George Miller
ProtonVPN Review 2025 – Swiss-Based VPN with a Completely Functional Trial Version
Most free VPNs are either a letdown or a flat-out risk, but Proton VPN breaks the mold. Its free version has a few strings attached when it comes to server access, but it doesn’t nickel and dime you with data limits, sell you out by tracking your activity, or bombard you with annoying ads.
Long story short: it’s easily the best free VPN out there. And if you’re willing to pony up for the premium plan, you’re in for a top-shelf VPN experience.
I put Proton VPN through its paces — ran a couple of speed tests, kicked the tires on multiple devices, and combed through its privacy policy.
I tinkered with every major feature, and streamed hours of content to see how it holds up against geo-blocks. Here’s my honest take on it.
Whether you binge-watch Netflix, hop on planes often, or don’t mess around when it comes to privacy, Proton VPN has you covered.
Its premium plans come packed with fast speeds, rock-solid streaming, stealthy app icons, and a homegrown VPN protocol built for privacy buffs. Let’s get down to the finer details.
Pros and Cons
- Superior transparency and privacy
- Speedy servers
- Ideal for streaming
- 12,000+ servers in more than 115+ countries
- Apps for popular operating systems, including Linux GUI app
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Unlimited and free forever plan available
- Apps could be more intuitive
- Difficult to set up
ProtonVPN – Is It Any Better than the Competition?
Let’s be honest, we’ve all seen the worst of it when it comes to VPNs—bloated apps, snail-like speeds, and sketchy logging policies. But Proton VPN genuinely impressed me. With over 12,000 servers across 117 countries, it actually beats NordVPN’s impressive but slightly smaller fleet of 7,700+ servers.
Performance-wise, Proton VPN holds its ground too. I tested it on multiple devices, ran speed checks (you can find the details here), and streamed hours of content. While NordVPN usually edges ahead in raw speed thanks to its NordLynx protocol, Proton VPN’s VPN Accelerator feature gives it a 400% boost.
But how did they do that? I found that ProtonVPN re-engineered OpenVPN and all other protocols they support to evenly distribute the CPU load.
The VPN Accelerator splits the path between the destination and the VPN server into shorter bits, which unclogs the network congestion.
They have also done code-level modifications to improve packet forwarding. But that’s all technical stuff. Let’s focus on where it matters for the end users like you and me.
Does it safeguard your privacy? As a prospective user, you should know that the same guys behind Proton Mail (yes, the one that is used by public figures who fear of falling prey to cybercrimes) also built ProtonVPN.
It has got AES-256 encryption, and it supports IKEv2 and WireGuard, aside from OpenVPN protocol.
On top of it, ProtonVPN includes a Stealth protocol for bypassing firewalls and censorship—something that really amazed me.
How Do ProtonVPN’s Secure Servers Work?
First of all, these servers are fully owned by Proton AG, a Swiss technology company. Suppose, you’re connecting to a server in a surveillance-heavy country like the US.
If you switch to a Secure Core server, your data first passes through it in privacy-friendly jurisdictions. That way, even if someone’s watching the server in the US, all they’ll see is traffic coming from our Secure Core.
But is it streaming-friendly? I was able to unlock Netflix libraries in multiple countries, and had no issues with Disney+, Prime Video, or even regional services that usually throw a fit when they detect a VPN.
NordVPN might have a slight edge in unblocking trickier platforms, but Proton VPN came through more often than not, with almost no buffering during my tests.
One of the biggest reasons I keep coming back to Proton VPN, though, is its free plan. Unlike other free VPNs that put you on a tight data leash or drown you in ads, Proton’s free tier gives you unlimited data, and with NO ADS! It’s rare.
And if you ever decide to upgrade, the paid plans start around €2.99 /month, which is pretty competitive considering what you’re getting in return.
