ProtonVPN Review 2023 – Forbes Advisor UK

What is a ProtonVPN?

Best known for the encrypted email service ProtonMail, ProtonVPN expands the company’s cybersecurity offerings with a virtual private network. This VPN uses security features such as DNS protection measures, kill switch and split tunnelling operating from high-security data centres to give you the utmost privacy and access to geoblocked content.

Proton has over 2,900 servers across 65+ countries, so you can find a high-bandwidth server near you to prevent attackers from eavesdropping on your activities and allow you to stream your favourite shows and movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and others. Your identity remains protected without stunting your internet speed or performance.

What sets ProtonVPN apart?

ProtonVPN stands out for providing multiple layers of protection, including military-grade servers for its users. ProtonVPN promotes your online privacy by adhering to a zero-log policy, so it won’t log user data. Independent security experts prove that. Also, so you won’t sacrifice privacy and anonymity for speed and performance, ProtonVPN offers unique features, such as a VPN accelerator and an opportunity to create multiple profiles for different uses. However, it lacks features, such as 24/7 customer support, which most VPN services offer.

Pros

ProtonVPN boasts of a free plan that doesn’t limit the amount of monthly data you can use. Its paid plan includes bonus privacy tools, including the VPN accelerator that enhances your speed by 400%. The VPN is also layered with multiple security measures that ensure your identity stays hidden even when enabling access to your favourite content.

Also, ProtonVPN’s open-source apps are reliable as they are subject to public auditing. Since ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland, Swiss privacy laws will protect your internet activity.

Cons

ProtonVPN lacks a live chat function on the free plan that allows you to troubleshoot issues immediately, so you’ll need to rely on the company’s online knowledge base. Such available resources will, at best, answer common questions, so you’ll need to submit a ticket, hoping to receive a prompt response. Also, ProtonVPN’s free plan is in no way comparable to its paid plans as you won’t get the best speed or gain access to security features, such as the ad-blocker and P2P/BitTorrent support. Plus, you can access ProtonVPN servers in only three countries and connect to one device at a time.

Then, we won’t recommend ProtonVPN to users travelling to a country with internet restrictions, such as China, since ProtonVPN cannot bypass internet firewalls. Express VPN is considered to be the best VPN for breaking through China’s great firewall.

ProtonVPN core features

ProtonVPN combines several features to protect your online privacy and security. Its primary features are anonymous browsing, DNS protection, split tunnelling and a kill switch.

Anonymous browsing

Hackers, advertisers and government agencies can track your online activities through your IP address. But as ProtonVPN blocks your IP address, all they will see is the IP address of your chosen server. Proton holds only a little of your information to further protect your data – no personal ID required for sign-up. You can even sign up using an anonymous ProtonMail email account.

DNS protection measures

When browsing through a website, your browser sends domain name system (DNS) requests to find the requested web page.

The DNS then translates the domain names into IP addresses for your device, which allows spies to read your DNS queries and detect your activities. But ProtonVPN protects DNS queries by routing them through ProtonVPN’s encrypted tunnel, instead of third-party DNS providers. That way, no one monitors your online activities.

When preparing this ProtonVPN review, we ran some tests, including a DNS leak test, and found that you can trust ProtonVPN to secure your DNS queries. The VPN’s DNS leak protection feature is permanently “ON.”

Always-on kill switch

ProtonVPN’s built-in Kill Switch feature is a plan B to maintain your privacy in case you experience internet interruption that disconnects you from the VPN server.

This feature blocks all network traffic and reconnects you to a ProtonVPN server when the connection returns. That way, your actual IP address and DNS queries stay hidden. You can activate the feature permanently or choose when you have it “ON.”

Split tunnelling

ProtonVPN’s split tunnelling feature allows you to route specific connections, including applications and IP addresses, through the VPN tunnel while excluding others.

For example, you can stream a show on Netflix using a VPN server while also surfing the internet with your internet service provider (ISP). This feature is available on Windows and Android devices, and all you need to set it up is to go to the “Advanced” tab and toggle on “Split Tunnelling.”

ProtonVPN pricing and plans

ProtonVPN offers different privacy plans to cater to varying privacy needs. Both a free plan and paid tiers are available, but the more you pay, the better the speed and security features you’ll get.

For example, the free plan is limited to one device and 100-plus servers in three countries, and it doesn’t include peer-to-peer (P2P) support, DNS leak protection and Proton’s ad-blocker feature that increase your privacy and access to geo-restricted content.

ProtonVPN tiered plans

You can choose ProtonVPN’s monthly, yearly or two-year plan, but the two-year plan is recommended since you’ll get 57% off.

ProtonVPN accepts payment via card, bank transfers, PayPal, bitcoin (not available during account sign-up) and cash and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, Proton won’t refund payments made by cash or bank transfers or subscriptions made outside ProtonVPN’s website and apps.

