ProtonVPN review | Laptop Mag - McKenzie Allat1971

Our Verdict

For those who want more security from their VPN, ProtonVPN is your meridian choice. Only don't count on stellar speeds or many servers to connect to.

For

Puts main focus on security
Simple to apply on multiple devices
Free service choice with unlimited bandwidth
Secure Core security

Confronting

Few servers with tiresome speeds
Plans can go pricey
Some weird server quirks
No 24/vii support

Laptop Magazine Verdict

For those who want more than security from their VPN, ProtonVPN is your top choice. Only don't count on stellar speeds or many servers to connect to.

Pros

+
Puts main focus on security
+
Simple to use on multiple devices
+
Free service choice with unlimited bandwidth
+
Secure Core security

Cons

-
Few servers with slow speeds
-
Plans can go pricey
-
Some weird server quirks
-
No 24/7 support

ProtonVPN specs

Compatibility:Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebooks and Android TV
24/7 support:No
Trial period:xxx days
Number of servers:one,238
Server locations:fifty+
Countries:54
Maximum devices supported:10

ProtonVPN is the VPN service that should come up to listen when thinking about security, as it completely excels in this area.

Oh, and it tin exist completely gratis to use. While that alone is a major plus, this free option only gives you access to three countries on one device, with varying speeds. For simple browsing though, it's a good service (particularly seeing how non a dollar is beingness spent).

However, its lack of servers is where ProtonVPN falls behind. Even with its all-access "Plus" package, connectedness speeds tin exist slow, and sometimes connect to a different server birthday. And with what it offers, it's expensive compared to what the

best VPN services

have at cheaper prices. Still, ProtonVPN has its perks.

ProtonVPN pricing and availability

ProtonVPN has four subscription options, which vary from extremely affordable to a tad too pricey. Its "Basic" subscription plan costs $iv per month annually (or $threescore a yr) or $5 per month, offering two VPN connections, admission to 54 countries, P2P/BitTorrent back up and its own ad-blocker characteristic, NetShield. The "Plus" programme is priced at $8-per calendar month annually or $10 per month, which comes with everything from the Basic subscription along with its Secure Core feature, Tor selection, the highest internet speeds of up to 10Gbps, and admission to otherwise blocked content. I used this option for the review.

There'south also the premium "Visionary" subscription priced at $24 per month annually or $thirty per month, which offers everything stated earlier as well as 10 VPN connections and admission to ProtonMail. This seems overpriced, specially because VPNs such as

Surfshark

offer their full service and unlimited VPN connections for as niggling as £1.81/$2.49 per month. Withal, ProtonMail is regarded every bit ane of the best email services around as it encrypts users' emails and is based in Switzerland, significant it's protected by Swiss privacy law. While it'southward still expensive, this option is great for businesses.

Finally, in that location's the free pick, which offers limited services such as one VPN connection, available servers in three countries and "medium" speeds. All the same, these countries include Japan, the Netherlands and the United States, which are ordinarily countries users want to connect to.

ProtonVPN is available on Android,

iOS

Windows

macOS

, Linux,

Chromebooks

and Android Idiot box. It too has a xxx-day coin-back guarantee only in case you're opting for another service.

The higher the toll, the more VPN connections ProtonVPN supports. The maximum of 10 devices it can back up on the Visionary programme is but too pricey, while its Plus subscription's 5 supported devices are fine. ProtonVPN tin be set up on a router though, so unlimited connections are technically available. ProtonVPN does offering enough of dissimilar means to pay, which includes PayPal, credit/debit cards,

Bitcoin

and even cash if demand be.

ProtonVPN streaming and unblocking

When testing multiple platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and Disney+, ProtonVPN could unblock any region-locked content and permit me scan through state-specific shows, similar watching One Piece on a Nihon server. This was tested on an iPad for the United States, Japan and the Netherlands.

However, connections were slow when trying to sentinel shows through the VPN servers, with Nippon being the slowest. Although it took a few minutes of buffering, I could still picket unlike Tv shows and movies in high definition. Yet, it did finish to buffer once while watching an episode of One Slice on a Japanese server.

As you'll discover during my connection tests, internet speeds were all over the identify while using different servers. It's important to annotation that ProtonVPN'southward free service won't unblock these streaming services. It's unfortunate simply off-white.

ProtonVPN server locations

Currently, ProtonVPN has 1,238 servers in 54 countries effectually the globe. This doesn't come close to the number of servers its principal competition boasts, and some of these servers are hit or miss. However, information technology does have servers in hotspot countries including the Usa, Canada, Commonwealth of australia, Germany, Japan and India.

There are besides VPN servers for the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, which can bypass region-locked content. I tried this in the UAE and it worked perfectly while having servers in Hong Kong means it should featherbed censored or blocked content for those in China, without servers being as well far away.

ProtonVPN security

ProtonVPN prides itself on offering the well-nigh secure VPN service around, and it has good reason to. Information technology uses its own Secure Cadre network, significant your traffic first goes through privacy-friendly countries such as Switzerland, Sweden and Iceland to forbid compromised VPN servers (unfortunately, that happens) and then your IP address is never revealed. This is only available through the Plus subscription program.

