Proton VPN review 2025: The best privacy features of any service I've tested

Independent

2 days ago

Price
Proton VPN isn't the cheapest VPN out there, but nor is it trying to be. It's more expensive than Surfshark, about on par with NordVPN, and cheaper than ExpressVPN. While it doesn't offer cyber insurance like Nord's Ultimate plan, you get plenty of privacy tools, bundled encrypted cloud storage and even a password manager.
Unlike most VPNs, Proton isn't just selling you a VPN; it's selling a whole privacy ecosystem. The Free and Unlimited tiers are full security suites, bundling in extras like Proton Mail, Proton Drive and Proton Pass (its password manager), while VPN Plus is the core VPN product. However, even the VPN-only plan comes with access to Proton's free tools.
While the free plan is one of the most generous around, delivering unlimited data, servers in five countries and no ads, you'll need to upgrade to the Plus plan if you want access to streaming, higher speeds, Secure Core routing and more server locations. There's also a 30-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind.
One really nice thing worth flagging is that Proton VPN doesn't do sneaky renewal price hikes. The price you sign up for is the price you'll keep paying, even after your first term ends.
I've seen competitors double the price upon renewal. It's a refreshingly fair approach compared to other providers like NordVPN and Surfshark, who've faced backlash for quietly locking users into auto-renewals at steep new rates. That alone might make Proton VPN worth the extra quid.
Proton Free
This is arguably the best free VPN around. You get access to servers in five countries (the US, Netherlands, Japan, Romania and Poland), unlimited data and no ads, but you don't get streaming, torrenting, faster speeds, NetShield or Secure Core routing. It's limited to one device and slower overall, but still decent if you just want to keep your IP private.
But Proton Free isn't just a VPN – it's a mini privacy suite. You also get 5GB of encrypted storage with Proton Drive, Proton Mail with basic features, and access to Proton Pass, the free version of its password manager. That includes unlimited password storage, unlimited devices and 10 email aliases.
Proton VPN Plus
The standard Proton VPN plan, Plus unlocks all the good stuff – full-speed servers in 110 countries, streaming support, Secure Core routing, NetShield ad and malware blocking, split tunnelling, torrenting, and use on up to 10 devices. You also get priority support with live chat.
You still keep all the free tools from Proton's ecosystem, so you can use Proton Drive (5GB), Proton Mail and the free version of Proton Pass alongside your VPN plan. It's a nice bonus, and makes the value a little better compared to VPNs that give you just the tunnel.
At the time of writing, the cheapest deal is the two-year plan, which costs £86.16 up-front (about £3.59/month). The one-year plan costs £59.88 (£4.99/month), or you can pay monthly for £9.49.
Proton Unlimited
For the full Proton experience, you'll want Proton Unlimited. As well as Proton VPN Plus, Proton Unlimited upgrades all its other tools too. You get Proton Mail Plus (with more addresses and folders), Proton Drive with 500GB encrypted storage, Proton Calendar and Proton Pass Plus, the premium version of its password manager with secure sharing, unlimited aliases and dark web monitoring.
The two-year plan costs £158.16 (about £6.59 per month), the one-year plan is £98.29 (£8.19 per month), and the monthly price is £10.59 per month.
Privacy and features
If privacy is your main reason for using a VPN, Proton VPN is one of the most trustworthy services out there.
Everything's open source, independently audited, and based in Switzerland, which means it's outside the reach of data-hungry intelligence alliances like Five Eyes. The no-logs policy is really clear. In fairness, I didn't dig through the open-source code myself, but knowing it's all public gave me confidence.
You get strong AES-256 encryption and access to trusted tunnelling protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 and Proton's own Stealth protocol. WireGuard is the default, and it held up really well during my testing. It was consistently fast and stable, even on patchy wifi on the Tube. The Stealth protocol helps you get around VPN blocks or censorship, wrapping WireGuard in an extra layer to make it look like regular HTTPS traffic. Proton VPN also uses Smart Protocol, a feature that automatically selects the best tunnelling method if another connection is blocked.
There's a kill switch baked in, too, but it's not enabled by default. I had to manually switch it on in the tab. Proton VPN's Always-on VPN feature is switched on by default, so the moment your phone or laptop reconnects to wifi or data, it'll automatically tunnel back through the VPN. While it's a great backup, the kill switch is still worth activating for the extra peace of mind.
Secure Core is one of Proton VPN's standout features. It routes your traffic through an extra Proton-owned server before connecting to the internet. It's not the fastest. I noticed a slight slowdown when I used it over public wifi, but it's nice having the added layer of protection.
I kept NetShield – Proton's ad and malware blocker – turned on for most of my testing, but honestly, it's not the most effective blocker I've used. You can choose whether to block just malware or go full ads and trackers, but it didn't stop much of it. It's nowhere near as customisable or effective as a dedicated ad blocker like AdGuard.
There's also split tunnelling on Android and Windows, which worked perfectly when I excluded my banking app. Traffic was routed correctly, but it's still missing on iOS and macOS, which is disappointing. Proton VPN also supports torrenting via dedicated P2P servers, port forwarding, and there's even Tor over VPN support on the Windows application.
You can also create custom connection profiles. I set one up for general streaming, another with Secure Core, and a third using the stealth protocol for testing in restricted networks. It saves reconfiguring everything each time. You can also set the VPN to auto-connect on launch or when connected to unsecured wifi.
All of this is paired with Perfect Forward Secrecy, so even if someone did manage to snatch your encryption keys, they'd only get access to that one session, not any previous or future ones. There's some really advanced stuff here, especially for Windows users.
