| VPN | ProtonVPN |
| Based in | Switzerland |
| Logs | No logs |
| Price | $8.00/mo. |
| Support | |
| Refund | 30 days |
| Website | ProtonVPN.com |
ProtonVPN is a smaller VPN service from the makers of ProtonMail, a Switzerland-based email provider.
In this new and updated review, I put ProtonVPN through extensive testing to examine all aspects of the service:
- How fast is ProtonVPN with servers throughout the network?
- Do all the features work correctly?
- Does ProtonVPN have any problems with IP address leaks or DNS leaks?
- How responsive is the ProtonVPN support staff?
- Does ProtonVPN unblock Netflix?
All of these questions are answered in this ProtonVPN review, with screenshots posted below.
Overall ProtonVPN has made some good improvements, but it still lags behind other leading VPNs in a few key areas.
ProtonVPN overview
Here is a brief overview of my test results and research findings for this ProtonVPN review:
Pros of ProtonVPN:
- Useful privacy features (no leaks)
- Secure server network (secure core)
- Good privacy jurisdiction and data protection policies
- User-friendly VPN apps
- Responsive and professional support (via email)
- Transparent company with a good track record
Cons of ProtonVPN:
- Below-average speeds
- High prices (for access to all servers and features)
Additional research findings:
- Payment options and refund policy
- Does ProtonVPN work for torrenting?
- Is ProtonVPN good for Netflix?
- Does ProtonVPN work in China?
Pros of ProtonVPN
Here are the Pros that I found for this ProtonVPN review.
1. Useful privacy features (and no leaks)
ProtonVPN has some useful privacy and security features.
First, it offers good leak protection settings with the Windows and Mac OS apps I tested. In addition to the kill switch and DNS leak protection, both the Windows and Android clients also offer a split tunneling feature, just like ExpressVPN. This allows you to route traffic for certain applications outside of the VPN tunnel.
ProtonVPN also offers different settings for auto connect, protocol selection (UDP or TCP), and startup options. Regarding the kill switch and leak protection settings, everything worked well in testing for this review.
I ran the Windows and Mac OS apps through some basic VPN tests to identify potential leaks or flaws. Everything checked out (no leaks):
The screenshot above is with the ProtonVPN Windows client. The Mac OS client also did not have any leaks that I could find.
ProtonVPN encryption and VPN protocols
The ProtonVPN Windows client and Linux script utilizes the OpenVPN protocol. The Mac OS, Android, and iOS apps utilize the IKEv2 protocol.
For the data channel, ProtonVPN uses an AES-256-CBC cipher together with HMAC SHA-512 authentication.
2. Secure server network (Secure Core)
ProtonVPN runs its entire network on dedicated bare-metal servers. This is similar to Perfect Privacy and OVPN in Sweden.
Currently, ProtonVPN has 1,057 servers in 54 different countries. This isn’t too bad for geographic diversity and is about on par with NordVPN.
One unique aspect of ProtonVPN is their implementation of Secure Core.
What is Secure Core?
The Secure Core feature is basically a double-hop VPN server configuration routed through ProtonVPN servers in Switzerland, Sweden, or Iceland. In other words, your traffic will first get routed through one of the Secure Core servers before going to the second VPN server and exiting the encrypted tunnel.
The main advantage of the Secure Core servers is that it provides an additional layer of protection. This protects against a compromised server in a third-party data center, for example. ProtonVPN has gone to great lengths to ensure the security of these “core” servers:
We have also gone to extraordinary lengths to defend our Secure Core servers. First, servers are located in countries selected specifically for their strong privacy laws (Iceland, Switzerland, and Sweden). We also placed our Secure Core servers in high-security data centers to ensure strong physical security. ProtonVPN infrastructure in Switzerland and Sweden is housed in underground data centers, while our Iceland servers are on a former military base. Furthermore, Secure Core servers are wholly owned and provisioned by us(shipped on-site directly from our offices). Finally, Secure Core servers are connected to the Internet using our own dedicated network with IP addresses that are owned and operated by our own Local Internet Registry (LIR).
In addition to ProtonVPN, there are also other VPN providers that offer multi-hop VPN configurations. Unlike with ProtonVPN, however, these other providers do not have the same physical security infrastructure in place.
