Proton VPN Review

Community-sourced VPN review based on real Reddit & Twitter discussions

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Community Verdict
Recommended

Proton VPN has a solid reputation as a privacy-focused VPN, and a lot of people like it because it feels trustworthy and reliable day to day. The free plan gets praised a lot as one of the better “act...

71%
positive
1,012
reviews
Best for: People who want a good free VPN that doesn’t feel sketchy Privacy-focused users who like the Proton ecosystem Folks who want optional anonymous payments Everyday users who want a reliable VPN for general browsing
71% Positive Reviews
493 recommend, 203 warn
High Data Quality
1012 reviews from 836 people
Best For
People who want a good free VPN that doesn’t feel sketchy, Privacy-focused users who like the Proton ecosystem, Folks who want optional anonymous payments
Approval Rate
71% positive
493 recommend · 203 warn
Reviews
1,012
411 Reddit · 552 Twitter
Unique Reviewers
836
Data Quality
High

What the Community Says

Community Rating 7.5/10

Proton VPN has a solid reputation as a privacy-focused VPN, and a lot of people like it because it feels trustworthy and reliable day to day. The free plan gets praised a lot as one of the better “actually usable” free options, and the paid plan is often mentioned as a good pick if you care about things like no-logs, audits, and even anonymous payment options. It also comes up often alongside other privacy tools (like Proton Mail), which makes it appealing if you want everything under one roof.

The biggest complaint is speed: some people switch over from other VPNs and find Proton noticeably slower, especially depending on the server. A few also don’t love how certain torrenting setups work, since things like port forwarding can be a bit annoying to manage if the port changes when you reconnect. And while many trust Proton more than typical “affiliate-list” VPNs, there’s still a slice of people who are skeptical or just prefer competitors like Mullvad.

Strengths

  • Strong privacy reputation
  • Best-in-class free tier
  • No-logs and audit-focused image
  • Anonymous payment options
  • Good reliability overall

Weaknesses

  • Can be slower than competitors
  • Port forwarding can be annoying for torrenting setups
  • Auto-connect behavior can be frustrating
  • Not everyone trusts it as much as top privacy rivals
Best for: People who want a good free VPN that doesn’t feel sketchy Privacy-focused users who like the Proton ecosystem Folks who want optional anonymous payments Everyday users who want a reliable VPN for general browsing
Not ideal for: People who need consistently top speeds for gaming or heavy downloads Torrent users who want a set-it-and-forget-it port forwarding setup Anyone who’s extremely picky and would rather stick with Mullvad-style simplicity

Summary generated 1 week ago from 1012 community mentions

Reviews about "Privacy"

50 reviews

"@ProtonMail @RevolverJerm Been with Proton since early 2020, now using Proton Duo. Proton's a priority / privacy focused company! I also appreciate their support for folks in countries who'd be in trouble without Proton products! Anyone questions this, search privacy Email / privacy VPN... TOP rated!"

@JamesLThatcher 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@ProtonMail @210m @mike_taylor25 @rekdt Been with Proton since early 2020, now using Proton Duo. Proton's a priority / privacy focused company! I also appreciate their support for folks in countries who'd be in trouble without Proton products! Anyone questions this, search privacy Email / privacy VPN... TOP rated!"

@JamesLThatcher 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@Proton_Pass My phone always runs Proton VPN 24/7 and my primary email is Proton. Proton is great company and the free versions are fire too!"

@EliminateUI 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@markvalorian @T3chFalcon Proton VPN or their whole system ≈ Signal: no activity logs to leak, even to Swiss government, where 59 requests returned empty in 2025. Payments aside, privacy intact unless they nuke their audited no-logs model (RIP Proton then). #VPN #privacy"

@VascoGo2101 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@ProtonMail I use Proton Mail Proton VPN and more, but never Google!"

@EddiFl 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@JOKAQARMY1 As far as I know the best and most private ones are Proton, Mullvad and IVPN. Personally I use Proton because they have a suite of apps and it's very convenient but if you only need a vpn the others are great too. But at the end of the day you have to trust them so yeah."

@SomeSillyGoosy 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@Anti_Tyranny_1 @JOKAQARMY1 As far as I know the best and most private ones are Proton, Mullvad and IVPN. Personally I use Proton because they have a suite of apps and it's very convenient but if you only need a vpn they others are great too."

@SomeSillyGoosy 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"...atGpt Atlas ✅ Kullan: Brave Startpage Tutamail Jitsi Firefox Focus Proton Drive KeepassXC DuckDuckGo Zen Browser Protonmail Bitwarden Mullvad VPN Proton VPN Surfshark VPN"

@ZetLorento 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@Pirat_Nation Get on Proton or Mullvad now and you won't get flagged for ID later. That's the short term fix."

@ScribeOfArden 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@TheBritishIntel I use Proton VPN. Based in Switzerland and completely independent. Full encryption.. So here's the message https://t.co/dUVzQkfWE0"

@gjquartermaine 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@ProtonVPN @andyyen With the UK looking like it will enforce ID / Age checks for VPN's what would @ProtonPrivacy approach be? I'm a duo subscriber, I love proton and it's services! Would Proton do ages checks securely? or would you have to take a 'leave the market' approach?"

