Proton VPN Review

Proton VPN Review: A dependable and lightning-fast virtual private network (VPN) service, Proton VPN is a component of the expansive Proton product range. The company is exceptional when it comes to the security measures they provide, which ensures your safety and anonymity while you are online. Let’s start to review ProtonVPN.

 

Proton VPN is headquartered in Switzerland, a nation that respects its citizens’ right to privacy, maintains a stringent no-logs policy, and provides encryption that is unbreakable by hackers all combine to provide its customers with a high level of security. In addition to this, it offers a wonderful free version that is capable of unblocking Netflix. Choosing one of the subscription services is a smart move not just for maintaining your anonymity and safety online, but also for torrenting and streaming content.

 

The CERN scientists who are responsible for the world-class encrypted email technology have a lot of competition among premium VPNs. I was curious as to whether or not these privacy experts could provide any cutting-edge capabilities that aren’t currently offered by competing premium VPN services.

 

In addition, I conducted in-depth evaluations on its speed, unblocking capabilities, leak prevention, torrenting support, and other supplementary features.

 

To summarise, if you want a safe VPN that is compatible with the majority of devices, Proton VPN is a decent option to consider. This is a highly secure alternative due to the fact that it is situated in Switzerland and makes use of the advanced encryption technology that is behind ProtonMail. However, in order to compete with the best VPNs, it will still need to make certain modifications and enhancements.

 

ProtonVPN not only passed all of my speed tests with flying colours but also impressed me with its high level of security, leading-edge privacy options, and very user-friendly UI. User information is safeguarded via encryption with a 256-bit AES key, an innovative server architecture, a stringent no-logs policy, a kill button, and a great deal more besides. In addition to this, it offers applications for all of the main operating systems, and a single account may support up to ten simultaneous connections.

 

ProtonVPN offers:

Torrenting clients such as uTorrent, BitTorrent, qBittorrent, and Vuze are compatible with the dedicated servers for torrenting that are provided by this service.

 

Split tunneling is a feature that enables you to send part of your internet traffic over the virtual private network (VPN), while routing the rest of it through your local network.

 

Blocks advertisements, websites that monitor your activity, and websites known to host harmful software.

 

Accelerator for VPN Connections makes use of cutting-edge technologies to boost VPN connection speeds even while connecting to remote servers.

 

Open-source applications – The source code for ProtonVPN’s applications can be inspected by anybody, so users can verify that they are risk-free to use. The applications that come with ProtonVPN have also undergone third-party inspection and verification.

 

Complete security against leaks ProtonVPN offers complete protection against leaks of IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC traffic.

 

Tor over VPN is a service that enables users to access the Tor anonymity network using standard web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox.

 

And a whole deal more…

 

Although it is now one of the most reliable virtual private networks (VPNs) available, ProtonVPN may yet benefit from some enhancements in a few key areas. To begin, ProtonVPN is unable to get beyond internet firewalls. This means that if you already reside in or will be visiting a country that has restrictions on internet access, ProtonVPN is not a suitable choice for you (ExpressVPN is the best for that). In addition to this, I would like to see ProtonVPN make use of RAM-only servers so that no user data is ever stored on the hard drive, provide access to browser extensions, include access to a smart DNS so that users can access streaming content on devices that do not support VPNs, offer 24/7 live chat, and respond to customer support emails more quickly.

 

There is a free option, as well as monthly and annual subscription plans that come with a money-back guarantee that is prorated for the first 30 days of the membership.

 

💸 Price 4.99 USD/month
📆 Money Back Guarantee 30 Days
📝 Does VPN keep logs? No
🛡 Kill switch Yes
🗺 Based Country Switzerland
🛠 Support Via Email
📥 Supports Torrenting Yes

 

 

Pros and Cons of Proton VPN

Pros

  • A fantastic free version
  • Allows access to blocked streaming services such as Netflix
  • Allows downloading of torrents
  • User-friendly
  • Apps with open source code are available.
  • Assurance of a full refund within 30 days
  • Enhanced capabilities in the Mac version

 

Cons

  • Premium pricing
  • Response times for customer service may sometimes be delayed.

 

 

Is it recommended to use Proton VPN for Streaming?

