See how Proton VPN's free and paid plans work in 2026, including pricing, server network, and how it fits into the Proton privacy ecosystem.
Proton VPN is developed by Proton AG, a Swiss privacy technology company founded in 2014 in Geneva by Andy Yen, Jason Stockman, and Wei Sun, who met as researchers at CERN. Proton began as Proton Mail, an encrypted email service, before expanding into a full privacy suite; Proton VPN itself launched on May 22, 2017. The company is headquartered in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, and by the mid-2020s employed more than 500 people representing over 50 nationalities, with Proton's products collectively surpassing 100 million registered accounts by 2024.
Because it operates under Swiss law, outside both EU and US data-sharing frameworks, Proton VPN markets its jurisdiction as a core part of its privacy positioning, alongside open-source client apps and independently audited no-logs claims.
Proton VPN's paid network spans more than 20,400 servers across roughly 148 countries, offering high-speed connections, streaming-optimized servers for services like Netflix and Disney+, and an integrated ad, tracker, and malware blocker. The service supports simultaneous connections on up to 10 devices on the VPN Plus plan.
Unusually for the VPN category, Proton VPN offers a genuinely free tier with unlimited data and no artificial speed throttling, rather than a time-limited trial, though the free tier limits users to a smaller set of server countries and one connected device at a time. Paid subscribers can also bundle VPN access with the rest of Proton's encrypted productivity suite through the Proton Unlimited plan.
Proton VPN offers a free-forever plan, plus two paid tiers. VPN Plus starts around $2.99/month billed every 2 years (about $3.99/month on a 1-year term, or $9.99/month billed monthly) and covers VPN service only. Proton Unlimited bundles VPN Plus with Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive, Pass, and Docs and Sheets, starting around $7.99/month on a 2-year plan up to $12.99/month billed monthly.
Both paid tiers include a 30-day money-back guarantee, and subscriptions can be billed monthly, annually, or on a 2-year cycle, with longer commitments unlocking the lowest effective monthly rate.
Yes, Proton VPN offers a free plan with unlimited data and no artificial speed limit, though it restricts users to one device and a smaller set of server countries compared to paid plans.
VPN Plus starts around $2.99/month billed every 2 years (or $9.99/month billed monthly), while Proton Unlimited, which bundles the full Proton suite, starts around $7.99/month on a 2-year plan.
Proton VPN is developed by Proton AG, a Swiss company founded in 2014 in Geneva by former CERN researchers Andy Yen, Jason Stockman, and Wei Sun.
Proton VPN's paid network includes more than 20,400 servers across roughly 148 countries.
Proton VPN states it operates a strict no-logs policy and has commissioned independent third-party audits to verify these claims, operating under Swiss privacy law.
Yes, paid plans include servers optimized for streaming access to services like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video.
Yes, the VPN Plus plan supports up to 10 simultaneous device connections across desktop, mobile, and browser apps.