To use the Secure Core servers, you will need to have a “Plus” or “Visionary” subscription. (We’ll examine the subscription levels more below.) Within the ProtonVPN client, you can toggle the Secure Core servers off/on and then connect to the one you want.
I found the Secure Core servers to generally work well, without any bugs.
Are Secure Core servers slow?
The Secure Core servers I tested for this ProtonVPN review were not very fast. However, this is not surprising since traffic is getting routed and encrypted over two locations. This adds more latency and will be slower than a single-hop connection.
Here is a Secure Core double-VPN server in Switzerland > Canada.
ProtonVPN’s secure core is slower than other servers. You can see the ping (latency) is somewhat high. This would not be the best VPN for gaming, where low ping is important. Gamers should instead use single-hop servers close to their location.
If you want the fastest VPN speeds with double-VPN servers, then I would recommend NordVPN. Below you can see I’m getting about 214 Mbps with a double-VPN server from NordVPN: USA > Canada.
You can find double-VPN servers in a few other VPNs, as we discuss in the Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison.
3. Good privacy jurisdiction and data protection policies
ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland under the company ProtonVPN AG. Switzerland is a good privacy jurisdiction and is not part of the five eyes, nine eyes, or 14 eyes surveillance alliances. As noted on the ProtonVPN website:
We are headquartered in Switzerland which has some of the world’s strongest privacy laws. Switzerland is also outside of EU and US jurisdiction and is not a member of the fourteen eyes surveillance network.
From a business standpoint, ProtonVPN is a separate entity from ProtonMail. However, it still falls under the same parent organization, Proton Technologies AG, based in Geneva, Switzerland. As we’ve covered before, Switzerland is a great jurisdiction for both VPN services and secure email providers.
There are many USA VPN providers that claim jurisdiction does not matter. However, we’ve seen cases where VPNs have logged user data for various state agencies, such as the case with IPVanish.
There have also been US VPN providers caught embedding trackers in their apps, or sharing data with advertisers, such as the case with Hotspot Shield VPN. We also see this with many free Chinese VPN apps.
ProtonVPN logs policy
ProtonVPN describes itself as a no-logs VPN provider. The one thing they store is timestamps, as explained on their support page:
ProtonVPN respects its users’ privacy and enforces a no-logs policy. This means your VPN connections remain private and we do not store information about your connections or the websites you visit.
For the purpose of securing your account and making sure it’s you who is signing in, we store a single timestamp of your accounts most recent login. Again, we do not store any information about where you signed in from or how long you were logged in.
The ProtonVPN privacy policy offers further clarification on the timestamp issue:
Each time a user connects to the Service, we only monitor the timestamp of the last successful login attempt. This gets overwritten each time you successfully log in. This timestamp does not contain any identifying information, such as your IP address or your location; it only contains the time and date of the login.
We retain this limited information to protect user accounts from password brute force attacks. This is necessary to identify password guessing attempts targeting specific user accounts and to take action to protect those accounts.
This is definitely not concerning given that it’s a single timestamp. ProtonVPN also explains in this blog post how they are fully compliant with GDPR privacy protections and do not share data with third parties.
Want to see some alternatives? Check out these verified no logs VPN providers.
4. User-friendly VPN apps
ProtonVPN has a very nice lineup of apps that are user-friendly and fully-featured.
The layout and design are great, and I also like the dark-mode theme. Here I’m testing out one of the Secure Core configurations on the ProtonVPN Windows client:
In general, connections were pretty quick to establish and there weren’t any major issues. While ProtonVPN is not the best VPN for PC, the desktop clients still worked well in our tests.
ProtonVPN offers dedicated clients (apps) for all major devices and operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you can use ProtonVPN through a client or natively, such as with the IKEv2 protocol on iOS. ProtonVPN does not currently support the WireGuard VPN protocol. Many VPNs are integrating WireGuard into their service due to the performance and security advantages. One recent example of this is VyprVPN adding WireGuard and seeing a massive speed boost.
There are also various startup and notification preferences you can customize within the ProtonVPN client.
ProtonVPN also has a command line tool for Linux, but I’ve seen a lot of complaints (see these best VPNs for Linux instead). For Mac OS, you can use the native IKEv2 protocol or the ProtonVPN Mac OS client. Unfortunately, because it does not support the OpenVPN protocol, I would not consider ProtonVPN to be the best VPN for Mac.
5. Responsive email support
ProtonVPN offers support via email. Their website also has various FAQ articles and guides, which are useful for standard questions.