Platform can be accessed via ProtonVPN

 

Netflix ✅ Yes

Amazon Prime Video ✅ Yes

Hulu ✅ Yes

HBO Max ✅ Yes

Disney+ ✅ Yes

BBC iPlayer ✅ Yes

DAZN ❌ No

 

Proton VPN is an excellent choice if you need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to utilise for streaming content. Since they use custom DNS and have security against DNS leaks, connecting to a standard server ought to be quite simple using their setup. To further elaborate, Proton VPN provides access to a considerable number of servers, which are dispersed throughout 63 different nations. If, on the other hand, you plan to use your VPN mostly for streaming content, you may want to have a look at NordVPN since it has an even bigger fleet of 5500 servers spread throughout 59 countries.

 

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Proton VPN enables unrestricted access to Netflix.

Unblocking the US Netflix collection is a breeze using Proton VPN, which comes highly recommended. The first time I tried to connect, I was unsuccessful; but, when I tried again, I was successful. If, after connecting, Netflix notifies you that “You appear to be using an unblocker or proxy,” all you need to do is try connecting to a new server.

 

When I finally connected to a server in the United States, I had an encounter that took me by complete surprise. There was absolutely no buffering taking place. Even though I had varying loading times while connecting to the libraries of various countries, the experience as a whole was positive, and I believe that Proton VPN deserves a spot on the list of the best VPNs for Netflix streaming.

 

Proton VPN enables unblocking of HBO

If you are a subscriber to HBO Max, you will be delighted to learn that Proton VPN is more than capable of unblocking geo-restricted material on HBO.

Even more impressive is the fact that the video quality was not affected in any way; Proton VPN was able to handle high-quality movies without causing any buffering issues.

 

Proton VPN enables unrestricted access to BBC iPlayer

Another well-known streaming site, BBC iPlayer, may be accessed without difficulty with Proton VPN. You are able to watch your favourite programme without having to endure annoying commercial breaks with the assistance of Proton VPN, and you can even catch up on the most recent BBC episodes.

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I did have a few minor buffering problems, but they didn’t last very long and didn’t become a major problem.

 

Proton VPN allows access to previously blocked streaming services.

The vast majority of the most well-known streaming services may be accessed after you connect your device to the Proton VPN service. Obviously, given the constraints of our time and resources, we were unable to test them all; but, we did examine the most often used ones.

 

DAZN was the only streaming service that was incompatible with Proton VPN. It shouldn’t come as a surprise since there aren’t very many VPN companies that can successfully unblock it.

 

Unblocking services such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ESPN+, and many more may be accomplished by following the instructions and clues that can be found on their website. Proton VPN is a dependable choice when it comes to streaming content, despite the fact that we were unable to test all of the available services.

 

Proton VPN Supports the Torrenting

Because it allows users to share files using peer-to-peer networks, the Proton VPN is an excellent option for torrenting. Even if the speeds provided by Proton VPN might be unpredictable at times, the service does provide specialised servers that are tailored for P2P traffic, which makes torrenting much more enjoyable.

 

In addition to this, the most reliable virtual private networks (VPNs) for torrenting often have their headquarters in nations that are privacy-conscious. And Proton VPN doesn’t break the mould either. It operates out of Switzerland, which is one of the few countries in the world that does not prohibit torrenting. Your participation in file-sharing activities with this service will, therefore, be private and untraceable. Particularly due to the fact that Proton VPN adheres to a stringent no-logs policy, which means that none of your surfing habits will be tracked in any way.

 

Key Features of ProtonVPN

The following are some of the main VPN privacy features that are included with ProtonVPN:

 

256-bit AES encryption. Often referred to as “military-grade encryption,” this is one of the most secure encryption algorithms that can be found anywhere in the world.

 

No-logs policy. Personal information and a user’s online behaviour are not logged by ProtonVPN at any time.

 

Turn off button. In the event that your virtual private network connection drops, this function will immediately cut you off from the internet. It is important to keep in mind that the in-app kill switch offered by ProtonVPN is only compatible with iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. However, Android offers capabilities that are functionally equivalent.

 

In addition, ProtonVPN comes with a few additional security elements, such as the following:

 

Absolute upfront secrecy at its finest. This causes your encryption key to be changed whenever you connect to a ProtonVPN server; hence, if the security of any one encryption key is breached, just the data associated with that key will be exposed (and not any past or future sessions).

 

Full-disk encryption. In the event that a ProtonVPN server is breached, disc encryption ensures that all of the data stored on that server remains unreadable and safe.

 

ProtonVPN does not offer RAM-only servers, in contrast to leading competitors such as ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost VPN. RAM-only servers only save data to the RAM rather than the hard drive, which offers a higher level of privacy because each time the server reboots, it deletes all of the data. In spite of this, I continue to believe that the full-disk encryption that ProtonVPN offers is a superior option than RAM-only servers.