@KlubByte 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@MrLitstar @9393_ACrowley @ReclaimTheNetHQ Proton get audited every year and I'm yet to see any evidence they keep logs, even for free stuff. I would hapily use Proton or Surfshark, they both seem decent."

@DaveFred311115 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@startpage @torproject @signalapp @MyStartMail @ProtonPrivacy 1) Any Linux OS but I prefer Fedora 2) Quad9 ( DNS privacy) 3) Tor, Brave, Librewolf (browsers) 4) ProtonVPN ( free), Mullvad ( paid) 5) Session, Signal (Messaging) 6) Tutamail & Protonmail 7) GrapheneOS over any phone OS 8) Orbot (basically Tor but for apps) 9) VLC 10) Bitwarden https://t.co/ZwS1OgTYXz"

@Murican_Pitbull 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@FistedFoucault I like what Proton are doing, their subscription model already includes basically everything Google has to offer. Email, VPN, docs, excel, storage, AI. As for online meetings the best one's Norwegian - Whereby."

@punishedclippy 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@thecoastguy Tor browser Then download VPN. Proton VPN offers free from Switzerland. Not even a swiss judge can demand access to its Server. Starmer has no chance."

@Dylan7865325726 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"Here's what actually protects your privacy: A reputable VPN (Mullvad, ProtonVPN). Tor Browser for true anonymity. Pi-hole to block tracking at the network level. Firefox with privacy extensions. Incognito mode? Not on the list."

@thecurioustales 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"Graphene OS Tuta + Proton mail Proton VPN Kagi search + translate Librewolf Signal Nextcloud KeePassXC 👌"

@regularunleaded 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@izkthinker @omarsbigsister Proton VPN is a good one. It is a Swiss company. And has lots of features."

@ghostgirlMN 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@BasilTheGreat Better yet.. Download a VPN, pick a Swiss one like ProtonVPN or Swedish like Mullvad.. Five Eyes (UK+US+mates) can’t just poke about and grab logs.. Audited no-logs policy actually holds up .. Real privacy move .."

@foodiskey83 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"8. Use "Private Relay" or a No-Log VPN Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) sees every site you visit. In many countries, they sell this browsing history legally. Use iCloud Private Relay or a reputable No-Log VPN (Mullvad or Proton). Mask your IP. Encrypt your tunnel."

@thetripathi58 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"...cosia @Qwant_FR @MistralAI @Fairphone @OVHcloud @Scaleway Moved to the Vivaldi browser and it delivers. European-built, privacy-first, and works with Proton VPN and Proton Mail."

@euroresponse 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@ChrisH75995549 @SomeSillyGoosy @mQLta_TrvstPlQn @Anti_Tyranny_1 @JOKAQARMY1 If you are really that untrusting of proton (even though it’s one of if not the most secure option), you can use a VPN plus tor on a public WiFi with a burner phone, Just don’t expect that to be an easy way to stay secure."

@thesuppersimon 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@0xMiaWallace @ILikeTheFA no need to search, only vpn alongside proton that you can safely install, everything else is fed coded"

@nekonya_02 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@grok @Pharaoh_Cleetus @TrustNoWun @CaseyPutsch I want to push back a little on NordVPN, and they're just one example, any VPN owned by an organization that used to produce ad-injection software is suspicious any way you look at it. Mulvad, ProtonVPN, and IVPN seem to be the only, or at least, historically BEST VPN's to trust."

@REDearth_Bonsai 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@Alexvgn_ @zeley190555397 I highly disagree, Proton and Mullvad are very reputable and differ from the rest, brands that we've heard twice or thrice via YT adverts, who secretively operate as honeypots. Proton does not follow suit with this type of mendacity."

@WatDoro46736 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"I’ve used both, but I ultimately chose Proton for one reason: it’s not just an email service - it’s an entire privacy ecosystem (Mail, Drive, VPN, Pass, Calendar, etc.) built with zero-access encryption. Tuta is good and very focused on email security, but Proton feels like a long-term home for people who want to fully leave Big Tech. If you want just secure email → Tuta is fine. If you ..."

@ALFAFIABDULLH 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@BenjiKhageswara @ProtonMail @TutaPrivacy I can recommend Proton. Full family plan here. No problems with them, unlike most arrogant tech firms. Years ago, the "how to use" instruction was poor. Now they have clear instructions. Priceless to have private email, "alias" addresses, storage, vpn, !!"

@brooke_capital 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"...g to see the founder of @ethereum promoting decentralized privacy tools What I use: Messengers: @signalapp, @session_app Email: @ProtonPrivacy VPN: Proton VPN Docs: Proton Docs, @fileverse Browser: @brave TOR: @AnyoneFDN built on Ethereum Identity: @keepitcloaked"

@cypherpunk669 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@BenjiKhageswara @ProtonMail @TutaPrivacy They're both good, but Tuta's app feels ancient compared to the Proton Mail app. Same with Calendar. Apart from that, if you need just mail & calendar, Tuta. If you want a full suite; mail, calendar, drive, VPN, password manager, get Proton. I have the Proton Suite & love it."