I used the contact form on their website to submit various inquiries to test out support’s response time.
Overall I was happy with the prompt replies. My inquiries were usually answered on the same day they were submitted. With previous ProtonVPN reviews, I was critical of their support due to delayed response times (several days). Support with ProtonVPN has definitely improved over the past few years.
Most of the large VPN services, such as CyberGhost and others, offer live chat support. If this is important, you may want to look elsewhere, but the email support was still responsive and helpful.
6. Transparent company with a good track record
It’s no secret that Proton Technologies, including ProtonVPN and ProtonMail, has a good reputation in the privacy community. It is also a company that is transparent and led by reputable, public-facing people.
ProtonMail was started in 2014 by a group of academics/scientists who were working at CERN in Switzerland and also MIT. On the topic of transparency, ProtonMail published an interesting blog post about the organization and leadership:
As a company, we are committed to the highest levels of transparency so you know exactly who you are trusting. Our key employees and their backgrounds are public knowledge. Where we are based, the address of our headquarters, our company statutes, and even our directors are all a matter of public record and available for inspection at the Swiss commercial register. ProtonMail’s initial financing through crowdfunding is also publicly documented, along with the identities of many of our initial 10,000 financial backers. But we go even further than that. We also meticulously document and publish information on all the law enforcement requests that we receive.
Transparency also extends to our communications. We have a published threat model for our services that explains what we can and can’t protect against, and also a very clear privacy policy. Furthermore, important updates are regularly posted on our blog and disseminated to the Proton community. We also engage in daily conversations with the Proton community on Reddit, Twitter, and other platforms.
As noted above, ProtonVPN and ProtonMail both fall under the parent company Proton Technologies AG, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The ProtonVPN arm of this business is officially registered as ProtonVPN AG, which shares the same core leadership as ProtonMail.
Cons of ProtonVPN
Now we’ll take a look at some of the cons of ProtonVPN:
1. Below-average speeds
While ProtonVPN has generally improved with speeds since the last review, it’s also not the fastest VPN I’ve tested. To measure speeds, I tested out various ProtonVPN servers around the US and Europe on a 500 Mbps from my location in the US.
For the first round of ProtonVPN speed tests, I tested servers in the United States.
Here was a ProtonVPN server in Seattle: 92 Mbps
This is not very good when you consider my baseline speed of 500 Mbps.
Next I tested a ProtonVPN server in Los Angeles. The speeds were not as fast at around 82 Mbps.
You can see we are still way below the baseline speed.
Next up, a server in New York offered speeds around 101 Mbps. This was the best speed test we found in this ProtonVPN review.
Lastly, I tested a ProtonVPN server in the UK. This was the slowest ProtonVPN server I found at 20 Mbps.
These are not good speed test results from ProtonVPN. There are definitely some faster VPNs on the market if you have a need for speed.
Take for example NordVPN, which fully supports the WireGuard protocol. With NordVPN, I was able to hit 445 Mbps when testing out NordVPN server in Seattle:
The screenshot above was from a NordVPN server in Seattle, while using the WireGuard protocol.
Note: These slow speeds are one reason that ProtonVPN did not come out on top in the ProtonVPN vs NordVPN comparison.
2. ProtonVPN prices are above average (for full access)
With most VPNs, you can select different durations for your subscription, but you’ll still get access to all features. ProtonVPN does things differently. Of course, they offer the limited “free VPN” that only gives you a few servers. But let’s take a look at paid plans below.
One thing you’ll notice with ProtonVPN is that they restrict features and servers on the lower-cost plans. In other words, to get all features and access to the entire server network, you’ll need to purchase a “Plus” or “Visionary” plan, which costs $8 to $30 per month.
This makes ProtonVPN rather expensive (for all features) and it is not the cheapest VPN by a long shot.
For those wanting maximum security and privacy, I’d recommend the Plus subscription because it provides access to the Secure Core server network. The Visionary plan is quite expensive, but it may be a good fit if you want a combined solution for VPN and secure email service, all rolled into one subscription.
For a better value, I’d recommend going with ExpressVPN or NordVPN, which is only $3.71 per month when you use the NordVPN coupon.
Fortunately you can test drive ProtonVPN with the free VPN. This basically acts like a free trial VPN, allowing you to upgrade if you like the service.
