Proton VPN and Urban VPN have a free plan.
Which platforms do Proton VPN and Urban VPN run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Proton VPN lists a Linux app. Both list macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. 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.