Proton VPN review: pricing, limits, and who it’s for
The privacy-first option with the only honest free tier.
The verdict
8.0/10StrongHow this score is built
- 1.Prices pulled from official checkout pages in July 2026, in USD. Intro price, term length and documented renewal price are all listed; checkout promos fluctuate, so verify before buying.
- 2.Speed and reliability claims come from independent 2026 test data, not vendor benchmarks.
- 3.Ownership and audit history are treated as criteria: who owns the VPN matters as much as its feature list.
- 4.One tool on this page, Mullvad, has no affiliate program at all. We earn nothing when you choose it. It is here because leaving it out is how most VPN rankings quietly lie.
- 8.0 and up
- Strong. Wins its category on the criteria below, with a known trade-off.
- 7.0 and up
- Solid. Right answer for a specific reader, wrong one for others.
- 6.0 and up
- Adequate. Works, and something on this page does the same job better.
- under 6.0
- Weak. We would not buy it at this price.
Proton VPN is what the marketing of every other VPN pretends to be: Swiss, open-source, audited, and with a free tier that is not a data harvest. Remote workers lose one thing, the dedicated IP, and gain a provider whose renewal letter will not read like a ransom note. If you value that trade, it is the most trustworthy paid option here.
Who this is for
It is the pick when privacy credentials matter more than raw convenience.
Price and free plan
- Price
- ~$2.99/mo~$83.88/yron renewal×2.3
VPN Plus: $9.99/mo monthly, about $2.99/mo on the 2-year promo ($71.76 upfront). Renews at about $83.88/yr (about $6.99/mo), the mildest jump of the paid group.
- Free plan
- Yes, unlimited data
Yes, the only reputable free VPN: unlimited data, 1 device, around 5 auto-selected countries, medium speeds, no server choice.
What holds up, and what does not
What holds up
- Swiss jurisdiction, open-source audited apps and a no-logs record tested in court
- Mildest renewal increase of the big providers, and transparent about it
- Free tier works as a genuine emergency fallback on any trip
Where it falls short
- Apps are heavier and slower to connect than NordVPN or ExpressVPN
- The monthly plan is poor value next to the 2-year promo
- No dedicated IP on consumer plans (business plans only), and pricing nudges you toward the Unlimited bundle
Who should not buy Proton VPN
Do not buy Proton VPN if
- You need a dedicated IP for allowlisted access: consumer plans do not offer one. NordVPN or Surfshark solve that for under $4 a month extra.
If that is you, buy NordVPN instead. It is ranked #1 on this page.
Proton VPN at a glance
| Monthly plan | $9.99 |
|---|---|
| 2-year deal | Flagged: reading in your favour. ~$2.99/mo |
| Renews at | ~$83.88/yr (~2.3x) |
| Devices | 10 |
| Countries | 140+ |
| Dedicated IP | Flagged: this reading costs you money. Business plans only |
| Free tier | Flagged: reading in your favour. Yes, unlimited data |
| Jurisdiction and audits | Flagged: reading in your favour. Switzerland, open source, audited |
Check the price
Straight answers
Is a free VPN safe?
One is: Proton VPN's free tier, with unlimited data but one device, a handful of countries and medium speeds. Every other 'free VPN' pays for its servers somehow, usually with your traffic. If $5 a month is a problem, use Proton Free, not a random app-store VPN.
Where Proton VPN sits in the ranking
Proton VPN is ranked #3 of 5 in our vpn comparison. See every price and limit side by side before you decide.
Best VPN for Remote Workers (2026)
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