Additional research findings
Below are additional findings from my research of ProtonVPN for this review.
ProtonVPN payment options and refund policy
To get started with ProtonVPN, you can create a free or paid account. If you opt for a paid account, you’ll have the option to pay with PayPal or a credit card. However, if you are upgrading your account, you’ll have the option to pay with:
- Credit cards
- PayPal
- Bitcoin
- Cash
Bitcoin and cash can offer more privacy, but you can also pay with a virtual credit card (such as from privacy.com) using an anonymous name and address.
ProtonVPN refund policy
ProtonVPN offers a pretty good refund policy. As they explain on their Terms and Conditions page,
You may cancel your account with a refund for any unused portion of the service period within 30 days of the initial purchase. Here, any unused portion of the service period refers to the prorated remaining full days of the subscription period. Refunds or credits beyond the 30 days window will be considered, but at the sole discretion of the Service.
This is somewhat different from other VPN services in that they do not offer a full 100% refund, but rather a prorated refund of unused time. Nonetheless, it is still generous in comparison to other free VPN services, such as Windscribe and TunnelBear, which both have more restrictive refund policies.
Does ProtonVPN work for torrenting?
Many people are looking for the best VPN for torrenting due to the risks associated with copyright infringement.
Generally speaking, ProtonVPN is a good VPN for torrenting, but with one catch. Torrenting is not supported on the free plans. This is understandable since they don’t want bandwidth being eaten up by torrents.
With paid plans, torrenting is completely supported and allowed without restrictions.
Is ProtonVPN good for Netflix?
ProtonVPN is OK for Netflix. It supports a few different regions, but doesn’t support as many Netflix libraries as other top-name VPNs, such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
Let’s see what they state on their website about Netflix streaming with ProtonVPN:
ProtonVPN users can securely watch US Netflix when connected to any ProtonVPN Plus server located in the US. These servers are available for Plus and Visionary Plan subscribers. For the fastest and most reliable connection, please connect to the server that is closest to your current location.
I tested US Netflix with a ProtonVPN server in New York and did not have any problems getting through. The speeds were adequate for the short tests that I ran.
Note: ProtonVPN currently supports the following Netflix regions:
- US Netflix
- UK Netflix
- German Netflix
To see other VPN services that unblock Netflix regions around the world, check out the best VPN for Netflix guide.
Note: You will need a paid VPN plan to access Netflix (not working with ProtonVPN free plans).
Does ProtonVPN work in China?
Unfortunately, it does not look like ProtonVPN is working in China, according to the latest support update:
As of Sept. 18, 2019, the Chinese government is blocking access to ProtonVPN as part of a larger crackdown on Internet freedom.
The Chinese government works hard to control its citizens’ access to the Internet. The Great Firewall employs a vast system of technical tools, including DNS filtering, URL filtering, and deep packet inspection, that the Chinese government uses to prevent people in China from accessing foreign websites. The government also uses these tools to detect and block VPN servers.
You can see these best VPNs for China instead.
ProtonVPN review conclusion
When I first tested out ProtonVPN in 2017 after its official launch, I was somewhat critical due to various bugs and problems I encountered. Now, a few years later, it has made some good improvements.
However, the drawbacks with ProtonVPN remain problematic. It simply does not perform on the level of some of the leading VPNs. Server speeds can be hit or miss, depending on your geographic area, servers selected, and other factors. The other issue is that ProtonVPN remains a very expensive option, especially if you want access to all features and servers.
Nonetheless, ProtonVPN remains a solid choice, with excellent security from a very reputable company. So if you think it’s up your alley, it doesn’t hurt to give it a test drive.
You can get started with ProtonVPN here.
Alternatives to ProtonVPN
Click the VPN name below to read our full review – or grab the discount for the best savings. All three of these VPNs have a 30 day money-back guarantee.
You can also check out our best VPNs list here for other recommendations.
If you have used ProtonVPN, feel free to share your honest review (good or bad) below.
ProtonVPN Review
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Review
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Dont know why but basic server is much faster than secure core servers. And also, plus servers too. Weird . Tor server is also faster too 😐
Just want to know whats with the tor icon next to servers ? Does it mean that server is connected to tor?
Does it mean vpn over tor ? Or vpn+ tor or tor inside vpn? There are several. Pls do mention that , cause its rather cool. I mean using that with tor browser, what will it mean? Both tor inside vpn + tor browser tor?