Logging
Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, which has some of the world's strongest privacy laws. That means it's not part of any surveillance alliances like Five Eyes, and the Swiss government can't demand your data without jumping through serious legal hoops. Even then, there's not much Proton could hand over. It has a strict no-logs policy. It doesn't track your browsing habits, record your IP address or identify what you were doing online.
Proton's also proved it in court. In 2019, Swiss authorities issued an order asking Proton to start logging a specific user. But because of how Proton VPN is built, it physically couldn't. The authorities were told this, and the case was closed without any data being turned over. It's a rare real-world example of a no-logs policy actually being tested.
In July 2024, Proton VPN passed its third consecutive infrastructure audit by the European security firm Securitum. The audit team physically visited Proton's offices, reviewed its VPN server configurations, operating procedures and change management systems, and confirmed that no logs or metadata are stored, not even temporarily.
On top of that, Proton makes all its apps open source, runs a public bug bounty program, and releases a yearly transparency report. Few VPNs go to this level to prove their trustworthiness.
Performance and speed
Proton VPN's speeds are really good. On my 67Mbps broadband, Proton VPN only shaved about 6 per cent off my download speed when I connected to a UK server. That's basically nothing – everything still loaded quickly, and I was able to stream in HD without any buffering. Connecting to the US gave me a roughly 9 per cent dip, which again is decent, and lines up with the best VPNs I've tested.
There's also a VPN Accelerator feature, which is designed to improve speeds on long-distance connections by reducing latency. It's hard to isolate the impact during day-to-day use, but it didn't seem to hurt. The connection was stable even when I was hopping between different countries and testing out Secure Core, which slows things down a touch. You are being routed through two servers, after all.
That said, the UI experience varies quite a bit between platforms. On macOS, the app is clean and easy to navigate. You get a subtle map at the top, a country list on the left and tabs for things like Secure Core, NetShield and the kill switch. Most of the more advanced settings are tucked away. It's simple and lightweight, though probably too stripped-back for anyone looking to tweak things.
The Windows app has more features but feels cluttered. There's a two-panel layout with the server list, including labels for P2P and Tor, on the left, and a settings sidebar on the right where you can toggle port forwarding, switch protocols, and configure the kill switch. There's also an interactive world map in the middle. You can click on countries to connect, but it's not all that useful in practice. It mostly feels like a visual flourish that gets in the way more than anything, especially when you just want to scroll and connect quickly. You can still monitor your real-time speed, IP address and server load from the main screen, which is handy.
iOS and Android apps
The Proton VPN mobile apps aren't quite as slick or intuitive as the desktop version, and the layout varies depending on whether you're on iOS or Android.
On iOS and Android, the Home tab shows a giant world map up top, but it's mostly there for decoration. You can't tap on it to choose a location, so it ends up feeling like wasted space. Below that, you have quick connect buttons for the fastest server and your most recent connection, plus a readout of how many ads and trackers have been blocked. To pick a server, you need to head into the Locations tab.
There's also a Profiles tab where you can save custom presets, which is useful if you regularly switch between different setups like Secure Core or Stealth. You'll find settings like NetShield, the kill switch and Always-on VPN tucked into the main menu, but you don't get features like split tunnelling or port forwarding because of iOS restrictions.
Android users also get more control: there's split tunnelling, port forwarding, custom DNS settings, and even a home screen widget for one-tap access.
That said, both apps require a fair bit of tab-hopping. The map looks nice, but doesn't do anything, and all the real functionality is hidden behind secondary menus. It's not bad, and everything's clearly labelled, but it does take a few extra taps to get where you want to go.
Proton VPN and streaming
Proton VPN might not rave about streaming support as much as its rivals, but it still works like a charm. I tested it with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, ITVX and Sky Go, and everything played smoothly without any errors. I didn't have to bounce around different servers or dig through support articles to find one that worked. Content like EastEnders on BBC iPlayer and The Genius Game on ITVX loaded and played without any issues.
I streamed a few episodes of The Devil's Plan on Netflix in HD during testing and didn't run into any buffering, even when connected to servers further afield. The connection was stable throughout. Obviously, this will also largely depend on the speed of your wifi connection – the faster your wifi, the less likely you'll run into buffering.
Streaming isn't available on the free plan. You'll need to be on the Plus or Unlimited tier to get access. But if you're already signed up, it worked perfectly for streaming all our services.
Support
Proton VPN has live chat support, but only if you're a paying user. You won't see the chat option unless you're logged in to a Plus or Unlimited account. To access it, I had to log in to the website and then click on Live chat at the bottom. It can only be accessed during its operating hours (9am to midnight CET), but you can also leave a message and Proton will get back to you by email.
I asked a question about the kill switch and only had to wait about 10 seconds to get connected to an agent. The person I spoke to was helpful and gave a clear answer without fobbing me off or linking to a generic support article.
If you're using the free version, you won't get live chat. You're directed to submit a support ticket or dig through the help centre instead. The support docs are decent, though, and there's a fair amount of detail once you land on the right page.