Proton VPN
Proton VPN is a privacy-focused VPN service developed by Proton AG, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail. It provides encrypted internet access, IP address masking, and censorship circumvention for everyone from everyday users to journalists and activists in restrictive regimes. All client applications are open source, independently audited, and governed by a strict no-logs policy backed by Swiss privacy law, with a genuinely free tier that has no data caps, ads, or speed throttling.
Key Features
- Strict no-logs policy — Independently audited by SEC Consult (2019, 2022, 2024) with published results; no user activity is tracked, logged, or stored
- NetShield ad and malware blocker — DNS-level filtering that blocks advertisements, trackers, and known malicious domains before they reach your device
- Stealth protocol — Proprietary protocol designed to bypass VPN blocks, deep packet inspection, and government censorship in restrictive countries
- VPN Accelerator — Technology that boosts speeds by up to 400% through protocol optimisations and enhanced TCP congestion control
- Secure Core architecture — Multi-hop routing that passes traffic through multiple servers in privacy-friendly jurisdictions (Switzerland, Iceland, Sweden) before reaching the exit node
- Open source and audited — All client applications are fully open source (GPL-3.0) and independently audited for security vulnerabilities
- 10 simultaneous connections — One subscription covers up to 10 devices across phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops
- Free tier with unlimited data — No data caps, no ads, no speed limits, and no logging; connects to servers in three countries
Why Use Proton VPN?
Proton VPN is one of the few major VPN services that genuinely prioritises privacy over profit, offering a free tier that doesn’t monetise user data. All apps are fully open source with published security audits, and the company is based in Switzerland — a jurisdiction with strong privacy protections outside the 14 Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance. Advanced features like Secure Core (multi-hop), NetShield (ad blocking), and the Stealth protocol (censorship circumvention) make it competitive with premium-only VPNs, while integration with the broader Proton ecosystem (Mail, Drive, Calendar, Pass) offers a unified privacy-first digital workspace.
Use Cases
- Personal privacy and anti-tracking — Prevent ISPs, advertisers, and websites from compiling profiles of your browsing activity
- Circumventing internet censorship — Bypass government firewalls and access the open internet using the Stealth protocol
- Securing public Wi-Fi — Encrypt your connection on untrusted networks (coffee shops, airports, hotels) to protect against attacks
- Accessing geo-restricted content — Connect through servers in 140+ countries to access international content while travelling
Platform
Linux · macOS · Windows · Android · iOS · ChromeOS · tvOS · Browser extensions
Licence
GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0) for client applications; server infrastructure is proprietary