Quick answer: Proton VPN (formerly written ProtonVPN) is still available in October 2026 from Proton AG, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail. It has one of the few free VPN plans with no data limit, though the free plan is restricted to one device and servers in 10 countries. Paid plans start with VPN Plus. Proton’s no-logs policy has been checked by the audit firm Securitum every year since 2022, and all its apps are open source.
Proton VPN is not the cheapest or the biggest VPN provider in the market, but it puts privacy and transparency first. This review describes it from Proton’s own website and published audit reports. We have not tested the service ourselves. An earlier version of this article mentioned an “Editor’s Choice award” without naming who gave it, and said support was slow and speeds patchy without a source. We have removed those claims.
Who runs Proton VPN?
- Company: Proton AG, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The same company makes Proton Mail, Proton Pass, Proton Drive and other privacy tools. Proton’s site also lists the Proton Foundation as part of its structure.
- Jurisdiction: Proton describes Switzerland as having strong privacy laws, being outside the EU and not belonging to any mass-surveillance alliance. It says Swiss law cannot oblige it to start logging.
- Recent change: In 2025, the Swiss government proposed changes to its surveillance ordinance that could require online services to identify users and keep more data. Proton responded by moving some of its infrastructure out of Switzerland, starting with its AI assistant, Lumo. It has said its headquarters remain in Geneva and that it will decide on further moves after the law’s outcome. Watch this if Swiss jurisdiction is your main reason for choosing Proton.
Plans and pricing (as of October 2026)
Proton’s tiers differ in features, not just in how long you commit. As of October 2026, per Proton VPN’s pricing page (US dollars; prices shown in India may differ):
| Plan | Price shown (2-year deal) | Devices | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proton Free | $0, no credit card required | 1 | Servers in 10 countries (selected randomly), medium speed, no data limit |
| VPN Plus | $3.49 a month ($83.76 for the first 24 months, then $83.88 every 12 months) | 10 | 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries, streaming, ad and malware blocking, priority support |
| Proton Unlimited | $7.99 a month ($191.76 for the first 24 months, then $119.88 every 12 months) | 10 | VPN Plus features plus Proton Mail, Pass, Calendar, Drive, Docs and Sheets |
Paid plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, and the pricing page lists cards, PayPal and Proton credits as payment methods. The original article described Free, Basic ($5 a month) and Plus ($10 a month) tiers, with three free locations and two devices on Basic. Those tiers and prices have been replaced.
The free plan is still the standout. Proton says it has no data limits and no artificial speed limits. The trade-offs are one device, a limited, randomly chosen set of countries and busier servers. Proton labels free-plan speed “medium”.
Privacy and logging
Proton says it keeps no logs of your online activity, and it gives the same no-logs protection to free and paid users. You need a Proton account to use the service, including on the free plan. The original article said Proton saved only the timestamp of your last successful login. Check Proton’s current privacy policy for the exact account data it keeps.
Proton’s no-logs claims are backed by independent audits:
- Securitum no-logs audits: carried out each year since 2022. The fourth, in August and September 2025, found no logging of user activity or metadata in the areas inspected. A fifth audit, in May 2026, reached the same conclusion for the free and paid servers it examined.
- SOC 2 Type II: Proton reported passing a SOC 2 Type II audit of its security controls in 2025.
- Open source: All Proton VPN apps are open source, and Proton says it publishes the full results of app security audits.
Proton commissions these audits, and each one describes systems at the time they were checked. Even so, regular audits plus open-source apps give you more to check than a privacy policy alone.
Features Proton documents today
- Secure Core: sends traffic through a server in a privacy-friendly country before it leaves the network, a form of double VPN.
- NetShield: DNS-level blocking of ads, trackers and malicious domains on paid plans.
- Stealth: Proton’s obfuscated protocol, based on WireGuard tunnelled over TLS, for networks that block VPNs. Alternative routing can also reach Proton through third-party networks when its servers are blocked.
- Kill switch and always-on VPN in all apps.
- Port forwarding: Proton offers port forwarding to improve P2P performance.
- VPN Accelerator: Proton says this can improve speeds by up to 400% on long-distance connections.
- Apps: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV. The original article noted that the Android app looks much like the desktop app, with a map view and similar settings.
Proton VPN and India
In April 2022, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issued directions requiring VPN providers to keep customer records for five years. Proton removed its physical servers from India and called the rules regressive. It offers Indian IP addresses through “Smart Routing” servers that are physically located elsewhere, reported at the time to be in Singapore. VPN legality and rules vary by country.
Who Proton VPN suits
- Good fit: people who want a genuinely usable free VPN, privacy-focused users who value audits and open-source apps, and existing Proton Mail users who can bundle services.
- Think twice: if you need many free locations or more than one free device. Other free VPNs, such as Windscribe and TunnelBear, take different approaches with data caps and more locations.
Frequently asked questions
Is Proton VPN really free?
Yes. The free plan costs nothing, needs no card and has no data limit, according to Proton. It is limited to one device and servers in 10 countries.
Who owns Proton VPN?
Proton AG, a Swiss company based in Geneva. It also makes Proton Mail.
Has Proton VPN’s no-logs policy been audited?
Yes. Securitum has audited it every year since 2022. The two most recent audits, in 2025 and May 2026, found no logging of user activity in the systems examined.
How many devices does Proton VPN Plus cover?
Up to 10 at the same time, according to Proton’s pricing page in October 2026.
Is Proton leaving Switzerland?
Not entirely. Proton has moved some infrastructure abroad because of proposed Swiss surveillance changes, but says its headquarters remain in Geneva and further decisions depend on the law’s outcome.
Checked in October 2026 against Proton VPN’s pricing and features pages, Securitum’s published audit reports and reporting on Proton’s infrastructure plans and the 2022 CERT-In directions. We have not tested Proton VPN ourselves, so confirm current plans on Proton’s website before you subscribe.
