Proton VPN 5.1.8

About Proton VPN

Okay so real talk. Most free VPNs are trash. They either sell your data, throttle you to death, or give you like 500 MB before asking for your credit card. Proton VPN? It's actually different. And I'm not just saying that because everyone else says it.

These are the same people who make Proton Mail, you know, the encrypted email thing that journalists and privacy nerds have been using for years. So they kind of know what they're doing.

The Free Plan Is Actually Free. Like, For Real.

Here's the thing that blew my mind. Proton VPN's free version doesn't cap your data. No "you've used 2 GB, now pay up." No ads. No speed throttling. You just... connect and browse. It's wild. I kept waiting for the catch and it never came.

The catch-ish stuff? You get one device at a time, can't pick your server country, and there's only like 10 countries available. Streaming on free? Don't even try. Netflix will laugh at you.

But for basic browsing on public Wi-Fi? It's perfect. And it's free. Actually free.

Paid Stuff Isn't Bad Either

If you want the full thing, it's $2.99/month if you commit to two years. That's like... one coffee. You get 145 countries, 10 devices at once, and all the fancy features. Not bad at all.

The Security Nerd Stuff (But Explained Simply)

Look, I'm not gonna bore you with encryption jargon. Here's what matters: they don't keep logs. Like, actually don't. Independent auditors checked. Multiple times. Most recently in May 2026. And they're based in Switzerland, which has good privacy laws. So yeah, your data isn't going anywhere.

There's this thing called Secure Core where your traffic goes through two servers instead of one. It's slower but way more private. Good if you're in a country where the government is nosy. They expanded it to 23 countries in April 2026.

And NetShield, their ad blocker, got way better this year. Blocks like 6x more ads and trackers now. Only on paid though. Free users don't get it. Which is fair I guess.

Speed? Actually Good.

I was ready to be disappointed but nope. Tests show only like 10-20% speed loss. That's nothing. You can stream, game, download stuff without wanting to throw your router out the window. CNET ranked it second fastest overall. Second! To NordVPN, which costs way more.

What Sucks

The free plan's one-device limit is annoying. I wanted it on my phone AND laptop. Can't do it. Pick one. Also there's no live chat support, just email. So if something breaks, you're waiting. And the free servers are random, you can't choose. Sometimes you get a fast one, sometimes you don't.

Oh and Trustpilot reviews are kinda mid. But reading through them? It's all free users complaining about free user limits. Paid people seem happy. Go figure.

Should You Get It?

If you want a free VPN that doesn't secretly sell your soul? Yes. Absolutely. It's the only one I'd actually recommend to friends without feeling guilty.

If you want the full experience, streaming, multiple devices, all the servers, the paid plan is cheap and worth it. $2.99/month for two years. That's nothing.

Is it perfect? No. The free plan has limits. Support isn't instant. But for a company that actually seems to care about privacy? It's the best option out there.

Just don't expect free Netflix unblocking. That's not happening.