Google Play
4.7 / 5
About 1,220,000 ratings
Checked September 26, 2026
You can start using Proton VPN for free if one simultaneous connection is enough and you do not need to choose a specific country yourself. The free plan has unlimited data and no ads, so this use case may not need a subscription at all.
VPN Plus makes sense for choosing server locations, up to ten simultaneous connections or P2P support. If you need the VPN on a phone and laptop at the same time, the free plan's limit already matters. Free access lets you explore the app, but does not let you test every paid-server feature.
Consider Proton Unlimited if you also intend to use Proton's paid email, cloud storage and password manager features. VPN Plus is enough for the VPN itself. Before a long subscription, compare the initial charge with renewal: an introductory discount does not mean future periods cost the same.
| Paid | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 847 Mbps | 835 Mbps |
| Rank | #2of 17 | #5of 17 |
| Free | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 491 Mbps | 222 Mbps |
| Rank | #3of 9 | #3of 9 |
September 13, 2026 – October 12, 2026
| Date (UTC) | Paid download speed | Paid upload speed | Free download speed | Free upload speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 12, 2026 | 847 | 835 | 491 | 222 |
| October 11, 2026 | 823 | 835 | 480 | 221 |
| October 10, 2026 | 830 | 836 | 445 | 155 |
| October 9, 2026 | 814 | 829 | 440 | 142 |
| October 8, 2026 | 825 | 861 | 475 | 191 |
| October 7, 2026 | 695 | 814 | 444 | 166 |
| October 6, 2026 | 688 | 866 | 445 | 214 |
| October 5, 2026 | 701 | 869 | 512 | 166 |
| October 4, 2026 | 719 | 851 | 510 | 366 |
| October 3, 2026 | 725 | 879 | 438 | 316 |
| October 2, 2026 | 697 | 858 | 520 | 267 |
| October 1, 2026 | 686 | 849 | 433 | 168 |
| September 30, 2026 | 682 | 827 | 517 | 264 |
| September 29, 2026 | 673 | 807 | 413 | 264 |
| September 28, 2026 | 698 | 829 | 321 | 159 |
| September 27, 2026 | 742 | 874 | 314 | 154 |
| September 26, 2026 | 719 | 832 | 505 | 269 |
| September 25, 2026 | 677 | 845 | 315 | 142 |
| September 24, 2026 | 680 | 841 | 566 | 214 |
| September 23, 2026 | 708 | 843 | 520 | 169 |
| September 22, 2026 | 717 | 874 | 332 | 145 |
| September 21, 2026 | 707 | 825 | 524 | 265 |
| September 20, 2026 | 726 | 848 | 534 | 215 |
| September 19, 2026 | 677 | 874 | 418 | 110 |
| September 18, 2026 | 691 | 809 | 577 | 262 |
| September 17, 2026 | 697 | 843 | 569 | 238 |
| September 16, 2026 | 710 | 853 | 508 | 258 |
| September 15, 2026 | 704 | 823 | 311 | 156 |
| September 14, 2026 | 677 | 841 | 568 | 216 |
| September 13, 2026 | 729 | 869 | 511 | 273 |
What the history shows: The paid-plan download result increased by 16.2%, from 729 to 847 Mbps. Paid-plan daily download was fairly consistent, with typical variation of 7.0% around the average and a range of 673–847 Mbps. The free-plan download result decreased by 4.0%, from 511 to 491 Mbps. Free-plan daily download was variable, with typical variation of 17.0% around the average and a range of 311–577 Mbps.
4.7 / 5
About 1,220,000 ratings
Checked September 26, 2026
4.6 / 5
About 111,000 ratings
Checked September 26, 2026
Compare the full initial charge with the renewal charge. Monthly equivalents spread the charge across the access period; they do not mean you pay monthly. Prices checked on September 11, 2026.
The free plan offers unlimited data without ads or a payment card. It allows one simultaneous device and automatically selects servers in 10 countries; registration is required. In my tests, speeds on the free plan dropped sharply after transferring several gigabytes over a single VPN connection. Disconnecting and reconnecting restored the speed.
VPN Plus
$9.99
$9.99 per month
At renewal
1 month / $9.99
$9.99 per month
Same monthly price
Proton Unlimited
$12.99
$12.99 per month
At renewal
1 month / $12.99
$12.99 per month
Same monthly price
VPN Plus
$53.88
$4.49 per month
At renewal
12 months / $83.88
$6.99 per month
+55.7% vs. initial monthly equivalent
Proton Unlimited
$119.88
$9.99 per month
At renewal
12 months / $119.88
$9.99 per month
Same monthly price
VPN Plus
$83.76
$3.49 per month
At renewal
12 months / $83.88
$6.99 per month
+100.3% vs. initial monthly equivalent
Proton Unlimited
$191.76
$7.99 per month
At renewal
12 months / $119.88
$9.99 per month
+25.0% vs. initial monthly equivalent
Availability may vary by plan, country and purchase channel.
