Proton VPN Free Review (2026): Limits, Setup and Fixes

Yes, Proton VPN is free. Its free plan costs $0, needs no credit card and has no time limit or data cap. It shows no ads. It covers one device at a time and servers in 10 countries, and Proton chooses the server for you. Proton says paying users fund the free plan.

We checked every limit on this page against Proton’s pricing page, its free-plan page and its support articles on 2 November 2026. We have not tested the free plan’s speed or streaming in our lab. So this guide reports what Proton documents, not what we measured.

What Proton VPN Free includes

The free plan uses the same apps as the paid plans, with some features locked. Proton’s plan comparison says the free plan “has the same level of security as our paid plans, including the same strong VPN protocols and strict no-logs policy.” For $0 you get:

• No data or time limits. Proton’s comparison page says: “We don’t impose any time, speed, or data limits if you’re on the Proton VPN Free plan.”
• No ads. The free-plan page says the plan “Has no advertisements”.
• The same no-logs policy. Securitum has audited Proton VPN’s no-logs policy once a year since 2022, five times in all. Every Proton VPN app is open source, so anyone can read the code. Our no-logs explainer covers what these audits check.
• A kill switch. A kill switch blocks your internet if the VPN connection drops. Proton’s kill switch article lists it for “All free and paid Proton VPN plans”.
• The Stealth protocol. Stealth makes VPN traffic look like ordinary encrypted web traffic. That helps on networks that block VPNs. Proton’s launch post says Stealth “is available on all Proton VPN plans, including our Free plan”.
• Browser extensions. The Chrome and Firefox extensions work on free accounts. Each browser running the extension counts as one connection.
• Router setup. Proton’s router guide says router connections work on Proton Free. The router counts as one connection “no matter how many devices you connect to it.”
• Leak protection. Proton lists DNS leak protection and IPv6 leak prevention among the free plan’s features.
• Apps for most devices. The free-plan page lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad, Chromebook, Android TV and Fire TV.

What the free plan leaves out

The limits fall into four groups: devices, server choice, speed at busy times and extra features.

• One device at a time. Proton’s pricing page says “Secure 1 device at a time”. VPN Plus covers 10.
• No choice of country. Free servers are in 10 countries: the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Mexico, Canada and the United States. Proton first connects you to “the fastest free server for your location”. You cannot pick another country yourself.
• Medium speed. Proton’s pricing page rates free speed as “Medium”. Its FAQ also promises “no artificial speed limits”. Its speed article explains the gap: free servers “are shared by many people, so they’re slower at busy times.”
• No streaming support. Proton says it does not block streaming sites on the free plan. But it adds: “we can only guarantee streaming services if you’re on a paid plan”. Its free-plan page lists streaming as a premium feature.
• No torrenting. Proton allows BitTorrent only on paid plans, through servers built for file sharing. Port forwarding is paid-only too.
• No NetShield, Secure Core or split tunneling. NetShield is Proton’s blocker for ads, trackers and malware. Secure Core first sends your traffic through a Proton-owned server in Switzerland, Iceland or Sweden. Split tunneling lets you choose which apps skip the VPN. All three need a paid plan.
• No live chat. Proton’s live chat “is available to everyone with a paid Proton VPN plan.” Free users can send a support request instead.
• No connection profiles or Plus servers. The free-plan page marks both as premium features.

Switching servers has two rules. When you press Change server, Proton says: “We will randomly choose your next server.” Then a countdown starts. Proton says it “starts at 45 seconds for the first change, followed by 10-minute intervals for additional changes.”

Who the free plan suits, and who should skip it

Proton VPN Free suits you if you:

• want privacy on public Wi-Fi on one phone or laptop
• use a VPN now and then and don’t want a data cap
• want to try Proton’s apps before you pay
• are on a network that blocks VPNs and need the Stealth protocol

VPN use is restricted in some countries, and the penalties vary. Check the law where you are before you rely on any VPN to get around censorship. Our VPN for China guide explains the risks in one of the strictest places.

Skip the free plan if you:

• want to stream, because Proton supports streaming only on paid plans
• download torrents
• need more than one device online at once and can’t set up a router
• need a specific country, for example to reach your bank while you travel
• want the best speed at busy times