Yes these are ProtonVPN servers that exit onto the Tor network. So your computer > VPN server > Tor network > regular internet.
Ty. So that means its safer like that than using tor browser directly without vpn ? Also lets say i use the tor browser, what will it be ? Vpn over tor (proton) + tor browser tor. Will it mean double tor kinda?
Hi Guys and Galz, been using Proton VPN since its inception and love the service using secure core, yes sometimes the service can be slow on speeds sometimes but for me being on the premium service and also using the proton mail service is great especially for work.
Overall i am still generally satisfied with the service, i have only had one problem with an update and the customer service via e mail was 100 percent to correct the fault which they explained to me how to fix in a very short time.
I’m a proton user on Debian 10. I was satisfied for a long time but during the last month I had some issues with the internet access: I can connect to the server but randomly it doesnt’ connect to the internet. Sometimes it works at the first attempt, sometimes it doesn’t.
To solve it I have to try again on different serves until I find a good one.
This is a bit frustrating, because I tried some other (famous and high rated) services but they don’t meet my needs or they are buggy. Proton is still the best for me. I also wrote a simple but effective bash script to easily handle CLI commands and it would be a pity to unsubscribe because of this problems.
I don’t even think it’s because of Linux: it’s the same distro I used when I started to use Proton.
I hope they will solve this problem that, I repeat, is random and not constant.
Is there any other user with the same troubles?
@Libero
I am using ProtonVPN for almost 24 months now. Overall satisfied, speed is generally good too. Also for me, since the last month or so, sometimes the VPN is just refusing to connect. Then, after some time, it connects again. Never had this before and it is quite frustrating. Since my 24-month plan is ending at the end of November I am now in doubt: to renew, or to cancel….
Just switched to Debian myself. So I can only say that it is working fine for me, right now.
The only suggestion and thought is what system are you using? Is it their CLI or the old one? Is it up to date?
I would reach out to ProtonVPN and ask for tech help. They may be beat at solving the issue. I heard they are makinging a GUI for Linus, but that is just rumers right now.
Although I knew about VPNs and have used Tor Browser for years (with my own scripts to select country/exit node) I have found more websites (using Cloudflare) are blocking Tor users. My threat model doesn’t involve nation states monitoring me. I don’t torrent or care about movies/TV. I just don’t want advertisers and stores tracking and databasing my interests. This is why I tried the free version of Proton, just to learn and gain experience.
So far, I have set up and tested 7 servers in 2 countries using Linux and NetworkManager. Seems easy and reasonably fast for my use case. All I need to do is figure out how to split tunnel so my email goes direct to my ISP and then maybe I’ll move on to another VPN to try WireGuard.
I got tracker control off of fdroid. I was on protonvpn before it. Now it seems I’m on tracker control vpn service. Should I be alarmed? Should I trust the apps on fdroid? I find your website very refreshing and informative.
I can’t seem to get into the Proton website using Chrome or Firefox. Both of them give me a security screens. This is Chrome’s:
“This site can’t be reachedThe connection was reset.
Try:
Checking the connection
Checking the proxy and the firewall
Running Windows Network Diagnostics
ERR_CONNECTION_RESET”
My Proton mobile VPN is still working but did connect quite slowly.
Is there a security problem with Proton?
I have tried all of Proton’s plans:Free,Basic and Plus.In all,without exception, the speed is slow and using Secure Core,the speed is torturously slow.It’s an application that doesn’t meet the needs of the present and the future.Nevertheless,depending on what it offers, ProtonVpn costs very expensively.
I will never forget the response of a representative of the support: “Because Switzerland is an expensive country,ProtonVpn costs expensively”.Such “diamonds” manage and serve this company.I feel compelled to suggest you stay away,very far,from ProtonVpn.
As a former user,I point out that where there is smoke there is also fire. Fire is the ProtonVPN cons.
1. ProtonVPN is located in Switzerland which is also a cooperating member of the extended Eyes security alliance.
2. Servers speeds are too slow for the price.
3. Limited device compatibility.
4. Limited torrenting available.
5. Limited protocols(OpenVPN only).
6. Irregular application development (Thunderbird Mail,Windows Mail).
I don’t recommend ProtonVpn because is cooperative with other aggressive government agencies around the world,the servers speeds were not good and the device options are limited.The pricing,even with a 20% annual discount,is still on the high end for what you’re getting in return.