This is similar to what a few other VPNs have but named differently. For example,

NordVPN

has a DoubleVPN characteristic, so users tin can connect by going through 2 VPN servers. However, ProtonVPN's Secure Core feature goes through its very all-time and secure servers in the aforementioned countries, giving it a slight edge.

When using ProtonVPN, network traffic is encrypted with AES-256, which is the all-time y'all tin can get when it comes to information protection. It also comes with a Kill Switch feature — which is not available on iOS for some reason — forth with a DNS leak prevention. Security protocols include OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec connections. Non every bit many equally other VPN services, merely you can't go wrong with them.

ProtonVPN has too introduced its NetShield adblocker feature, which can actively cake malware, along with ads and trackers. It allowed me to breeze by any annoying popular-upwardly ads.

Even better, information technology uses Perfect Forrard Secrecy so your encrypted information won't be captured and deciphered afterward. Forth with its no-log policy, Tor connections, and existence based in Switzerland (a land known for its privacy laws), you can rest assured your data is safe with ProtonVPN.

ProtonVPN user accessibility and support

ProtonVPN has one of the all-time user interfaces around, whether information technology be on Windows 10, iOS or Android. It has a sleek, dark interface that runs smoothly with a simple "Quick Connect" button to immediately connect to the fastest state and server. On iOS, information technology fifty-fifty offers a widget so in that location's no need to open the app to quickly connect to a VPN.

While information technology doesn't offer a huge amount of features, ProtonVPN does serve up the essentials by letting users cull which specific servers they desire to connect to in each country. It likewise features on/off switches for its Secure Core characteristic and Always-on VPN characteristic. It's disappointing the Kill Switch feature isn't available on iOS, leaving the Always-on option turned on by default. This re-establishes a connection automatically if a VPN cuts off, just users won't know if the VPN connection is off when browsing the web if information technology does dip out.

ProtonVPN's main site offers plenty of support and guides to setting up a VPN, but it doesn't have 24/7 chat support like other VPN services. Users tin contact ProtonVPN via email for assist.

ProtonVPN connection speed

Using fast.com, I tested the connection using the automatic protocol suggested in the U.S., U.Thousand., Deutschland, S Africa, and India. This was done using an iPad, with an average internet speed of 72Mbps.

In London, the fastest server to connect to in terms of distance to my own location, I got speeds of...0Mbps. For some reason, the Britain server connected me to a Benelux Marriage server on multiple occasions, and wouldn't annals fast.com. After going through more servers, some worked, others didn't, but I did get an average internet speed of 52Mbps.

I tried Frankfurt, Federal republic of germany (which took effectually 2 minutes to connect) and got 32Mbps. Next, I tried a connexion in Johannesburg, South Africa and got 57Mbps. In Bombay, India, I got speeds of 9Mbps. Yikes. Finally, I tried connecting to New York and got 11Mbps. More than yikes.

I so tried using ProtonVPN'southward Secure Cadre feature, which connected me from Republic of iceland to Belgium. I got speeds of 61Mbps, which is solid considering it's substantially going through two servers. Even better, when connecting via Switzerland to the U.K. (now not giving me Benelux Spousal relationship sites), I got speeds of 64Mbps.

I and so tested the gratuitous version of the VPN service to see if the speeds were much unlike. I trial the three bachelor countries, which include the United States, Japan and the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, which ProtonVPN automatically connected to when I used the one-click "Quick Connect" characteristic, I got an average speed of 55Mbps. That'southward amazing for a free VPN. In the U.S., I got speeds of 2.2Mbps, which is more of the drop in speed I expected considering the altitude from me and the free version offering "medium" speeds. When connecting to a server in Japan, I got an boilerplate internet speed of 25Mbps.

Lesser Line

ProtonVPN is all near security, which can be a double-edged sword. On ane hand, VPN users can go worry-costless knowing they are surfing anonymously, and its strong encryption means it tin featherbed region-locked content for streaming.

On the other manus, the lack of plentiful servers and some bizarre connection speeds mean it isn't the almost reliable VPN if users are after something that works flawlessly in every country. For those looking for a quick VPN to use while browsing the web, ProtonVPN'due south complimentary service is the best option out there, and it tin can even provide some great internet speeds.

That said, ProtonVPN could work on its paid Plus subscription to evangelize an even better, more stable feel. Once it offers more servers and gets rid of those weird connectedness quirks, the (internet) sky's the limit for ProtonVPN.

ProtonVPN Specs

Server locations	50+
Trial period	30 days
Maximum devices supported	5
Countries	50
24/7 support	No
Works on	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux
Number of servers	1,000+

Less

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous globe of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor hallmark or turning his dear for gadgets into a fabricated rap boxing from 8 Mile, he believes there'south always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master's degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, forth with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Mag, Darragh started his career writing about the tech manufacture at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle Eastward. At present, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.