Proton also offers Proton Unlimited, a plan that gives you access to all Proton premium services, including Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive and the ProtonVPN in one subscription.

ProtonVPN setup

Installing ProtonVPN is easy and won’t take more than a few minutes on most devices. It took less than five minutes to set up the VPN on a mac device. ProtonVPN also has clear setup guides for all devices.

To install ProtonVPN on a desktop, go to the ProtonVPN website, and subscribe to a plan. Download and install the app. Then, sign in and connect to a server – that’s all, you’re all set. Installing ProtonVPN on a mobile device is just as easy, but things become tricky when you need ProtonVPN for your router, smart TV or game console.

You’ll need a downloader app to install and connect to ProtonVPN. Thankfully, ProtonVPN provides clear setup guides on how to set up ProtonVPN on different routers. Make sure you follow the instructions carefully so you don’t break the device.

ProtonVPN ease of use

Even though Proton apps have different user interfaces, they are well-optimised and easy to navigate. Once you install the app on your device, you’ll notice the “Quick Connect” icon, which connects users to the faster server. Still, you can choose your preferred server from the server list of 2,900-plus servers down to cities and specific server locations.

To make things easier, ProtonVPN uses a percentage metric and a three-colour system – green, amber and red – to show you how much load each server has. You can also save multiple profiles on your account.

For example, your work profile can use Secure Core for extra security, while your leisure profile uses WireGuard protocol for faster streaming. ProtonVPN also shows you data speeds and connection, so you can see which ones are slow and change your server with one click.

Overall, ProtonVPN is easy to use, but it would be great to see it enable browser extensions and offer users 24/7 live chat support and customer support directly from the VPN apps, not only on the ProtonVPN website.

ProtonVPN servers and locations

ProtonVPN has more than 2,900 servers across 65-plus countries, with most servers located in Europe, North America and South America. Having several servers across the globe, even in Africa and Asia, means you’re more likely to find a VPN near you to protect your online privacy without reducing browsing performance.

ProtonVPN deserves credit for constantly improving its geographic distribution. The company seeks polls from users on which countries to add to its server list.

All ProtonVPN servers use full-disk encryption to prevent data interception, and they come with unique features, such as Secure Core VPN and Tor over VPN, which are available to Proton Plus subscribers.

We enjoyed faster speeds when connected to servers closer to us and those with lower loads. So you might want to check the load metrics and go for closer servers if speed is important to you.

ProtonVPN speed and performance

To get a true impression of ProtonVPN, its speed was tested on a macOS machine using Ookla’s publicly available speed test. While there were different speed levels browsing and streaming from various servers, we maintained good speed levels, especially on servers near our location (in Africa).

As with any other VPN, the speed you will get using ProtonVPN depends on your device, location, internet service provider, server locations, server proximity and the specific VPN protocols you use. So, the trick is to connect to servers closest to your location.

Also, connect to servers with lower loads or use Proton’s VPN accelerator to enjoy a faster and more stable connection. When we used it, it doubled the download and upload rates on average, even when connected to servers in Europe and South America.

ProtonVPN security and privacy

When it comes to security and privacy, ProtonVPN does a good job. It combines robust protocols with standard security features to encrypt your data and guard against prying eyes. It also operates a no-logs policy and offers multifactor authentication.

Use of strong protocols

ProtonVPN uses the following protocols to ensure your online privacy.

• Stealth: ProtonVPN bypasses firewalls and VPN blocking methods by presenting your VPN traffic as regular traffic. This feature is available on Android, iOS and macOS
• Secure Core: ProtonVPN routes your internet traffic through dedicated secure core servers in hardened centres in Switzerland, Iceland’s former military base and Sweden. It defends against network-based attacks, so your true identity stays hidden even if a server gets compromised by an advanced adversary
• NetShield: As a paid user, you’ll access ProtonVPN’s ad-blocker feature, NetShield, which uses Domain Name System (DNS) filtering to prevent privacy-invading ads, trackers and malware infections. That means your device stays clean, and your internet speed increases
• OpenVPN: ProtonVPN uses OpenVPN with its forward secrecy feature to generate new keys for each session. It also runs on UDP or TCP transmission to secure your internet communications
• WireGuard: This open-source VPN protocol is faster than standard VPN protocols, and it is lightweight, giving you enhanced performance. It also uses an advanced ChaCha20 encryption cipher to protect your ProtonVPN connection.

No-logs policy

ProtonVPN has a strict no-logs policy and is located in privacy-friendly Switzerland, which doesn’t have mandatory data-retention laws and is outside of the Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes alliances. So, Proton is not obligated to retain data logs of your online activity, including connection logs, session lengths, IP addresses, visited web pages or location. Independent security experts regularly audit ProtonVPN, confirming their no-logs policy.

