# Proton VPN

> Open-source Swiss VPN with a free plan that has no data cap

Proton VPN is a VPN from Proton AG, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail. Its apps are open source and audited, and a free plan connects one device to servers in a handful of countries with no data limit. VPN Plus opens the full network, and Proton Unlimited bundles the VPN with Proton's mail, calendar, drive and password manager.

- **Category:** VPNs
- **Made by:** Proton AG (since 2014)
- **Website:** https://protonvpn.com
- **Runs on:** macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 17, 2026

## Pricing

Proton VPN has a free plan. Paid plans start at $83.88 per year at renewal (VPN Plus), after a first year for $53.88.

- **Pricing model:** Free plan
- **Free plan:** 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.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. |

Read from https://protonvpn.com/pricing on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Proton VPN before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **VPN Plus 2-year plan: first 24 months for $83.76** (Other savings): 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. Source: https://protonvpn.com/pricing
- **VPN Plus 1-year plan: first year for $53.88** (Other savings): The 1-year VPN Plus plan bills $53.88 for the first year ($4.49 a month) before renewing at $83.88. Source: https://protonvpn.com/pricing
- **Proton Unlimited 2-year plan: first 24 months for $191.76** (Other savings): 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. Source: https://protonvpn.com/pricing

## Key features

- **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.

## Good for

- Trying a VPN for free without a data cap
- People who want open-source VPN apps
- Proton Mail users who want the VPN on the same bill

## Worth knowing

- 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.

## ToolGPA grades

**GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Oct 17, 2026. Proton VPN has the best free plan among VPNs here: no data cap and no ads, from the Swiss company behind Proton Mail. Paying gets you 10 devices, servers in 140+ countries and ad blocking, at $83.76 for the first two years. Just know the free plan covers one device, and Proton picks the country.

- **Value for money: C.** VPN 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: B.** Free for good with no card, no ads and no data limit, which is rare. One person could really live on it. The limits are one device, medium speed, and servers in 10 countries picked for you.
- **Features: B.** Secure 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: B.** 4.65 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: B.** Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B.

These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Proton's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

## Where it stands among VPNs

- Proton VPN's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 13 of the 16 other VPNs we grade, and level with 2.
- It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 15 of 16) and worst on value for money (C, above 1).
- Its paid plans start at $6.99 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 11 of the 15 others that charge start lower.
- On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.

The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/vpn

## Keep it, or make your own?

**Keep it.** To replace Proton VPN you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 13 of the 16 other VPNs we grade. It costs $83.88 a year. Proton VPN is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.

- You could make: Ad and tracker blocking: an app builder makes this well.
- You could not: Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it.

## What people say

- **App Store rating of the iPhone and iPad app:** 4.6 out of 5 from 120,549 ratings in the United States, read Oct 17, 2026. This is the store's rating of the app, not a score from ToolGPA. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1437005085

**Tags:** VPN, Ad and tracker blocking, Open source

## Alternatives

- [Mullvad VPN](https://toolgpa.com/tools/mullvad): Flat-rate Swedish VPN with anonymous numbered accounts. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mullvad-vs-proton-vpn)
- [NordVPN](https://toolgpa.com/tools/nordvpn): Subscription VPN with threat protection and Meshnet device links. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/nordvpn-vs-proton-vpn)
- [Surfshark](https://toolgpa.com/tools/surfshark): VPN with no device limit, sold alone or in security bundles. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/proton-vpn-vs-surfshark)
- [Windscribe](https://toolgpa.com/tools/windscribe): VPN with a 10GB free plan and pay-per-location pricing. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/proton-vpn-vs-windscribe)
- [ExpressVPN](https://toolgpa.com/tools/expressvpn): VPN with its own Lightway protocol, sold in three yearly tiers. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/expressvpn-vs-proton-vpn)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026:

- https://protonvpn.com/pricing
- https://protonvpn.com/features
- https://protonvpn.com/download
- https://protonvpn.com/about

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/proton-vpn
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).