 

WireGuard, IKEv2/IPSec, and OpenVPN are the three protocols that are available with ProtonVPN. However, the Windows programme only supports WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols. These protocols are accessible for Android, iOS, and Macs. WireGuard is a more recent protocol that offers quicker speeds than IKEv2/IPSec and OpenVPN; nevertheless, leading VPNs such as TunnelBear, PrivateVPN, and HMA do not feature WireGuard in their offerings. This is something that I really like about ProtonVPN.

 

In addition, leak prevention for DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 is already included into ProtonVPN. My favourite feature of ProtonVPN is that it automatically blocks IPv6 traffic. This feature makes the VPN far more user-friendly than its rivals, such as TunnelBear and Private Internet Access, which need users to manually block IPv6.

 

The split-tunneling function offered by ProtonVPN allows you to include or exclude web browsers, applications, and even IP addresses from the VPN tunnel. This feature is superior to the split-tunneling options offered by the majority of ProtonVPN’s rivals (ExpressVPN only lets you redirect apps).

 

The split-tunneling functionality of ProtonVPN performed well when I put it through its paces by connecting to a dedicated P2P server in the United States and omitting the traffic from my Chrome browser from the VPN tunnel. It ended up enhancing not just my browsing speed but also the speed at which I could torrent.

 

The ProtonVPN split-tunneling function is excellent in general since it performs exactly what it advertises it would do, there are no bugs to speak of, and it is simple to configure.

 

 

NetShield

The advertisements, trackers, and all dangerous websites are blocked by NetShield. When I tried this function by going to websites that are often filled with advertisements, NetShield blocked each and every one of those advertisements. Because there were no longer advertisements on these websites, they were far less congested and even loaded a little bit quicker than before.

 

VPN Accelerator

Your connection speeds on far-flung servers may be increased using ProtonVPN’s VPN Accelerator, a function that boosts speed and is named VPN Accelerator (my speeds were essentially unchanged on local servers). It is accessible on all of ProtonVPN’s applications, and it is both simple to locate (it can be found in the Settings menu, under the Connection tab) and straightforward to activate (with one click).

 

According to the website of ProtonVPN, VPN Accelerator makes use of cutting-edge technology that decreases latency, avoids congestion on the internet, and quickens the delivery of packet information in order to improve speeds by up to 400%.

 

Privacy & Security Offered by ProtonVPN

The headquarters of ProtonVPN are in Switzerland, which is home to some of the most stringent data privacy regulations in the whole world. Additionally, Switzerland does not have any regulations that require the keeping of personal data, and it is not a member of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances (a group of nations that have agreed to share intelligence data).

 

In addition, ProtonVPN adheres to a stringent no-logs policy. It will only collect your email address (for the purpose of communicating with you), payment details (including your name and partial information), and a timestamp of the most recent time you attempted to log in; however, this timestamp will not contain any personally identifying information. You may pay with cash or Bitcoin if you choose to keep your identity a secret.

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The fact that all of ProtonVPN’s applications are open-source is something that I like very much. This indicates that the security of ProtonVPN can be investigated by anyone. In addition, every one of ProtonVPN’s applications has been subjected to a third-party audit and verification process to identify any vulnerable security risks (the audits found only “medium” and “low” risks, which were promptly remedied by ProtonVPN). This is something that I think is really great because the majority of people do not have the necessary technical background to independently audit the apps’ source code. Private Internet Access also offers open-source applications, however in contrast to ProtonVPN’s apps, they have not been subjected to quality assurance testing.

 

In addition, ProtonVPN publishes transparency reports in which it outlines each and every request for user information that it gets (from law enforcement and government agencies). When you look at these reports, you may note that there are significant time lapses between the dates on which each report was issued. The reason for this is that ProtonVPN gets very few requests for user data.

 

Is there a free version of the Proton VPN available?

If you don’t want to spend any money on a virtual private network (VPN), you’re in luck since Proton VPN is available completely free of charge. The disadvantage of using the free version is, of course, that you are only allowed one connection at a time with the same account. You may simply get around this restriction by logging in to each of your devices with a unique account, which is another option.

 

You are restricted to choose among servers in just three countries, and the speeds you experience will be much lower. However, considering that it is a free service, it is an exceptionally generous offering that will safeguard your privacy. Customer service representatives won’t be able to assist you in any way if you are unable to bypass Netflix’s restrictions. Regardless, we were even able to unlock it on the free bundle thanks to our efforts.

