ProtonVPN Review

PROTONVPN KEY DATA

Jurisdiction

Switzerland

Member of intelligence-sharing alliances

✕ NO

Servers

1,315

Server location

55 countries

Simultaneous connection

up to 10 devices

Desktop apps

Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook

Mobile apps

iOS, Android

Browser apps: Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Brave browser, and Google Chrome

Encryption

AES 256-bit

Protocols

IKEv2/IPSec, OpenVPN

DNS and IP leak protection

✓ YES

Automatic kill switch

✓ YES

Notable Features: Strict no-log policy, unlimited bandwidth and data, Adblocker (NetShield), Secure Core VPN, TOR over VPN, Forward Secrecy, Full Disk Encryption, open-source and audited apps, 30-day money-back guarantee

Free trial available

✓ YES

SEE WHAT USERS HAVE TO SAY

“ Transparent, clear ToS, good features, secure core is great, nice clean UI, support for TOR, and so much more. Me and the boys scraped together enough to get plus, and it's completely worth it for under $2 a month each. I couldn't recommend this VPN more :) ”

“ Excellent customer service.I've been with Proton for about a year now. I subscribe to their email and vpn services. My technical know-how is modest. Proton makes digital security accessible to those who are limited on time and experience. Their products are also flexible so as I become more knowledgeable, I don't have to find something else. ”

“ I work for the US government where all our communications are encrypted. I am trained on e-mail security so when I am not in the office, I want the same level of security. If you want top level security for your e-mails, photos and documents plus great customer support, get this product. Keep your communications private. You wont be disappointed and big brother won't be listening. ”

“ Brilliant VPN, I've had trouble with a few VPN services in the past due to either privacy concerns or poor connection quality but Proton has no such trouble, the UI on both the mobile and desktop software is easy to use and nice to look at, the speeds are really fast and stable, and with them being based in Switzerland and not being part of the 14 eyes alliance I have full confidence in my privacy using ProtonVPN, can't recommend them enough. ”

WILL IT KEEP ME SAFE AND ANONYMOUS ONLINE?

ProtonVPN is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, which enjoys a global reputation for security and privacy. It is not a member of the '5 Eyes', '9 Eyes', and '14 Eyes' intelligence alliances, so it's not required to share information among the member countries. Furthermore, ProtonVPN is exempted from the provisions under the new Swiss surveillance law. Now, they do entertain legal requests for information, but only if they come from the Swiss courts. You can actually verify this since ProtonVPN maintains a transparency report right on their website. One more thing, ProtonVPN is not required to save any user connection logs, which complements their strict logging policy. What's more, they have open-sourced apps so the general public can verify their safety and inspect them for potential vulnerabilities.

In addition to its strong privacy and legal protection, ProtonVPN's security measures are just as stringent. Your internet traffic is encrypted with AES-256, which has been proven to be virtually unbreakable. For protocols, you have two choices: OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec. You might have noticed that they are not offering the current toast in the protocol universe: WireGuard. However, this is hardly an issue given how new the technology is. Besides, security experts consider OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec to be two of the most secure and reliable protocols.

ProtonVPN really takes a gung ho approach when it comes to protecting user privacy and security. One of the most common ways to hack into your data is via the server itself, so ProtonVPN came up with Secure Servers. It's similar to a multi-hop feature in that you connect to two different servers, first to one of the Secure core servers and then to the server you have selected. This provides an added layer of protection and mitigates the risk of your chosen server being compromised, especially in high-risk jurisdictions like the US.

Wary of falling victim to nefarious phishing attempts? Don't worry! Each of ProtonVPN's paid plans includes a privacy tool called Adblocker (NetShield). It's a DNS filtering feature that blocks malware, ads, and website trackers, boosting your browsing speed as a result. In addition, ProtonVPN also features a built-in kill switch or the Always-on VPN feature that prevents your IP address from getting exposed if your connection drops. More advanced users will also be happy to know that ProtonVPN offers security extras like split-tunneling, perfect forward secrecy, full-disk encryption, and TOR over VPN.

HOW FAST IS IT?

Before conducting our speed tests for this review, we debated whether to sign up for the Basic or the Plus plan. Why? ProtonVPN has speed classifications in its subscription tiers. Those using it for free get "medium-speed,” while Basic plan users can expect "high speed.” The "highest speed" is reserved for Plus plan subscribers. It kinda sounds like your DSL service, although ProtonVPN won't throttle your speed in any way. It just means that since there are fewer Plus users than Basic users, the former can expect optimum speed at all times.

We ultimately decided to use the Plus plan since we do a lot of video chatting and gaming. Our base download speed before connecting to ProtonVPN was at 280Mbps. After connecting to a nearby server in the US, our speed dropped down to 204.4Mbps. Not bad at all. However, when we chose a server in Asia, our speed dropped drastically. For example, connecting to a server in Japan resulted in a speed loss of 54%. A server in Taiwan reduced it by as much as 67%. Our download speed was hovering between 92 to 130Mbps, still fast enough, but if your base speed was low, to begin with, it could be a problem. However, keep in mind that your proximity to a server influences your connection speed, so you might get a different experience depending on your location.

PRICING AND PLANS

Some people may find tiered pricing complicated, but it's actually beneficial to the average user. How many times have you purchased a gadget and end up not using the more advanced features? ProtonVPN currently offers 4 paid tiered plans, locking out features like Secure Core and TOR over VPN behind the higher-tiered plans. All plans are covered with a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee. If you change your mind mid-way and decide to cancel, you may do so and get a prorated refund.

Take a look at all 3 plans below.

Basic $4/month:

• 350+ servers in 40+ countries
• 2 VPN connections
• High speed
• Strict no-logs policy
• Adblocker (NetShield)

Plus $8/month:

• 1200+ servers in 55 countries
• 10 VPN connections
• Highest speed (up to 10 Gbps)
• Strict no-logs policy
• Adblocker (NetShield)
• Secure Core VPN
• TOR over VPN

Visionary $24/month:

• All Plus plan features
• ProtonMail Visionary account

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

This area is probably ProtonVPN's Achilles heel. It's hard to believe that when video and audio conferencing, webinars, and live chats are becoming the norm in communication everywhere, ProtonVPN still relies on the old ticketing system. Granted, when we submitted a ticket, the response we got was clear, polite, and helpful. However, we would have liked a quicker way to contact support, such as by phone or live chat.

THE VERDICT

ProtonVPN is fast becoming the Swiss watch of the VPN world; it's fast, reliable, and secure. In the same manner that a luxury watch shows you the movement via its transparent case back, ProtonVPN has also made all of its clients and extensions 100% open-source. When it comes to speed and unblocking capability, it does the job. But it would be far-fetched to say that it's the best out there. When it comes to security and privacy, though, ProtonVPN is hard to beat.