There are just so many better options available,with the same connection strength,faster performance,and more devices,for far less.
“Switzerland which is also a cooperating member of the extended Eyes security alliance.”
Do you have a source for this?
Switzerland is not an official member of these surveillance alliances. I have seen references to an MLAT treaty (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty) between Switzerland and the US that pertains to bank accounts. Nonetheless, Switzerland remains a much better jurisdiction than many other places.
This is a worldwide agreement that essentially helps government agencies to spy on each others citizens in the name of “worldwide safety.”So a Swiss-based location means you’re mostly good. Your privacy is mostly safe.The good news is that ProtonVPN doesn’t keep a lot of their customer data on file. But just keep in the back of their mind that their government might force them to cooperate.
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/06/actually-most-countries-are-increasingly-spying-on-their-citizens-the-un-says/276614/
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session23/A.HRC.23.40_EN.pdf
To each their own. GL finding your perfect VPN. Maybe it’s the one paying for your vitriol. O.o
Please when you post multiple links regarding Switzerland, make sure the word “Switzerland” is mentioned in the documents. I didn’t waste my time reading them after coming up blank on the search.
ctrl+f > Switzerland + enter 0 of 0
Yes I do use Protonmail and ProtonVPN.
Just keep in mind that logic and emotion don’t go hand in hand.
Good luck! See you,I hope not soon!
It’s clear that Switzerland is not an official cooperating member of the extended Eyes security alliance.
However,there is a secret global agreement that essentially helps government agencies spy on each other in the name of global security. Does anyone doubt?
Note that Switzerland provides some cooperation(Club of Berne)with the Alliance of Smart English-speaking Five Eyes,which may delay them with specific geopolitical concerns.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20171016163737/https://www.privacyinternational.org/node/412)
While almost every VPN claims to maintain zero user log files, none of them remain true to their word.
Should we trust VPN Providers? Without exception,none of them.
You said, “While almost every VPN claims to maintain zero user log files, none of them remain true to their word.”
This is not true. There are verified and audited no-logs VPN providers. Just because there are a few bad apples that have given up logs, it does not mean they are all doing so.
Sir, you have every right to oppose my view.
However,due to my conviction and long experience,I doubt everything.
The truth is never the only one.That’s why it doesn’t exist.
The truth has millions of faces,but there is only one truth.
What is the truth?For the majority,it’s what he reads and listens to all the time.
In all matters,it’s healthy,from time to time,to hang a question mark on things that we take for granted.
There are things known and things unknown and there are doors between them(Jim Morrison).
Paid 10 euros for the tariff, transaction confirmation is available, the tariff is not enabled!
https://blockchair.com/bitcoin/transaction/e374bedfce605b8e6222f82a6159bb015948015043926f4bc897a9d53e8ebd3b
Proton VPN is now on F -Droid.
I’m using Protonvpn and Protonmail. We are in 2020 and Protonvpn has evolved as much as you can’t imagine. I don’t think there is a better vpn on earth than Proton. Do I exaggerate? I don’t. It’s fast to very fast even with the Secure Core.Protonvpn has no adverse effect on the system,it’s like it doesn’t exist. It offers reliability and absolute protection and there is not the slightest possibility of leaks. Protonvpn works as perfectly as a Swiss watch.
I point out that Protonvpn is receiving hostile reviews from many websites and it’s not advertised as it should be. The reason is understandable. Usually when a Vpn is advertised so much by the websites,something goes wrong.
You are living in an illusion.
Or were you paid to publish this comment?
Hi Sven
ProtonVPN says it has servers dedicated to P2P. What does that mean? Is P2P allowed only on these servers? If I connect to a server that is not dedicated to P2P and receive data, then my data leaked? There is no information on Proton’s website.
Hi Peter, no you don’t have to worry about any leaks, you’ll be secure. I think the P2P servers are optimized for high bandwidth transfer and therefore are ideal for P2P downloads. Also, they are probably in locations that aren’t problematic for torrents. In the US, many data centers will ban VPN providers for copyright infringement issues (i.e. when VPN users torrent copyrighted material). So some VPN providers designate P2P servers in locations where this isn’t a problem. I’m not certain if ProtonVPN is blocking P2P traffic on non-P2P servers, that would be a question for their support department.
Thanks for the answer.
