PV
- 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.
# REPLACES
icloud-private-relay
# TAGS
#swiss · #wireguard · #openvpn · #foss-clients · #audited
# DOES THIS WORK FOR YOU
# NOTES FROM PEOPLE WHO TRIED IT
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