What is Proton VPN used for?

Proton VPN is a VPN service from Proton with a no-logs policy, servers in many countries, a free tier and apps for most platforms. It is a good fit for protecting traffic on public Wi-Fi, accessing the web from restrictive networks and streaming from another region.

Yes. Proton VPN has a free plan. A free plan with no data limits is offered. VPN Plus and Proton Unlimited are paid, with a 30-day money-back guarantee; their prices are not shown in the page text.

Is Proton VPN open source?

No. Proton VPN is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Proton VPN include OpenVPN, IPsec VPN Server and wg-easy.

What are some alternatives to Proton VPN?

Proton VPN competes with NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Proton VPN alternatives.

Proton VPN: features, pricing and alternatives

About Proton VPN

Proton VPN is a virtual private network service from Proton. It routes internet traffic through encrypted connections to hide a user's IP address and browsing from third parties, with servers in more than 140 countries. The vendor states that it keeps no logs, shows no ads, publishes open-source apps and has been independently audited.

Apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook, Android and iOS, plus browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox and apps for smart TVs including Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV sticks. The site also covers streaming use and provides resources such as an IP address lookup, a censorship simulator and an observatory that documents spikes in VPN use.

A free version is available, and Proton VPN Plus adds more features for paying customers. A separate business VPN offering exists. It is a hosted service and is not self-hosted.

Key features

No-logs VPN with servers in many countries
Apps for desktop, mobile and smart TV
Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox
Support for streaming services
Free tier plus paid Plus plan
Open-source apps with independent audits

Good fit for

→Protecting traffic on public Wi-Fi
→Accessing the web from restrictive networks
→Streaming from another region

Tags: vpn; privacy; no-logs; security; networking; proton; streaming

Proton VPN: questions and answers

What is Proton VPN used for?: Proton VPN is a VPN service from Proton with a no-logs policy, servers in many countries, a free tier and apps for most platforms. It is a good fit for protecting traffic on public Wi-Fi, accessing the web from restrictive networks and streaming from another region.
Is Proton VPN free?: Yes. Proton VPN has a free plan. A free plan with no data limits is offered. VPN Plus and Proton Unlimited are paid, with a 30-day money-back guarantee; their prices are not shown in the page text.
Is Proton VPN open source?: No. Proton VPN is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Proton VPN include OpenVPN, IPsec VPN Server and wg-easy.
What are some alternatives to Proton VPN?: Proton VPN competes with NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Proton VPN alternatives.