Proton VPN vs X-VPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Proton VPN: it is first in our ranking of VPNs, though X-VPN grades higher (3.0 against 2.8) on value for money.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use 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
X-VPN
VPN with an unlimited-data free plan and discounted first terms
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 X-VPN if
- Fits if you want a free VPN with no data cap and can live with 26 regions
- Works for households with phones, TVs and consoles
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: kill switch, split tunnelling and the full server network are Premium
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $11.99
- Watch out: the 12 and 24-month prices are first-term only and renew at $71.99 a year
- Watch out: crypto, gift card and phone-credit payments are non-refundable
- Not for you if you need more than 5 devices at once
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAProton VPNGood | 3.0GPAX-VPNVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BFree with unlimited data, and Premium is $2.99 a month on the 24-month term. But it renews at $71.99 a year, about $6 a month, and monthly is $11.99. |
| 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. | BBasic needs no account, has unlimited data and speed, and offers 26 regions. The global network, kill switch and split tunnelling need Premium. |
| 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. | BSeveral protocols, AES-256, kill switch, split tunnelling, static IP, ad blocker, 10,000 servers claimed in 80+ countries. No core gap is named in the listing. |
| 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. | BNo store rating on record. Install and connect, no email needed for Basic. |
| 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. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, a Chrome extension, TVs, routers and consoles. Phones and computers, no API. |
| 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: Proton VPN and X-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. X-VPN starts at $6 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and X-VPN starts $0.99 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than Proton VPN for less, and 1 scores higher than X-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 | X-VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $83.88 per year at renewal (VPN Plus), after a first year for $53.88 | $71.99 per year at renewal, after a first 24 months for $69.99 |
| Free plan | Proton Free: 1 device, servers in 10 countries chosen at random, medium speed and no data limit. No credit card needed. | Basic is free with no sign-up, unlimited data and speed, and a choice of 26 regions. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Proton AG | LightningLink Networks Pte. Ltd. |
| Price read from | protonvpn.com | xvpn.io |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
X-VPN
- Free users choose from 26 regions; the global network, kill switch and split tunneling need Premium.
- Premium's advertised prices are first-term prices: the 12-month and 24-month plans renew at $71.99 every 12 months.
- Payments made with cryptocurrency, gift cards or phone credit are non-refundable, and app-store purchases follow the store's refund rules.
- One subscription covers up to 5 devices at the same time.
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.
X-VPN
- Free VPN without limits on data
- Basic needs no email or payment details and has no data cap; free users pick from 26 regions, including the UK, Canada, Australia and 13 US cities.
- Large server network
- The site claims over 10,000 servers in 80+ countries, with the 24/7 live support the vendor advertises.
- Protocols
- A self-developed protocol, plus OpenVPN and WireGuard, with AES-256 encryption and post-quantum cryptography per the home page.
- Premium extras
- Kill switch, split tunneling, static IP, an ad blocker, a tracker blocker, search protection, a PC cleaner and dark web monitoring, per the pricing page.
- Many device types
- Apps for desktop, phones, TVs, routers, game consoles and a Chrome extension, with up to 5 devices connected at once.
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.
X-VPN
Basic$0
Free VPN with unlimited data and speed, AES-256 encryption, a kill switch and RAM-only servers per the home page; the pricing comparison limits it to free locations.
Premium, 1 month$11.99
per month
Unlimited VPN, global servers, advanced functions, ad and tracker blocker, search protection and PC Cleaner. Renews monthly.
Premium, 12 months$71.99
per year at renewal, after a first term of 12 months
The first 12 months cost $47.99, then it auto-renews at $71.99 every 12 months.
Premium, 24 months$71.99
per year at renewal, after a first term of 24 months
The first 24 months cost $69.99 (advertised as $2.99 a month and 76% off), then it auto-renews at $71.99 every 12 months.
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.
X-VPN
- Other savings
First-term pricing on 12 and 24 months
The first 12 months are $47.99, or the first 24 months are $69.99; both then renew at $71.99 every 12 months. The page shows 76% off the monthly price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Proton VPN or X-VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, X-VPN is cheaper to start with: $6 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 X-VPN starts at $71.99 per year at renewal, after a first 24 months for $69.99.
Which has a free plan, Proton VPN or X-VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Proton VPN and X-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.