Multifactor authentication

Proton enables two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your ProtonVPN account. It requires double verification during the login process, so even if an attacker accesses your password, they cannot log in to your account without your phone. To activate this security feature, install an authenticator app. Then, create a six-digit code for verification whenever you log in.

ProtonVPN customer service and support

ProtonVPN offers email support and support tickets for its paid users. When we created a support ticket, we received an email response within an hour. We asked to know the exact OS versions ProtonVPN works with, and they answered the question clearly and pointed us to resources in case we needed more help.

ProtonVPN’s support also has detailed articles and clear guides organised in categories, such as Download and setup, Troubleshooting and General information.

Not only are the guides thorough with screenshots of specific steps, but you can also use the search option to search for answers quickly. ProtonVPN also has a subreddit, where employees and other users discuss their experiences with the VPN.

ProtonVPN and device compatibility

ProtonVPN is available on multiple devices and platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook, Android TV and routers – keeping you protected whether you work remotely or share an office.

Below are ProtonVPN’s compatibility requirements.

How many devices can you use at once?

ProtonVPN allows Plus plan users to connect up to 10 devices at once using one subscription. The free version will allow you to use only one device.

ProtonVPN for streaming

ProtonVPN has commendable unblocking activities, so you can use the VPN for streaming. For example, it allowed us to view BBC iPlayer from different servers. We also got access to Netflix libraries in Canada and Australia. ProtonVPN also streams on other popular services, including Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Peacock.

However, we noticed that access to georestricted content varies between regions. Also, ProtonVPN’s free plan doesn’t support streaming.

ProtonVPN lacks a smart DNS for streaming on devices such as gaming consoles and smart TVs that don’t typically support VPN. To use ProtonVPN on such devices, you’ll need to set up ProtonVPN on your router manually.

ProtonVPN alternatives and how they compare

Proton vs. PIA VPN

Proton and Private Internet Access offer similar pricing and number of devices and they both offer the Kill Switch feature and a no-logs policy.

But when it comes to the number of servers available, Private Internet Access stands out with 35,000 servers – that’s over 12 times more than the number of servers that ProtonVPN has.

Also, Private Internet Access VPN enables browser extensions and offers a dedicated IP address, which is important for small businesses and remote workers. Plus, for a fee, users can add more devices.

Proton vs. Bitdefender VPN

ProtonVPN and Bitdefender VPN offer online privacy and security for up to 10 devices on one subscription. They also have similar features, such as the kill switch.

However, Bitdefender VPN has more servers than Proton, boasting more than 4,000 servers, whereas Proton currently has less than 3,000 servers. Bitdefender VPN also allows VPN extension of browsers, including Firefox and Chrome.

Bitdefender VPN is a cheap VPN, but Proton beats it in terms of server locations, being available in 65+ countries. Bitdefender is available in 51.

Proton vs. NordVPN

ProtonVPN and NordVPN won’t log your internet sessions, since they are headquartered in Switzerland and Panama, respectively. They offer kill switches, too.

However, ProtonVPN has only about 2,900 servers, while NordVPN has more than 5,000 servers, giving users more options from which to choose. Also, NordVPN is available for Chrome and Firefox extensions. It also offers a dedicated IP address for an additional fee.

Meanwhile, ProtonVPN allows you to connect to up to 10 devices at the same time, whereas NordVPN only allows up to six.

Is ProtonVPN right for you or your business?

ProtonVPN protects individuals and businesses from third-party interruptions and monitoring and allows them access to restricted content.

ProtonVPN for personal use

ProtonVPN is best suited for individuals or occasional remote workers such as journalists and activists who require excellent security protocols, fast speeds and access to a decent number of servers – all provided by a company with strict privacy policies.

ProtonVPN for business use

For small businesses, though, the lack of tailored features may not be worth the price tag, especially since there’s no support team readily available to pick up your calls when needed. Meanwhile, the free version is good enough to get a feel of what a VPN can do for you; but bear in mind that it comes with limited features and won’t allow more than one connection.

Our expert take on ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN has the standard features required for internet privacy and adds extra layers of security and features for enhancing your browsing or streaming performance when using the VPN. Its free version also comes with limitless bandwidth, but Proton has some limitations.

For example, you have to contact their sales team for a dedicated IP address, and enables browser extensions only on paid plans. Also, it is not powerful enough to bypass internet restrictions in censor-heavy countries.

Overall, it is a secure VPN, and its company keeps upgrading it, and that’s with users’ input. So, sample its free plan or subscribe to a Plus plan. You can always cancel your subscription – no contracts, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.

* conversion correct as of 12 September 2023