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, iPadOS, Chromebook
Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV
Android TV, Fire TV
Chrome, Firefox
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Routers, NAS
Setup instructions; a native app is not implied.
Paid
10
Free
1
Supported
Supported (Manual setup)
Supported
Stealth (based on WireGuard)
Supported
Supported
Supported
Supported (Stealth)
Supported (Secure Core)
Supported
Supported (Selected servers)
Supported (NetShield)
Supported (NetShield)
Supported (NetShield)
Supported
Not supported
Not supported
Not supported
Based on providers’ published information. “Not supported” means the service was not listed in the reviewed materials; playback has not been tested.
Renews automatically.
In your VPN account
Deleting a saved payment method does not cancel your subscription.
Subscriptions purchased through App Store and Google Play
If you purchased through the App Store or Google Play, open the subscription settings in that store, select the VPN and cancel the subscription.
Available until the paid period ends.
You can remove the card in your VPN account.
The provider’s refund guarantee applies subject to conditions.
Within 30 days
Starting from your initial purchase
Important limitations
Refunds outside the guarantee are considered at Proton’s discretion.
Refund amount & fees
Full refund under these conditions.
Conditions
Cancel your subscription and request the refund within the 30-day window.
Only one refund request is allowed per user.
How to request a refund
If you paid through the App Store or Google Play, you can request a refund through that store. Requests are assessed under the store’s rules; approval is not guaranteed.
Additional conditions from the VPN provider
The store’s refund policy applies subject to conditions.
How to request a refund
Renewal payments are not covered by the provider’s guarantee.
Cash and bank-transfer payments are excluded.
Accounts terminated for violating the terms of service are excluded.
Proton AG (registered in Switzerland) is the company named as providing the VPN service. We could not confirm whether this company handles purchases in every country and through every store.
Proton Foundation is a shareholder in Proton AG. Registered in Switzerland.
The VPN operator is based in Switzerland. This does not establish that Swiss law is the only law that applies to every customer.
Each audit covers particular systems and a particular point in time. A provider announcement is distinct from a publicly available audit report.
Published materials cover both no-logs claims and security testing. The scope and remaining issues differ between reports.
Securitum · May 2026
What was checked: Production VPN systems and the handling of user activity, DNS queries and connection metadata.
Findings: The auditors found no evidence of retained logs identifying a user or their internet activity in the examined systems.
Limitations: The review sampled free and paid production servers with Proton engineers operating the systems under auditor direction. It did not inspect every server or cover business VPN servers.
Read the audit reportRuben Santamarta · 2025
What was checked: Source-code review of Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux and browser-extension clients; final report published in November 2025.
Findings: Two low-risk issues were found: a Windows permission-prompt bypass and potential VPN-token exposure in the browser extension.
Fixes: The Windows issue was fixed. The extension issue was accepted as a low risk, with mitigation planned; the report does not confirm that later mitigation was completed.
Limitations: These findings describe the tested versions at that time, not the current state of every app or server.
Read the audit reportRelevant mainly where VPN services are blocked
If you are in the US, a European country, or elsewhere and VPN services are not blocked on your network, these results need not rule this VPN out of your purchase decision. A failed test under blocking in Russia does not, by itself, mean the VPN is poor quality or will not work where you live. Consider its speed, features and price for your needs.
In our tests in Russia, we could not establish a working VPN connection that allowed data transfer under VPN blocking.
Blocking changes over time and can differ between networks. A successful test shows that a connection worked in the tested conditions; it does not guarantee that it will work elsewhere or keep working.
Filtering equipment can identify patterns in a VPN connection, including how a protocol starts a session. It can then prevent the connection or interrupt data transfer. Traffic obfuscation can make these patterns harder to recognise, but it does not prevent every kind of blocking.
A censor can also block known VPN server addresses or entire IP ranges. If all traffic to an address is blocked on your network, disguising the VPN protocol alone will not make that server reachable.
A privately used server may be less exposed than a public VPN server, and traffic obfuscation may help it avoid detection. But its IP address is still visible to your internet provider and can be blocked. Running your own server gives you more control, not guaranteed access, and requires setup and maintenance.