I tested a premium server closer to my country that was not dedicated to P2P. It worked without warning. I think it’s fine. I tested it on ip/dns detect and it keeps showing the server I chose.
Just tried the free version out, total POS. Wouldn’t even connect me to a single website, despite my ‘pro trial’, before demanding money. 0/10, doesn’t work and demands money for a service the free version can’t even provide the basics of.
So you are saying that websites were blocking you when connected to ProtonVPN?
Am I blind, or did you forget to mention, that ProtonVPN went Open Source ?
Yep, I will add that to the next review update.
ProtonVPN is now open source and can be downloaded from GitHub.
https://github.com/ProtonVPN/android-app/releases
Good step. Just waiting for Email now with push notifications.
I have used ProtonVPN for about 18 months and ProtonMail for a bit longer. Currently am a Plus user and satisfied, for the most part, with the product.
The advantages I experience are in line with those stated in the review.
The ProtonVPN is “pricey” but appears to be in the “…you get what you pay for…” category.
I have had four issues with ProtonVPN and a rapid response/resolution is the norm to date.
To be fair, my own inept tinkering was the root of one issue with ProtonVPN that went on for some time but when advised of this finding, their reply was gracious to a fault.
However, I express vociferous protest at ProtonVPN’s apparent refusal to provide access to their mobile product except through the Google Play Store.
In my perspective, Proton and Google are pretty close to dead opposites on the privacy/fair play spectrum. Proton’s limiting product availability to using Google is rapidly becoming a very sore point for me.
Granted, ProtonVPN says they will provide apk access on request, but that weak offering is nothing like I expected from an otherwise staunch advocate of privacy.
Given the ever increasing scope of Google’s invasive acts to remove every vestige of personal privacy, it is impossible to reconcile ProtonVPN’s position.
As I wrote this, the decision to not renew my Proton VPN subscription was solidified.
This has been my argument as well (you can see my comment below).
I have been told it is in the plans to release on F-Droid but they are not sure when.
Wish they would hurry.
I posted this in the VPN review and thought this would be a good place as well. ProtonVPN just came out with their 2.0 app for Android. It now allows the user to chose between the standard IKEv2 protocol or now it can use the OpenVPN protocol.
The information here seems to point to the OpenVPN as being more secure so I switched to it. I have been very happy with the service, the speeds and the product now for a while and while I did notice a slight slowing of speed, the service seems to continue pretty quickly, even using the Secure Core.
Their new app can either be had from the Google play store (which I do not use) or requesting the APK (which they sent to me). I was able to download and am now using their system. Couple of things to note:
1) You must sign out of and log off the old VPN app before installing the new one.
2) Before accessing the servers, you can go into the settings and chose which protocol you want to use but you cannot switch while logged in.
I, again, am happy with the service and product. I do not work for nor am I earning anything from this review but I do wish to help the site to keep up with changes that are happening.
My one complaint and continued emailed request: PUT THE APP ON F-DROID!!! Not just the VPN but also the Email. Google is such an anathema to the purpose of Proton that I see no reason to not put it on the FOSS markets. Proton, if you are read this, Please make this happen!
I’ve used many other VPNs. This is certainly the best. The secure core service works great with fast speeds. Customer service responsive. I won’t use anything else.
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No logs is a damn lie.
https://old.reddit.com/r/ProtonVPN/comments/93pp40/protonvpn_does_keeping_logs/
The article is interesting. However, the OP was not logged as much as tracked due to broad attacks on a server.
Live tracing is not a log and I cannot blame a compny for wanting to protect their servers.
That was what they were explaining.
Now this is absolutely hilarious – that’s the second time today I’ve seen that URL. SO I’m adding my two cents:
Logging & Monitoring are two entirely separate concepts in cyber security. I could (as an example) monitor traffic on my home network all day long without any problem. HOWEVER (due to gaming, streaming, torrenting etc.) if I started LOGGING everything (keeping a ‘written’ record of all traffic monitored) I’d quite possibly run out of HDD space in a month or two.
With this said, ProtonVPN does NOT log anything you do. However, when there is suspicious activity on one of their servers, they immediately monitor the incoming and outgoing traffic. With this said, just because you’re using a VPN service does not mean that it is impossible to decipher the encrypted traffic. In fact, I’d be concerned if a VPN service DIDN’T know how to decipher their own product in the event of an emergency (and with hacking considered by most countries to be a form of terrorism) it should be quite obvious that after monitoring traffic, pinpointing the source of suspicious activity, they would (and in this case DID) decipher the information being passed through THEIR company, in order to find and ban the culprit.
