Proton VPN Review

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

Visit Proton VPN
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 "Jurisdiction"

50 reviews

"Proton VPN, 100% no questions asked. Open source codebase, full end-to-end encryption, no user data logs, and protected by Swiss data privacy laws which are some of the strictest in the world. The Swiss government practically never honors..."

r/vpnreviewhub 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"Mullvad or Proton are top of the list. I've never heard of Witopia but they're US based so they get a hard NO from me. Mullvad and Proton do not log activity and they prove it with 3rd party audits. I read somewhere recently that one of th..."

r/stlouis 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"@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 →

"ProtonVPN Review in 2026: Any thoughts? Using the internet today feels a lot less private than it used to. Between constant ads following you around and the risks of public WiFi, I felt like a VPN was no longer optional. I have been using ..."

r/vpn_reviewer 4 weeks ago View on Reddit →

"As AI gets better, that will be increasingly useless. Right now disrupting standard behavior patterns works best--literally doing cartwheels is enough for AI to not recognize you as human. Good time to point out that NordVPN is con..."

r/washingtondc 2 weeks ago View on Reddit →

"Він правий, суть впн втому що логі не побачать локальний майор. Чи виріти ви що укр впн не злиє всі ваші логі по першому запиту? Навіт..."

r/reddituatalks 2 weeks ago View on Reddit →

"Of the commercial options, I’d only trust Proton (Switzerland) or Mullvad (Sweden). After I discovered VPN groups on Firewalla, I have three WireGuard VPNs to Proton and Mullvad. I use this with Unbound. Best of both worlds. ISP sees not..."

r/firewalla 2 months ago View on Reddit →

"@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 →

"@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 →

"@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 →

"@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 →

"@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 →

"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 →

"This reads like astroturfing. Regardless though, Witopia is incredibly overpriced for the service they offer and I have frankly never heard of them before this post. >However, they are more expensive, have less servers to chose from, c..."

r/stlouis 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"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 →

"@windscribecom Trust Proton over Windscribe; Canada’s in the 9 Eyes, while Switzerland isn't. Better to sit this one out, @windscribecom."

@yeasindesign 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@OfficialGuyE @thecoastguy TOR's unusable. Foreign VPN (Proton, Mullvad, SurfShark) are recommended. All UK legislation becomes null and void. Just need safe browser (TOR or others) plus burnable email account (ProtonMail) and "private" Social Media accounts. UK Government has lost its shit"

@DaveFred311115 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@thecoastguy Basically correct. 1. All UK legislation can be ignored if you use non-UK based VPN providers (Proton, Mullvad, SurfShark) 2. Attempts to inspect traffic by nosey governments (using DPI) can be undermined (and are by the above providers) 3. Rent foreign VPS + use own VPN 😁"

@DaveFred311115 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@Pirat_Nation Use Foreign VPN's. UK can't touch them. SurfShark, Proton, Mullvad"

@DaveFred311115 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@Artemisfornow Yep, but we have two options: * Non-uk based VPN's like Proton * Personal VPS servers abroad which in turn can use VPN In a post-democratic society, expect to live on the edges, this is what happens in China, and China is the template for what our governments are doing"

@DaveFred311115 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@Pirat_Nation Friendly reminder, ofcom can't enforce this on ANY vpn outside of it's jurisdiction. Foreign VPN's like Proton and Nord can just tell them to fuck off"

@AzshFayd 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@anniefofani @ASE Get a VPN provider, like Proton (not Israeli owned)."

@_marching_Ents_ 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"Finally. The trade deficit in services is massive. The US also uses digital services as a way to spy on Europe. Time to switch. Gmail -> Proton. VPN? Mulvad. And many more, European alternatives for all the needs."

@AIRautahuopa 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"I will not stand for Proton slander when I know many users of the VPN who has successfully done bad bad illegal stuff online with the service. It's always the same bullshit about email account metadata which they clearly state isn't encrypted and complying with law enforcement which literally is why they have no logs policy and use encryption because businesses cannot continue to run if they don't..."

@CryptoCyberia 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@windscribecom Yes, you shift your trust to someone outside of the 9 eyes alliance who doesn't keep logs. Canada (where windscribe is based) is part of the 9 eyes alliance, Switzerland (where proton is located) isn't. Should probably just set this one out @windscribecom"

@EliminateUI 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@uwukko I dont care, Proton is one of the few good ones that refuse to work with Israelis. I think they *might* have a server in Israel, but a lot of these others VPN companies have worked directly with Israeli corporations or intelligence in the past."

