Proton VPN
Privacy-focused VPN with a genuinely unlimited, ad-free free tier
At a glance
Privacy-conscious users wanting a genuinely free, ad-free VPN tier
Our take
Proton VPN stands out for having an actually usable free tier — unlimited bandwidth and no ads, unlike most ‘free’ VPNs that throttle speed or sell your data instead. We think that alone makes it worth recommending to privacy-conscious users who don’t want to commit to a subscription immediately. Being based in Switzerland with strong privacy law backing and an open-source, audited codebase adds real credibility beyond marketing claims. Paid tiers are competitively priced, especially bundled into Proton Unlimited alongside Mail, Calendar, and Drive, though speeds on the free tier are noticeably capped compared to premium.
Key features
- ✓Unlimited-bandwidth free tier
- ✓Open-source, independently audited apps
- ✓Swiss jurisdiction with strong privacy law
- ✓Secure Core routing through hardened servers
- ✓Bundled with Proton Mail/Drive in Unlimited plan
What we like
- ✓Best free tier in the VPN category
- ✓Strong privacy credentials and transparency
- ✓Good integration with other Proton privacy tools
- ✓Competitive paid pricing on long plans
What could be better
- ✗Free tier limited to fewer server locations
- ✗Speeds slower on free tier vs. premium
- ✗Smaller overall server network than NordVPN
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