This in-depth Proton VPN review seeks to enlighten you on the cutting-edge features you’ll access when you sign up with Proton VPN, whether as a paid customer or just going along for the free ride.
Firstly, trying it out for yourself is not a challenge at all since Proton VPN offers the best subscription and unlimited free plan we’ve ever seen. It is worth mentioning that network speed is typically reduced by many VPNs, but Proton’s server quality maintains blistering speeds.
The following basic specifications will help you understand all Proton has to offer at a glance:
How good is Proton VPN really? Internet users have awoken to the importance of data security, data privacy, and freedom from censorship, and they want VPNs with the best features and capabilities. So is Proton VPN legit in this regard? This section gives you the inside scoop on this VPN’s server coverage, speed, and pricing structure.
Proton has been slowly increasing its global presence and currently provides server locations in South America, Africa, India, and Ukraine – two continents that VPN providers sometimes overlook. Our Proton VPN reviews also picked up Smart routing servers (virtual servers) provided by 21 countries to serve those who reside in areas with restrictive internet regulations, such as China, Hong Kong, Russia, Turkey, and Vietnam.
If you are a Plus Package subscriber, you can expect better overall coverage. Plus Package users have access to 97 Secure Core servers across 64 nations. Proton also exclusively offers them 2,684 Plus Servers in 68 nations. Although it's slightly expensive to subscribe to the Plus package, it has other benefits like streaming support, an ad-blocker (NetShield), and many more. In comparison, free Proton VPN users can access 64 servers in just 3 countries.
Although it’s accepted that VPNs will reduce download and upload speeds while increasing latency, the story is slightly different for Proton VPN. It uses a VPN accelerator with technology to boost speeds by up to 400% so that you can experience faster download and upload speeds and reduced latency compared to other networks.
To prove this, a Proton VPN test compared connection speeds with and without an accelerator. Upload and download speeds more than doubled when the VPN accelerator was enabled. Also, the latency was reduced by 30%, showing that the Proton VPN accelerator is a game changer regarding speed and performance.
In contrast to other free plans that have a data cap, the Proton VPN free plan provides you with unlimited data. Be mindful though that only one device is permitted on this free package and it can access only servers in three countries: the US, Japan, and the Netherlands.
The Proton VPN Plus plan provides the highest speeds, ten simultaneous connections, access to all 2,978 servers in 68 countries, dedicated Secure Core servers, and NetShield servers. The Plus plan is offered for a 1-month, 1-year, or 2-year membership. At $4.99/month, Proton pricing for the 2-year plan is the lowest. The 1-year plan is slightly higher, at $5.99 per month, but the monthly plan is significantly more expensive, at $11.49. A 30-day money-back guarantee covers all premium subscriptions. Take note, however, that the money-back guarantee is pro-rated, so you’re still billed for each day you use Proton VPN.
Proton sets itself apart from its competitors by offering proprietary tech, and we’ll walk you through the most noteworthy ones.
Proton VPN Accelerator is proprietary tech that’ll boost your speeds by up to 400%. It overcomes CPU restrictions that limit the processing of VPN protocols and utilizes cutting-edge networking techniques to decrease latency.
The patented Stealth protocol from Proton VPN offers obfuscation, which conceals VPN traffic and makes it appear to be conventional internet traffic. Only MacOS, iOS, and Android platforms support this feature. VPN speeds were reduced by about 15-20% when we tested the stealth protocol, which is fairly decent.
Our team confirmed that your security won’t likely be compromised, as Proton has both common and cutting-edge features.
Proton’s NetShield feature blocks ads, trackers, and malicious websites. You can find the same technology on a few other competing VPNs, though, so it’s not a standout feature, but still a great addition. Although it lacks the comprehensive phishing protection that many antivirus programs offer, NetShield blocks all pop-ups and keeps your screen clear.
You can include or exclude web browsers, applications, and IP addresses from the VPN tunnel using Proton VPN's split-tunneling feature on Windows and Android. You’ll be happy to know that Proton made its split-tunneling mechanism effective and simple to set up.
Proton VPN directly owns the Secure Core servers that are placed in underground data centers in Iceland, Switzerland, and Sweden. To explain how your data is secured through core servers, your data travels through two servers as part of the Secure Core server architecture of Proton VPN before it exits the Proton VPN network. By doing this, if a malicious party compromises the server at the final destination, it will only be able to track your connection back to the Secure Core server and not your device.
This is a special encryption system that protects you by changing key information frequently and automatically. As a result, if one encryption key is hacked, only the data on that one key is susceptible, which gives protection to the rest of your data. Therefore, whenever you connect to your Proton VPN server, your encryption key is forever changing.
Even if the server is compromised, disk encryption protects all of the data on your Proton VPN server, keeping it secure and unreadable.
This feature stops all web traffic on your computer if the VPN connection is lost. The Proton VPN program has an improved permanent kill switch that blocks internet communication even if the computer is restarted. You can get this feature on iOS, macOS, Linux, and Windows.