@darmstadtus 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@Pirat_Nation Most VPN providers are not under UK jurisdiction, good luck getting companies that base their entire business model on privacy like mullvad or proton to comply. This is completely unenforceable considering they cant identify which VPN you are using only that you are using one"

@DsplayNam3 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"That's simply not true. no mail was accessed. The details are at [https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/13/infosec\_in\_brief/](https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/13/infosec_in_brief/) When both parties use proton, proton has zero access to..."

r/protonmail 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"Because proton is Swiss based while most other vpn companies are Israeli based"

@Iamwhoismoses 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@ProtonMail @elormkdaniel Continued: 🧵3/4 7. Only a 🇨🇭Swiss Court 👨‍⚖️ can oblige Proton to share: IP addr., Access timestamps, Recovery email, Payment details, Account metadata 8. Same cannot get: E2E emails, VPN traffic, contact encryption keys, Calendar/Drive content, Historical IPs (retrospective)"

@rommsey 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@grok @Pharaoh_Cleetus @TrustNoWun @CaseyPutsch I've recently heard that ProtonVPN has stated that if Switzerland ever altered its privacy laws, they'd move their VPN services elsewhere, & have already made infrastructure acquisitions to back up the threat. What can you tell me about IVPN (Gibraltar) & Mulvad (Sweden)?"

@REDearth_Bonsai 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"Those two aren’t as far as I know. Proton is Swiss. Witopia is US based. I’ve used both."

r/stlouis 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"No but they have a convenience store and hope you stop in for something so they can cover their costs. Same with free VPN services, they are hoping you upgrade or don't notice they are logging to sell your data to data miners so they can m..."

r/stlouis 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"@FinOcean149035 @PeterSweden7 @opera @ProtonVPN @Ofcom So funny! You know where all the big NO LOGS VPN's operate? NONE of them are in the UK & subject to UK laws. NO data is recorded on NO LOGS VPNs."

@kasamac53 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@ProtonPrivacy Question: when our 'government' brings in digital ID for VPN access, will proton be asking for ID retroactivly from current users?"

@CelticRose22 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@turveyandrew1 @Lewis_Brackpool Or you could tell the truth. NordVPN - Panama ExpressVPN - Delaware Surfshark - Netherlands ProtonVPN - Switzerland Mullvad - Sweden PIA - USA CyberGhost - Romania"

@nobdy_imp 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@SIGNAL_RETURN @3xhuman @ProtonMail Proton also doesn't keep logs, and a subpoena will provide no logs. Until swiss authorities ask for logs to start being recorded for a user. But Mullvad will also have no choice but to comply if the authorities of their country request the same."

@albraju 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@SIGNAL_RETURN @ProtonMail I'm ngl I get a bad feeling about them, but people consistently put ProtonVPN second to Mullvad. I think using an entire Proton setup (Email, Drive, VPN, Passwords) is flawed no matter what, but I haven't seen much to paint them as malicious."

@MittensAnon 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@Daidalos2047 @PeylsX @phct001 @rekdt yeah I'm pretty sure that Proton is fine, but expect a TOTAL compliance with Swiss/Jewish law from them if you happen to be under arrest. Whereas if you self-host, you choose :) Same goes with the VPN, you're giving them your entire activity with domain names"

@gaul_de_retour 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@PeylsX @DoingFedTime @JackRhysider Avoid the topic he says, when I directly comment on it. Proton handing an email owners IP address to authorities means, nothing. Again.. nothing. They never stated your IP wasn’t logged, at all. It always was. It’s almost as if using a VPN would cover that."

@Jonathan_Spin 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@uwukko Your ISP seeing you’re using a public VPN (proton has multihop so still harder but having your traffic route through switzerland is pretty damning regardless) is better than your traffic being revealed. Additionally ECH is useless if you’re using default DNS.. which most are"

@axolytea 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@rhalff @ProtonVPN Proton VPN is in Switzerland. Privacy laws are a little different than in other countries."

@davidgpeterson 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@PeaceWarInsight @ProtonVPN Um. No. Proton VPN is in Geneva, Switzerland - not Lake Geneva, Wisconsin."

@davidgpeterson 2 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"@kasamac53 @PeterSweden7 @opera @ProtonVPN @Ofcom @grok This post claims an ISP is bypassed by a VPN. I thought it simply sent encrypted information using the ISP line? Moreover, he suggested a clause in the UK’s Bill along the lines of “All ISPs must block any VPN which does not keep or send copies of logs” “couldn’t be done”."

@FinOcean149035 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"@vivaldibrowser @startpage @Qwant_FR @ecosia @ProtonVPN @OctoVPN @jottacloud Include Swiss ProtonVPN even though Switzerland is not part of the EU, as well as the two Norwegian companies, and omit Mullvad, which is from an EU member country... You shouldn't hate your neighbors, the Norwegians. You are not part of the EU."

@PousseTorti 1 week ago View on Twitter →

"hackernews blocked my home IP because I happened to try to build a news aggregator that routes the feed into several apps in the making per prediction market spread arb opportunities and they allow via proton or mullvad native swiss traffic though. infra providers need to work on this that some geeks just wanna API the entire galaxy."

@goekhan 3 weeks ago View on Twitter →

"ProtonVPN reviews in 2026: Is it considered a scam? Hi everyone, I consider myself pretty privacy-conscious, and I've been looking into ProtonVPN because of their strong reputation for security and being based in Switzerland. I was almost ..."

r/vpn_question 1 week ago View on Reddit →