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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Alex Lee

Is Proton VPN’s free plan any good? We put it to the test

It’s one of the few VPNs with a free tier that offers unlimited data and strong security credentials - (Proton/The Independent)

Understandably, free VPNs have a bad reputation. Most cap your data, slow your connection and bury security concerns deep inside their privacy policies. The worst offenders sell your browsing data to advertisers or inject ads and trackers into your sessions. It’s why we usually recommend steering clear and opting for one of the trusted, paid-for services in our guide to the best VPNs.

But not all free VPNs are out to profit from your data. Proton VPN is one of the few with a free tier that offers unlimited data, no ads and strong security credentials. While it won’t help if you’re trying to stream content while travelling abroad (you’ll need the paid plan for that), you still get decent browsing speeds and access to servers in five countries, though you can’t choose which one, and performance can vary depending on demand.

You also get access to Proton’s wider privacy suite, including encrypted email, cloud storage and a password manager. So, is it any good? I’ve spent the past few weeks testing Proton VPN’s free plan across multiple devices to find out.

How I tested

I put Proton VPN's free tier through its paces to see if it's good enough for everyday use (Alex Lee/THe Independent)

To see how well Proton VPN’s free plan holds up in real-world use, I installed it on an iPhone 15 Pro Max, a Nothing Phone (2a), a MacBook Pro and a Windows laptop. I used it across home broadband, public Wi-Fi and 5G, running speed tests, browsing and leaving the VPN running in the background to see how stable it was.

Since the free tier doesn’t support streaming or torrenting, I focused on general browsing speed, connection stability, features and ease of use. I also explored the mobile and desktop apps, tested the kill switch and Always-on VPN settings, comparing it to the paid tier.

Why you can trust IndyBest reviews

Senior tech critic Alex Lee has reviewed hundreds of different services, software and hardware, including VPNs. Over nearly a decade in the industry, Alex has tested every major VPN service, assessing their budget and premium offerings to understand every inch of the market.

Proton VPN Free

Rating: 4/5

Number of servers: More than 2,300

Number of server countries : 5

Number of simultaneous devices supported: 1

Devices supported: Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV and more

Why we love it

  • Great privacy credentials
  • No data caps
  • Decent speeds
  • No ads

Take note

  • Encourages you to upgrade often
  • Doesn't work with streaming
  • Can't choose which server you connect to

Price

The clue is in the name. Proton VPN’s free tier doesn’t cost a thing. You get unlimited data (though only on one device). It’s the only free VPN provider we’ve tested without a data cap.

The catch? You’re limited to roughly one of 2,300 servers in five countries (the US, Netherlands, Japan, Romania and Poland), and you can’t choose which one to connect to. The app automatically assigns you to your nearest or fastest location each time, and it won’t work with any streaming platforms.

If you want more, you can upgrade to Proton VPN Plus, which starts from £3.59 per month, and unlocks streaming support and features like Secure Core routing and higher speeds.

Privacy and features

Proton is one of the most privacy-focused organisations, and it extends that mission its free services. It’s based in Switzerland, a country with some of the world’s strictest data protection laws, and well outside any intelligence-sharing alliances like Five Eyes. The service has a strict no-logs policy, meaning it doesn’t track your browsing history, log your IP address or store any session metadata.

Crucially, Proton VPN’s apps are all open source and independently audited. That level of transparency is rare, especially for a free VPN. In 2024, Proton completed its third infrastructure audit, where external experts reviewed its entire system and confirmed it wasn’t storing logs, not even temporarily.

(Alex Lee/The Independent)

The free tier includes bank-level AES-256 encryption and support for the same secure protocols as paid users, including WireGuard, OpenVPN and Proton’s stealth protocol. The kill switch is included (but not enabled by default), and the Always-on VPN feature automatically reconnects you if the connection drops.

While you don’t get split-tunnelling, Proton’s Secure Core routing, a feature that sends your traffic through two servers for extra protection or its built-in ad, tracker and malware blocker NetShield, all of which are only available on the paid tier, you still get all the essentials for secure browsing. Annoyingly, despite having five servers on the free tier, you can’t choose which one you connect to.

Speed and performance

Proton VPN’s free tier isn’t as fast as the paid tier, and that’s largely down to congestion. Free users have to share servers that are heavily loaded, especially during peak times, which leads to slower performance compared to Proton’s premium servers.

That said, speeds were generally decent during testing. On a 67Mbps home broadband connection, download speeds typically hovered between 45Mbps and 55Mbps, which was enough for web browsing, messaging and HD YouTube streaming without buffering. Pages took slightly longer to load, but the connection was stable enough for everyday use.

You can’t manually choose which server or country you connect to on the free plan. The app automatically assigns you to the nearest of one of five available countries, and if the connection is too slow, the only option is to hit “Change server”, which reassigns you to another new server, most likely in the same country as before. There’s also a cooldown period, so you can’t keep hitting “Change server” over and over again until you get the country you want, an annoying (though understandable) limitation. We were basically always connected to the Netherlands, though occasionally got the US.

User experience

Proton VPN’s apps are really clean and consistent across devices and platforms, but the free experience feels a little pushy.

(Alex Lee/The Independent)

You’re immediately presented with a large “Quick connect” button and an attractive world map interface, but that’s where most of the control ends. You can’t choose a country, and hitting “Change server” just reassigns you to another random free server. You’ll need to wait around 90 seconds before doing it again.

The interface is littered with prompts to upgrade. Features like Secure Core, NetShield and split tunnelling are all visible, but clicking them leads to a paywall. On mobile and desktop, the tabs basically double up as mini adverts, pushing you to upgrade. Even in the settings menu, toggling some options will trigger a “Get Proton VPN Plus” pop-up. While it’s not quite ad-supported in the traditional sense, the upgrade buttons are hard to ignore.

Still, once connected, the experience is smooth and we were never interrupted by intrusive ads or pop-ups when browsing. On Android, free users also get features like DNS leak protection and a pause toggle, but these aren’t available on iOS.

Buy now £0.00, Proton.me

Should you upgrade to Proton VPN Plus?

Almost definitely. While Proton VPN Free is one of the best no-cost options out there, with no data caps, iron-clad privacy and a trustworthy reputation, it’s ultimately a pared-back version of the full service. You can’t choose your server, there’s no streaming or torrenting support, and many key features are locked behind a paywall.

If you want more features, better speeds or want to access BBC iPlayer or ITVX while travelling abroad, Proton VPN Plus is worth the upgrade, getting you faster servers, streaming access, Secure Core, NetShield and more.

The verdict: Proton VPN Free

Proton VPN Free is about as good as free VPNs get. There are no ads, no hidden data caps and the speeds are decent, even without paying a penny. It’s a good pick for casual browsing and basic protection, especially if you’re wary of shady free apps on the App Store or Play Store.

But the experience is limited. You can’t choose your server, you can’t stream or torrent and the app constantly pushes you to upgrade. It’s a great introduction to the Proton ecosystem, and a free VPN that you can actually trust.

Want more recommendations? Read our round-up of the best VPNs

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