ProtonVPN – Features at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
| Headquarters | Switzerland |
| No-log policy |  |
| Kill switch | |
| Included devices per license | Up to 10 devices simultaneously with a paid subscription |
| Server locations (countries) | 117+ countries |
| Number of servers | 12,000+ |
| Torrent support | (supported on designated P2P servers) |
| Netflix support | (accessible with Plus and Unlimited plans) |
| Encryption type | AES-256 for OpenVPN and IKEv2; ChaCha20 for WireGuard |
| Customer support | Email support and live chat available for paid users |
| Trial version | (free plan available with no data limits) |
| Split tunnelling | (available on Windows and Android) |
| Multi-hop | Secure Core |
ProtonVPN – Do Users Love It or Hate It?
I spent some time digging through Reddit threads, tweets, and Facebook comments to get a real sense of how people feel about ProtonVPN, and let me tell you—it has a solid reputation among folks who care about privacy.
A lot of users mentioned they specifically avoid VPNs based in 5-, 9-, or 14-eyes countries, and that’s a big reason they gravitate toward Proton. Since it’s based in Switzerland and doesn’t keep logs, people seem to really trust it. One Redditor straight-up called it the most privacy-focused VPN out there and swore by the full Proton suite—Mail, Drive, and Pass included.
I even saw a bunch of users raving about the “Visionary” plan, saying they’d never switch back to Gmail or use shady cloud tools again. You see, that level of loyalty doesn’t happen by accident.
But it’s not all sunshine. I came across a few gripes too. One user flagged a weird issue with Amazon certs when running ProtonVPN through WireGuard on a travel router—it just stopped working out of the blue.
Also, some users are sick of the app always trying to connect to the U.S., which they didn’t want for privacy reasons. They’d gone so far as to manually firewall U.S. servers and still had to fight with it to connect somewhere else.
Is ProtonVPN a Trusted VPN?
After spending some time reading through reviews on Trustpilot, I noticed that ProtonVPN has a surprisingly low rating of 2.2 out of 5. Many users praise its strong privacy features, open-source transparency, and the generous free plan with no data caps.
Some users also mention difficulties with the user interface and challenges in accessing certain streaming services. While the core features are solid, it seems that the overall user experience could be better. Nevertheless, I wanted to test the speed myself to see if these claims hold water.
Did ProtonVPN Pass the Speed Test?
I installed the free trial of ProtonVPN and ran a few speed tests using speedtest.net to see how it holds up. Without the VPN on, I was getting solid speeds – about 103.61 Mbps download and 101.29 Mbps upload.
Then I connected to a Netherlands server, and the download dipped to 88.15 Mbps, while the upload dropped sharply to 45.21 Mbps.
After switching to a Romania server, it dropped even more—79.98 Mbps download and 71.65 Mbps upload. Both servers added noticeable ping as well.
Honestly, I expected some slowdown, but the dip in upload speeds was more than I hoped for. It’s not unusable by any stretch, but if you’re banking on top-tier performance while connected abroad, just know you’re going to take a hit.
Still, for casual browsing and streaming, it should get the job done.
ProtonVPN vs NordVPN vs SurfShark Comparison Table – Which One Is the Best?
| Feature | ProtonVPN | NordVPN | Surfshark |
| Server Count | 12,000+ servers in 117 countries | 7,700+ servers in 118 countries | 3,200+ servers in 100 countries |
| Encryption | AES-256 | AES-256 | AES-256-GCM |
| Protocols | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, Stealth Protocol | OpenVPN, IKEv2, NordLynx (WireGuard-based), NordWhisper | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard |
| No-Logs Policy | Independently audited by Securitum | Independently audited by PwC and Deloitte | Independently audited; operates under a strict no-logs policy |
| Free Plan |  (unlimited data) |
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| Simultaneous Devices | 10 | 6 | Unlimited |
Should You Choose ProtonVPN?
After testing ProtonVPN myself and digging through user reviews and performance data, I can say it strikes a strong balance between privacy, transparency, and functionality. I really like that it’s based in Switzerland, sticks to a verified no-logs policy, and offers standout features like Secure Core and Stealth Protocol. The unlimited-data free plan is rare and useful, and it handled streaming and general browsing well in my experience.
That said, it’s not perfect. I noticed some speed drops on international servers, and users online have raised concerns about GUI design and occasional bugs. Still, if privacy is your top priority, ProtonVPN delivers where it counts.