 

 

Server Locations

As of the time that this article was written, Proton VPN has more than 1700 servers spread across 63 countries. It is important to remember that the number of servers to which you have the ability to connect is determined by the kind of plan that you have purchased.

 

Europe, Asia, and the Americas are the regions that have the most comprehensive server coverage.

 

  • The number of regions, nations, and servers in each.
  • Europe consists of 31 nations and more than 400 servers
  • Asia Comprised of 14 Countries Over 250 Servers
  • 10 countries in the Americas, more than 700 servers
  • Rest of the world: four nations and more than one hundred servers

Free users are restricted to connecting to servers located exclusively in the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands. You do, however, get some coverage, despite the fact that all available alternatives are equally unsatisfactory for users in South Africa. Additionally, it is the only plan that does not include any peer-to-peer servers.

 

The Proton VPN Plus package gives users access to all servers located in 63 different countries. Only users who subscribe to the Plus plan will have access to the servers that come with special capabilities such as Secure Core VPN and TOR over VPN.

 

Speed and Performance of ProtonVPN

I used VPN Accelerator to run speed tests on a server in each of the more than 60 countries where ProtonVPN has a server in order to determine the average VPN connection speed; the results showed that my connection speed decreased by an average of 20%, which is above average.

 

In general, the speeds of ProtonVPN’s local and distant servers, including those situated in Europe, South America, and Africa, were extremely acceptable. I use ProtonVPN from the United States. I was able to maintain pretty decent speeds for things like torrenting, gaming, streaming, and surfing when I connected to local servers, and I had a similar experience when I connected to a server in Australia that was farther away (where videos took extra time to load but played smoothly once they started).

 

IP Addresses for ProtonVPN

Over 1,700 servers are spread across more than 60 countries and are accessible via ProtonVPN. Some of the best virtual private networks (VPNs) have more servers than others; for example, CyberGhost VPN has more than 8100 servers. Other VPNs have servers located in more countries (ExpressVPN is in 94 countries). However, the server network that ProtonVPN offers is still more extensive than that of its rivals, such as PrivateVPN (which has more than 200 servers).

 

It’s also great that you can choose individual cities to connect to with ProtonVPN. This enables you to get good speeds by connecting to the city that’s closest to your location, and it also allows you to avoid live sports blackouts in the United States by connecting to a city where the game you want to watch is streaming.

 

Additionally, ProtonVPN displays the server load, which indicates the number of active users connecting to a server. This makes it extremely simple to choose the servers with the quickest connection speeds. When I was connected to a server with a low load, rather than a one with a high load, I always had quicker speeds. The leading competitors in this space, such as ExpressVPN and TunnelBear, do not offer this metric.

 

I find that the ProtonVPN Plus servers, which are optimised for viewing streaming websites, are to my complete satisfaction. Whenever I was connected to a Plus server, I had very few issues streaming content from my favourite websites. Since ProtonVPN’s free servers do not support streaming, you will need to upgrade to the premium plan in order to gain access to the Plus servers. I had very few issues streaming content from my favourite websites when I was connected to a Plus server. ProtonVPN offers dedicated peer-to-peer (P2P) servers in 16+ countries for users who want to engage in torrenting.

 

ProtonVPN Support for Gaming Platforms

The gaming experience offered by ProtonVPN is second to none. I utilised it to play more than ten games of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and the connections were dependably reliable during my time with the game. When I was gaming on a local server in the United States, my ping was excellent (20–24 milliseconds), and my connections were quick. My gaming experience was still satisfactory despite the fact that my connections to the gaming server did not break even though my ping was much higher when I utilised a remote server located in Germany (170–180 ms). Even though I did notice some slowness, it wasn’t enough to make the game unplayable.

 

I particularly enjoy that ProtonVPN guards you against DDoS assaults, which are often called distributed denial of service attacks that may prevent you from accessing the internet.

 

In addition, you may use ProtonVPN on game consoles like Xbox and PlayStation that do not have built-in support for virtual private networks (VPNs). It only took me around 12 minutes to manually set up ProtonVPN on my router so that I could use it to play Minecraft and Dark Souls III on my PlayStation 4. The service provides useful instructions (which even contain photos) that explain you how to complete the manual setup.

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ProtonVPN Is Able to Get Around Censorship

ProtonVPN is not the most effective method for bypassing internet censorship in nations that severely limit users’ access to the internet.

 

It does not include any of the obfuscation technologies that are necessary to get around the internet censorship in places like China. However, there have been some claims that ProtonVPN has been able to get around limitations in countries that are less equipped to monitor VPN traffic than others.

