- Category
- VPN · SaaS alternative
- Cost
- Freemium
- Country
- Switzerland
- Licensing
- Mixed
Pros and cons
+ what works
- +Free tier with unlimited data, no ads, and a real kill switch
- +Open source clients (GPLv3) on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS
- +Independently audited no-logs policy, four years running
- +Stealth protocol (WireGuard over TLS) for networks that block standard VPNs
- +Secure Core multi-hop through Proton-owned hardware in privacy-friendly jurisdictions
− watch out for
- −Free tier limits you to one device, ten countries, no P2P, and no server choice
- −Server-side code is closed, so the no-logs claim still rests on trust plus audit
- −Secure Core, NetShield, and streaming unblocking are paid-only
- −Free servers actively block BitTorrent via live traffic inspection (no logging, but DPI happens)
Privacy notes
Proton AG operates Proton VPN under Swiss jurisdiction, outside EU and US legal reach. The no-logs policy has been audited annually by Securitum since 2022, with the most recent report published in 2025. Clients are open source under GPLv3; the server-side stack is not. Secure Core routes traffic through Proton-owned hardware in Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden before exiting in the destination country, so a compromised exit node alone cannot link traffic to a user.
Tags
#swiss · #wireguard · #openvpn · #foss-clients · #audited
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