Proton VPN: five annual infrastructure audits, no-card free tier, open-source apps
👍 Pros
👎 Cons
The free plan
Proton VPN's free plan covers one device simultaneously and requires no credit card to activate. Proton describes it on their pricing page as not a trial: the plan does not terminate after a set number of days and does not require an upgrade to remain active. The free plan has no monthly data limit. Server selection on the free tier is narrower than on paid plans; a reduced set of server locations is available, and Proton's documentation lists which locations are included on the free tier. The free plan does not include Secure Core, access to the highest-speed server tier, or other paid-tier features. The key constraint is one simultaneous device and the limited location selection, not a data ceiling or a time limit. For a subscriber who wants to use one device and does not need the full paid server network, the free tier provides ongoing access with no financial commitment required to start.
Paid plan structure
VPN Plus, Proton's primary paid tier, supports ten simultaneous connections. Platform coverage includes Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Android TV. Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox are available alongside the desktop and mobile clients. Router installation is supported for devices that cannot run a VPN client directly. Proton VPN is based in Switzerland and governed by Swiss law. Billing is available on monthly, annual, and two-year terms; Proton VPN does not currently offer a subscription on any other billing interval. The plan comparison page on Proton's website lists the current per-month rates for each billing term and details what is included at each tier. Proton also offers a Proton for Business plan for organizational use, separate from the consumer VPN tiers.
Five consecutive annual infrastructure audits
Proton VPN has published five consecutive annual audits of its VPN infrastructure and no-logs policy. Those reports are publicly accessible on Proton's website, meaning anyone can read the findings without being an existing subscriber. The audits are conducted by named third-party firms and examine the server infrastructure, the no-logs policy, and whether Proton's technical implementation is consistent with what the policy states. Five annual assessment cycles without interruption produce an updated public report each year rather than a single historical check that ages without follow-up. The participating firms are identified in the reports. The scope of these five annual audits covers the VPN infrastructure and the no-logs policy specifically.
App and source-code security audits
Proton also has app and source-code security audits on record, separate from the annual infrastructure audits. These examine the application code itself: whether the app behaves consistently with what Proton describes, and whether the implementation contains security issues. They are a distinct program covering the client side rather than the server side. Documentation about both programs is available on Proton's website. The two programs together address both the server infrastructure and the application software through separate assessment processes.
Open-source apps and Secure Core
Proton publishes the source code for its VPN applications across all major platforms. Source-code publication allows independent researchers to examine the software directly rather than relying solely on provider documentation or audit summaries. The code is accessible through Proton's public repositories without any approval required. Secure Core is a multi-hop routing option available on paid plans. When enabled, traffic passes through a Proton-owned server in a described high-security data center before continuing to a standard VPN exit server in the destination country. Proton documents the entry server locations and the facilities they occupy on its website. The feature is not available on the free plan.
Refund terms and organizational notes
A thirty-day money-back guarantee applies to direct subscriptions purchased through Proton's own channels. Proton distinguishes between direct official-channel purchases and subscriptions through third-party intermediaries; if the subscription was started through a third-party channel, applicable refund terms may differ. Proton is incorporated in Switzerland and operated by Proton AG, the same organization behind Proton Mail and other Proton services. Subscribers who already use Proton Mail can access both under a single Proton account. Proton publishes an annual transparency report documenting legal requests received; that report covers the broader organization and is separate from the VPN audit program.
Proton VPN additional notes
Proton VPN accepts payment by credit card, PayPal, cryptocurrency, and other methods listed on its payment page. Proton's privacy policy, available at proton.me, describes what data is retained for account management and service operation. Proton also publishes documentation about its threat model and the organizational decisions it has made about data minimization. The Proton for Business plan is separate from the consumer VPN tiers and has different terms and features from VPN Plus. Proton separates subscription details, infrastructure assessments, and application-security reports across protonvpn.com and proton.me.
Free and paid account limits
The free account allows one connected device, requires no payment card, and has no published data cap. VPN Plus raises the simultaneous connection allowance to ten devices and includes NetShield, which is not part of the free tier.
Proton VPN's five consecutive annual infrastructure audit reports are publicly accessible, the app security audit program covers a separate scope, and the free plan is a genuine no-cost option with no data ceiling and no expiry. The paid tier adds Secure Core and ten connections backed by a documented audit trail.