@BijanJamshidi 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"Google Analytics → Matomo/Plausible Auth0/Firebase → Logto/Keycloak Chrome → Brave/LibreWolf VPN → Mullvad/ProtonVPN Remote Desktop → RustDesk X → Mastodon Password Manager → Bitwarden/KeePassXC"

@whoami_k3rnel 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@JOKAQARMY1 Proton VPN. The owner spoke about it. They don’t save your data. So they comply, but there’s nothing to give."

@advancethebrand 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@SpikyCaterpillr Mullvad, Proton, AirVPN and many others have a strict no logs policy and have it operating fully on RAM so data recovery is not possible. There have been fed raids on the services and no logs were recovered."

@CryptoCyberia 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@BenjiKhageswara @ProtonMail @TutaPrivacy I use proton. The best advantage is if you get premium you get everything from it. VPN pass manager etc"

@CaptSirloin 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@windscribecom Trust shift ok I just prefer shifting trust to @ProtonVPN, strict no-logs, open-source, independently audited, self-owned infrastructure, Swiss jurisdiction. Especially given that Windscribe has had publicly acknowledged incidents in the past. Just choosing who deserves the trust"

@krypt0xCrypto 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@GautamGhosh I have been using Proton Mail for a couple of years. The experience has been good. They also have Proton Drive and VPN which is super useful."

@CFOforEmotions 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"...still am with few thousands spent 🤣 Then got introduced to private trackers, dude, 20GB in 5 minutes. It's unreal, and everything is routed via Proton VPN, no VPN = No goodies!"

@Hakun4M4t4t4 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@tnpla1 @R3SP0NZ3 @TheBritishIntel @NordVPN You can pay for Mulvad & Proton %100 anonymously with cash sent in an envelope. It's the perfect work around & fuck you to the government."

@kasamac53 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@ProtonVPN @brave W combination of proton VPN, cachyOS, Brave browser, @DuckDuckGo search engine 💯"

@khalidoncrypto 3 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@craig100 @gettingtrumpnow @TheBritishIntel @GrapheneOS Don't use nord, use mullvad or proton vpn. mullvad is the best, obscura also uses mullvads network. Graphene OS is a must now, and permanent VPNs and proxies ran through wifi hardware."

@Ecom_Moody 3 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@stephen_taylor Get a good VPN, too. Not a "free" one; they can't be trusted. Proton VPN is good."

@RabAlexander 3 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"To secure UK communications amid Ofcom's 2026 backdoor probes targeting E2EE apps like Signal (which vows to exit if compelled), consensus favors Signal for default E2EE, open-source audits, and disappearing messages. Pair with no-logs VPNs (e.g., Mullvad/Proton) and device updates. GPT suggests verifying safety numbers and avoiding backups; Claude stresses political opposition as tech fixes are l..."

@ConSenseAI 3 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@rasmalai ProtonVPN is great, but Mullvad is the no-BS privacy gold standard."

@RajneetiTadka 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@Rishi_Builds @rasmalai Only if VPNs like Nord did the job of a VPN well. The only reliable and trusted VPNs out there are Proton, Mullvlad, Windscribe and iVPN."

@tanmoy_OG 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@gghamari Proton VPN (Top Overall for Privacy and Value) . Perhaps we can help to subscribe on their behalf. @Grok is it possible to subscribe on the behalf of Iranians in occupied Iran"

@JLioundris 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@ErrataRob Indeed. Feel good about Mullvad and Proton and a couple others but … lots of bad VPNs out there who can do a lot of sketchy stuff with your data"

@robleathern 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"You're not wrong, they're just not telling you the whole story 😉 A VPN does hide your traffic from your ISP, but now that encrypted traffic is just visible to your VPN provider instead . So the real question becomes: who do you trust more? Based on their public posture, Proton is one of the better answers. They're Swiss-based, which has strong privacy laws outside major surveillance alliances..."

@LYRASTARCORE 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@ReclaimTheNetHQ Proton VPN Free, non-UK based (so UK Government can't touch it)"

@DaveFred311115 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@mattfle02898557 @A1an_M ProtonVPN, MullVad or SurfShark + Fake email address (via protonmail etc) VPS with own VPN is still valid, but extreme and unnecessary for most users - until of course VPN's themselves come under REAL scrutiny, but even China has problems controlling offshort VPNs"

@DaveFred311115 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"İ still trust proton. Better than another vpn services."

@uyandiricinin 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@JKing55378907 @OperatorK5 @BasilTheGreat TOR is a lot faster than it used to be but you do run into a lot of CAPTCHAs or outright site blocks with it. I've messed around with various privacy tools and I have found that Mullvad Privacy Browser with a Proton or Mullvad proxy extension is the best balance for browsing."

@Saeren_ 1 week ago View on Twitter →