Proton VPN Pricing 2026

Proton VPN ranges from free to $12.99/mo. The Free plan costs $0 with unlimited data. VPN Plus costs $2.99/mo (2-year), $4.99/mo (1-year), or $9.99/mo (monthly). Proton Unlimited (VPN + Mail + Drive + Pass + Calendar) costs $7.99/mo (2-year), $9.99/mo (1-year), or $12.99/mo (monthly).

Yes. Proton VPN's free plan is genuinely free with unlimited data, no trial period, no credit card required, and no ads. It is limited to 1 device, medium speeds, and servers in 5 countries (US, Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland). It is one of the only reputable free VPNs that does not sell user data.

VPN Plus ($2.99-$9.99/mo) includes only the premium VPN service with 17,200+ servers, 10 devices, NetShield, and Secure Core. Proton Unlimited ($7.99-$12.99/mo) adds Proton Mail (encrypted email), Proton Pass (password manager), Proton Calendar, and Proton Drive (encrypted storage).

Proton VPN is widely considered one of the most privacy-focused VPNs. It is based in Switzerland (strong privacy laws), is open-source, has been independently audited, uses Secure Core multi-hop routing, and offers a Stealth protocol designed to bypass deep packet inspection in restrictive countries.

Yes. Proton VPN offers a 50% student discount on the 1-year VPN Plus plan, bringing the price down to approximately $2.99/mo (from $4.99/mo). Student verification is required.

Yes, Proton VPN's free plan has no data caps, making it one of the best free VPNs available. However, the free tier is limited to servers in 3 countries (randomly assigned for load balancing), has slower speeds than paid plans, and blocks P2P/torrenting. It's designed for basic browsing from restricted countries like Russia and Iran, not heavy usage.

Streaming support varies. Some Reddit users report success accessing Netflix libraries with Proton VPN's paid plans, while others mention occasional blocks. The free plan has very limited server options (3 countries) which severely restricts streaming capabilities. For dedicated streaming use, several Reddit users suggest ExpressVPN or NordVPN may be more reliable.

The 2-year VPN Plus plan at $2.99/month offers the best standalone VPN value. For even better savings, watch for Black Friday deals (up to 70% off) or access regional pricing through the Google Play Store in eligible countries. If you need email or storage too, the 2-year Proton Unlimited bundle at $9.99/month is the best overall value.

On paid plans, users report only 15-30% speed reduction with the VPN Accelerator technology maintaining fast connections. The free plan is intentionally slower due to server load balancing and limited capacity. Reddit users note that connecting to nearby servers on paid plans maintains near-full speed, while the free tier can be significantly slower.

The paid plans (VPN Plus and Proton Unlimited) allow up to 10 simultaneous device connections. The free plan also supports multiple devices but with the same server and speed limitations across all connections.

Yes, the Free plan is permanent — not a trial — and includes unlimited data with no bandwidth caps, AES-256 encryption, a no-logs policy, kill switch, and DNS leak protection. The main limitations are: servers in only 3 countries with random (not user-selectable) assignment, medium-priority speeds that are intentionally slower than paid tiers, and no P2P/torrenting, streaming optimization, ad-blocking (NetShield), port forwarding, or Secure Core access.

Streaming access for services like BBC iPlayer requires the Proton Unlimited plan, not the VPN Plus plan. At least one user reported subscribing to VPN Plus expecting streaming support and being told they needed to upgrade to the most expensive option.

Yes, all Proton VPN subscriptions auto-renew at the end of each billing period. Monthly subscribers report plans renewing automatically each month. Cancellation is only available through email support — not via immediate self-service — so submit your cancellation request well before the renewal date.

Proton VPN advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, users report the refund process is handled via email-only support with slow response times. For purchases made through the Apple App Store, Proton may direct you to Apple for the refund — and Apple may also refuse. Some users have had to initiate credit card chargebacks to recover their money. Read the terms carefully before purchasing through a third-party app store.

Long-term customers have reported that renewal pricing is significantly higher than the introductory promotional rate — with some users describing renewals at nearly double the original price. Proton customer support has reportedly directed these complaints to terms and conditions rather than offering loyalty discounts. Always confirm the renewal rate before signing up under a promotional price.