ProtonVPN (Free)

ProtonVPN Free Version Summary

Ease of Use

Getting started with the free version of ProtonVPN is easy and takes just a few minutes from start to finish. Once downloaded, ProtonVPN’s free applications are as easy to use as first-class applications with fewer server locations with only noticeable differences.

Unlike most free VPNs that come with restrictive data headers, ProtonVPN offers unlimited bandwidth to free users.

We’re not used to seeing any configurable options from free VPNs, so the VPN has made an invigorating change to the kill key feature, preventing DNS leakage and switching between UDP and TCP protocols.

Contextual information can be found next to most of these settings; this will be especially useful for VPN beginners.

Server Locations

The free version of ProtonVPN only allows you to access three different VPN server locations (Japan, the Netherlands and the USA).

While it’s not a problem for users close to these free VPN servers, users anywhere in the world will naturally experience slower speeds when using the free version of ProtonVPN.

Speed and Reliability

The free version of Proton VPN is pretty fast for a free VPN and there is no data limit to slow you down. However, because premium users were given priority, we experienced slower speeds during peak times.

Although a 36% loss of speed when connecting to the nearest VPN server is not so fast compared to the highest paid VPNs, ProtonVPN is still fast for a free service.

Before using ProtonVPN (free version):

When using ProtonVPN (free version):

Platforms and Devices

The free version of ProtonVPN currently offers dedicated VPN applications to download:

• Microsoft Windows
• Apple MacOS
• Android
• iOS devices

The free version of ProtonVPN also provides a simple manual workaround for Linux users.

Unlike premium VPN plans, ProtonVPN free version allows you to connect to only one device at a time.

Encryption and Security

ProtonVPN free version users benefit from the same level of security as premium VPN subscribers, and this is one of the safest free VPNs around.

The desktop application only works on OpenVPN, the most secure VPN protocol, so you can be sure that your personal information is protected. Encryption is done with top encryption AES-256. Mobile applications also use IKEv2, which is very secure.

The feature is absolutely necessary, as the VPN killing key prevents the actual IP address from being exposed in the event of an unexpected connection drop.

There is also a separate tunneling that allows users to exclude some internet traffic from the VPN tunnel.

The ProtonVPN free version also protects you against DNS and IPv6 infiltrations, as confirmed in our standalone infiltration tests.

Customer Support

ProtonVPN (free) customer support is far better than most of our other free providers.

There is an online support center that covers basic VPN queries and troubleshooting issues (use the search bar to navigate) and there are step-by-step installation guides for all supported devices, including those that need to be manually configured.

Do you recommend?

If you are looking for a free VPN, we strongly recommend ProtonVPN. It is very safe to use and comes with unlimited data, which means you can keep as little or no online activity as you want.

There are some disadvantages, such as the limit of three server locations, lack of streaming and P2P support, but ProtonVPN should be the best option for those who want a high level of privacy without spending a penny.