The 256-bit AES encryption used by Proton VPN is among the world's strongest and is commonly referred to as "military-grade" encryption. Comprehensive-disk encryption, perfect forward secrecy, Secure Core (double VPN routing), NetShield (ad/tracking blocker), and comprehensive leak protection (full protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC breaches) are further advanced capabilities included in the Premium plan. Even Proton VPN's free plan has a stringent no-log policy supported by Swiss data privacy legislation.
Once you sign up with Proton VPN, you can protect a wide variety of gadgets that are widely used:
The Android software for Proton VPN is excellent with a ton of features, quick speeds, and a simple-to-use design. You have the choice of manually selecting a server or using the Quick Connect option, which instantly connects you to the fastest server. The Profiles feature in the app's main screen, where you may design your own connection preferences, is something you’ll appreciate. You can select specific servers, automatically connect to the "fastest" server, enable Secure Core, and turn on Smart Protocol.
The iOS app is well-designed, easy to use, and has excellent security protections, just like the Android app. The navigation bar makes it simple to connect to a server, disconnect from it, change servers, and modify your preferences. A kill switch, VPN accelerator, NetShield, the Always-On VPN function, and the option for all apps to try alternative network routing to reach Proton sites are just a few of the features that Proton VPN recently added to the iOS app.
The desktop app's layout makes everything easy to access and displays a sizable map and a graph of the current network condition. The left rail has all of the VPN controls, including a choice to hide the map. You may immediately connect to the internet by pressing a big, purple Quick Connect button. When you are connected, your new IP address and the flag of the nation you are in appear in the upper left corner. Your data's travel is also depicted on the map.
Proton VPN is suitable for basic gaming since it protects you from DDoS attacks, offers seamless connections on local servers and just slight lag on distant servers, and works on routers. If you're a die-hard gamer who plans to utilize a VPN primarily for gaming, Proton may do the trick.
Proton VPN supports a significant range of router models and firmware. Manually setting up a VPN connection on your router is typically challenging. Fortunately, Proton VPN offers access to useful step-by-step guides that are simple to follow, making the set-up process quick and uncomplicated.
Proton VPN is simple to use on computers, tablets, smartphones, and game consoles. Even though the application is a little more complicated, even newbies can use it without hassle. This is primarily thanks to its clear organization and navigation. After all, connecting to one of Proton VPN's servers only takes a single click and loads extremely quickly.
Additionally, you can mark your favorites and view which servers have the fastest speeds. You also receive a helpful map that enables you to localize the nations you wish to connect to. Due to how user-friendly Proton VPN is, there is rarely a need to contact customer care, but if you need help, it is relatively simple to do so. Although we often prefer live chat, this alternative also seems to function rather well.
Is Proton VPN good for streaming? It can access tons of Netflix libraries and is compatible with over thirty other streaming services, including BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Disney+).
Proton VPN has P2P servers in more than 16 countries, making it arguably the best VPN for torrenting. It supports the most popular torrent applications, permits port forwarding, and offers very high security through NetShield. You may access your favorite streaming video from anywhere in the world as if you were at home, thanks to Proton VPN's ability to unblock loads of widely used online media providers.
This Proton VPN review showed that the service provides cutting-edge censorship-fighting technologies like alternative routing. This means if Proton VPN cannot connect directly to its servers, it routes your connection through third-party services like AWS that are unlikely to be blocked.
The Smart Protocol means that when the Proton VPN protocol is blocked, it automatically switches to different VPN protocols to evade the block. And even better, its distinctive Stealth VPN protocol helps ensure you can always access the internet. Overall, you can’t afford not to download Proton VPN if you live in a country where the internet is restricted.
Proton VPN is a fast and secure service with thousands of servers and top-notch software. Additionally, it demonstrates a strong commitment to privacy, with a full house of cutting-edge security features. Its Secure Core servers thwart all attempts to unmask your IP, even when the destination server is compromised. Standard features like split tunneling and a kill switch make your internet browsing even more secure.
Moreover, streaming and torrenting are a breeze using Proton, and you can access content from all over the world. Overall, the VPN offers a high-quality service that can satisfy most users. If you still aren’t convinced, you may also test out the unlimited free Proton VPN, which was created for security and contains no catches or gimmicks.
To avoid scams and get the most bang for your buck, it is important to know how legitimate the software is before you sign up. Safety is a major concern regarding the usage of VPNs. Check out our Proton VPN reviews for more clarity on this VPN’s history and current product provision to decide if you think Proton VPN is safe.
The internet is flooded with hackers and sometimes repressive governments who rely on ISPs to monitor customers. Most VPNs do increase your anonymity, but to get specifics on this provider, check our Proton VPN review.
Users worldwide enjoy fast speeds and would like to know the impact of introducing VPNs on their Windows/Mac, mobile phones, gaming, and so on. Check how fast the Proton VPN speeds are in our reviews.
VPN service providers offer various payment plans, depending on the selection of features you can access. Our Proton VPN reviews highlight the payment plans, discounts, and money-back guarantees offered for Proton VPN.
It's difficult to watch Netflix content from different regions, as the platform wants to enforce its distribution deals. You may want to know if Proton VPN is good for streaming on Fire TV; the same considerations also apply. To check if Proton VPN works for streaming content from different regions, refer to our reviews.