FACT REMAINS that even IF ProtonVPN were to log your activity (which a long list of VPN services INCLUDING ExpressVPN DOES do) you would still be able to appeal/dispute anyone attempting to find out what the exact nature of your activities are due to the Swiss Laws regarding consumer privacy.
IN OTHER WORDS, if the NSA wanted to shove their nose where it most definitely is NOT desired, at least you’d have the option to argue your point of view in court (since you’d be notified of this) whereas other VPN services may hand over your information without you ever knowing it.
Back to my original point, monitoring traffic simply means you are looking at information being transferred on a network (which you can do yourself if you’re curious what it looks like, using WireShark which is an opensource program found on various Linux Distributions, and I believe there is also a version for Windblows, I mean Windows if I’m not mistaken). From there, albeit rather tedious and annoying, you can find out what devices are talking to each other, what information is being sent etc. in order to find suspicious activity. In fact, you don’t exactly need to understand what’s going on to get an idea – get a 50$ barely running laptop, throw Kali on it, and watch your own network for a day or two. Then use the Orbital Ion Cannon (opensource program) to launch an attack for 3 seconds (or just use many of the tools available on Kali Linux to spoof your router), and you’ll understand just how easy you can sniff out something that simply doesn’t look right.
NOTE: I do not recommend an attack longer than 3 seconds, nor do I recommend performing pentesting methods on any devices OTHER THAN YOUR OWN as this may result in damage and/or equipment malfuntion. Your ISP will (probably) already notice with a 3 second attack (however it is NOT illegal in the US to do this ON YOUR OWN PERSONAL BELONGINGS) however, you could potentially cause damage and/or other problems with a prolonged attack so do so at your own risk. I claim absolutely NO RESPONSIBILITY for someone else’s idiocy, or curiosity (and there is a very thin line between the two).
😁 ok. Winblows got me. I will have to use that. Thanks.
I had used the free version and jumped to the paid. I have really no difference in my perspective of speeds.
The thing I love is I can set the VPN for auto log. As soon as I start my system, it auto logs before anything else can start.
The speed of the Protonprogram on windows and Android is not good..
The ProtonDNS is OKay..
BUT…..
I use Proton with OpenVPN and OpenNIC(dns) and it is really really great.
Its the fastest (trusted) free VPN you can find, for sure.
And the most people that search a good VPN is to Paranoid..
Is it bether to surf over a managed server from a seychelles country, and you dont nothing over the the company or is it bether a company that exist for many years and as known as a privacy company and one of the oldest PGPmails..
You need a good Privacy Proton will do it well for sure.
When you search a VPN for streaming or torrent, u can use everyVPN, that has servers in Country where it is legal.. But you need a Company that you are your information trusted.. this is important!
Many Peoples search and want a vpn, that are a offshore company and Real nolog and ramdisk.. the question is why it must offshore, when they really not logging..
Why the servers must in ramdisk, when they not logg??
Its the same, when you want a car with no engine but a airbag must be installt..
Sorry but its true..
Only choose a country that allows your “things that you want to do”.
Simple..
I gave ProtonVPN a try with the free plan and it wasn’t too bad. In fact, the speeds were pretty good, no complaints. Assuming the Plus plan would be even better, I decided to pay for an account. But speeds with the Plus plan are pretty bad. It doesn’t matter if you are using Secure Cor or the regular servers, speeds are slow, not happy with performance. I’m going to request a refund and downgrade back to Free.
Protonmail appeared on the show Mr. Robot. That probably accounts for some of Protonvpn’s visibility. I’m slightly embarrassed to say so, but that’s how I ended up using it.
It’s the only VPN I’ve ever used, so take that into consideration.
The Windows and Android clients are definitely both buggy, and I don’t use them. The Android client will actually crash the device if left on too long. On Android I use OpenVPN (which has its own quirks but is reliable). On my PC I use my own home grown setup where I use a Linux box I have as a proxy. The Linux box connects to the VPN using openvpn. This works much better than either of Proton’s clients, although lately sometimes I’ve had to start restarting the connection after an hour or two.
I’m on the basic plan.