 

Having said that, I would suggest ExpressVPN to anybody living in a nation with censorship issues since the service obfuscates traffic on every one of its more than 3,000 servers.

 

  • The user interface and how easy it is to utilise
  • Platform Experience
  • The best Proton VPN experience available on Windows.
  • The macOS has several very sophisticated features.
  • App for Linux that is reliable and simple to use
  • Mobile Excellent applications on iOS and Android

 

A variety of desktop and mobile applications are available to users of the Proton VPN service. You are able to download an application for any of these operating systems, whether you use Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android. On the other hand, in terms of user interface and available functions, they are quite unlike to one another (user interface).

 

The desktop versions are pretty comparable to one another and provide a design that is user-friendly and does not include an excessive amount of clutter. It is important to note that Windows users get the greatest experience with Proton VPN since the Windows operating system has all of the required security protections.

 

The user interfaces of mobile applications are also quite similar to one another. Although they are quite user friendly, it is essential to be aware that some of their operations are distinct from one another.

 

Now, let’s have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each choice:

 

Windows

IKEv2/IPsec, WireGuard, and OpenVPN are all included in the Windows programme (TCP and UDP versions). When you install Proton VPN, an extra TAP-Proton VPN Windows Adapter will be added to the list of programmes and features on your computer. This is quite typical, and the OpenVPN software that makes your connection possible is included in this download as well.

 

The Windows app contains the most configuration options of all the clients that are currently available. It comes with Custom DNS servers, Split tunneling, and Alternate routing as standard features. Therefore, if you use Windows, you are purchasing the version that offers the most value for your money.

 

Mac

A safe and private online experience may be had by using the Proton VPN programme for macOS. The app’s source code is available to the public and it has been tested. In addition, it comes with a number of helpful security features such as a kill switch, an ad-blocker (NetShield), robust encryption, and more. The software has all of the necessary components of design, and it is simple to use.

 

IPv6 Leak Protection, Alternate Routing, Split tunneling, and Custom DNS Servers are not available for other operating systems outside Windows. The one feature that the Mac client has that seems to be absent in the Windows version is the ability to notify unprotected networks. When you connect to an unsecured network, this function will alert you to the fact so that you may take appropriate precautions.

 

Linux

If you use Linux, you’ll find that Proton VPN is a fantastic fit for your needs. It now has a dependable application that is simple to use for Linux, and it is loaded with many security measures.

 

The graphical user interface of the Proton VPN Linux programme is straightforward and easy to use, allowing users to quickly enable functions and connect to servers. The Linux application makes use of a robust encryption method known as the OpenVPN protocol configured with its maximum level of security.

 

 

ProtonVPN mobile applications

The fact that there isn’t much choice when it comes to mobile applications is a positive aspect of Proton VPN, which supports both iOS and Android. The iOS version of an app is almost always an Android app with half of the features removed. This is the case the majority of the time. Not the case in this instance.

 

Apple users also have the ability to include the Proton VPN Widget into the interface of their device. The prior implementation of it had the capability of connecting to a VPN with just one click. Because of the subsequent change, the Widget now launches the application, establishes the connection, and then exits the app. Their customer support agent informed us that this prerequisite was added because of Apple’s design of their system.

 

Aside from that, the apps for iOS and Android are almost interchangeable (minus the split tunneling and alternate routing). OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard are the three protocols that are supported by both of these programmes. If nothing else, both the mobile and desktop versions of macOS include OpenVPN.

 

Is it safe to use Proton VPN?

As far as virtual private network (VPN) services go, Proton VPN is among the most trustworthy options available. It is packed with robust AES encryption and tunneling protocols that are suitable for use in a military setting. Because the source code for all of their applications is available to the public, anyone can examine it to determine whether or not it is secure to use. In addition to that, its privacy policy states that no logs will be kept and no user information will be collected.

 

Wrapping up

One of the best Virtual Private Network (VPN) services available today is called Proton VPN. Even the free version is able to bypass Netflix’s regional restrictions, making this an excellent choice for streaming content. The premium plans were also successful in unblocking HBO Max and a number of other well-known streaming providers. However, there are instances when the servers are overloaded, so you need to ensure that you connect to a site that is not.

 

Torrenting is also possible while connected to a Proton VPN connection. P2P file sharing is included in every premium plan, and the service provider keeps no records and provides an open-source platform. Even though this suggests that your online actions are entirely anonymous, Proton VPN has the right to amend its terms and conditions whenever they see fit.

 

In general, Proton VPN is a reliable virtual private network (VPN) service that may assist you in protecting your online privacy.