Step by step: set up Proton VPN Free

1. Create a free account. Go to protonvpn.com/free-vpn and select Get Proton VPN Free. Enter an email address that is not a Proton Mail address. It becomes your username and your recovery address. Then accept the password Proton suggests, or choose your own. You don’t need a card.
2. Or skip the account on a phone. Proton’s iPhone, iPad and Android guides say you can tap Continue as guest. That gives you the free features without a Proton account.
3. Install the app. After sign-up, Proton opens its download page. Pick your device and install the app. On Linux, Proton officially supports Ubuntu and Debian with the GNOME desktop.
4. Sign in and connect. Open the app and sign in. Select Fastest country, then Connect. On the free plan, Proton connects you to the fastest free server for your location.
5. Turn on the kill switch. On Windows, select Kill switch in the right side bar, turn it on and click Apply. On a Mac, click the kill switch icon in the Countries tab and turn it on. On iPhone and iPad, open Settings, go to Security Options and turn on Kill switch. On Android, the app sends you to Android’s own settings. Turn on Always-on VPN and Block connections without VPN there. Android 7 and older have no kill switch.
6. Change server if the connection is slow. Select Change server. Proton connects you to a random free server, which may be in another country. You must wait for the countdown before you can change again.
7. Switch to Stealth if your network blocks VPNs. Open the app’s settings, find Protocol and choose Stealth. Proton’s Stealth announcement lists the menu path for each app.
8. Cover more devices with your router. A router counts as one connection on the free plan, and every device behind it is protected. Proton’s router guide covers OpenWrt, AsusWRT, pfSense, OPNsense, MikroTik and others.

Expected result

When the connection works, the app shows you as connected to a free server in one of the 10 countries. Websites now see that server’s IP address instead of yours. Check it with our what is my IP tool. It should show the server’s country, not your own. Then run our is my VPN working check, which tests for WebRTC and IPv6 leaks. A leak can show sites your real IP address even with the VPN on.

Expect your speed to change with the time of day. Proton’s speed article lists the usual quiet hours for each free country, in GMT. Netherlands servers are usually quiet from 01:00 to 08:00, and US East servers from 00:00 to 14:00. Japan’s quiet window runs from 00:00 to 02:00. For Singapore, Proton lists “No quiet period”. We have not measured these speeds ourselves.

Streaming apps may play, or they may show an error. Proton promises neither on the free plan.

Troubleshooting Proton VPN Free

• A second device won’t connect. The free plan allows one connection at a time. Disconnect the first device. A browser with the Proton extension counts as a connection too. To protect a whole household, set Proton up on your router.
• The connection is slow. Change server first. Then try another protocol. Proton says “WireGuard® is usually our fastest protocol, and UDP is faster than TCP.” Close apps that use a lot of data, such as file-sharing apps. If it is still slow, connect during your region’s quiet hours.
• Change server is greyed out or shows a timer. That is the cooldown: 45 seconds after your first change, then 10 minutes between changes. Wait for the countdown to finish.
• VPN Accelerator is missing or off. VPN Accelerator is Proton’s technology for cutting the speed loss over long distances. Proton’s speed article says it “is free on all plans and turned on by default in all our apps.” Its pricing page still labels it a premium feature. If your app shows the setting, keep it on.
• A setting has a Proton+ badge. Proton’s Android guide says paid features are “clearly marked with a Proton+ badge”. Those settings need a paid plan.
• A streaming service shows an error. Proton supports streaming only on paid plans. Disconnect while you watch, or upgrade if streaming is the reason you want a VPN.
• Your torrent client won’t download. BitTorrent needs a paid plan on Proton.
• The app won’t connect at all. Proton’s setup guide names three common causes. The server may be down for maintenance, so try another one. Your device clock may be wrong, so reset it. Your network may restrict VPNs, so switch to Stealth.
• Your real IP address shows briefly on a Mac. Proton’s kill switch article warns that on macOS “there’s a brief period where your real IP address may be exposed” when you switch servers. Proton says it is working on a fix.
• You need help. Free accounts can’t use live chat. Use the contact form on Proton’s support site instead.

When upgrading makes sense

Stay on the free plan if one device, a server Proton picks and no streaming suit you. The plan has no end date, so nothing forces you to upgrade.

Upgrade to VPN Plus if you need any of these:

• more than one device at once, because Plus covers 10
• a country or city you choose. Our record counted 21,722 servers in 149 countries on 31 October 2026.
• streaming. Proton’s streaming guide lists 12 services for paid plans, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer. We have not tested them.
• torrenting, with P2P servers and port forwarding
• NetShield, Secure Core or split tunneling
• live chat support
• more speed at busy times. Proton says its paid servers “are much less busy than our free ones”.

Paid plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Bank transfers and cash payments can’t be refunded, and Apple handles refunds for App Store purchases. Our Proton VPN pricing page shows every plan with today’s price and what it renews at. Current discounts are on our Proton VPN deals page.

If you want another free plan to compare, Windscribe covers unlimited devices with a monthly data cap. Our Proton VPN vs Windscribe comparison puts the two side by side. Our VPN free trial guide also covers trials of paid VPNs.

Related

• Proton VPN review and Proton VPN pricing
• Best VPN free trials: free plans and trials compared, with the card rules
• What does a VPN do?: what the free plan protects, in plain terms
• How to change your IP address
• VPN kill switch explained and split tunneling explained
• Best VPN for privacy and best VPN for streaming
• All guides