ProtonVPN review: Internet encryption with top streaming and torrenting performance

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are everywhere right now, but ProtonVPN is one of a handful of providers that always earns a spot in the ranks of our best VPNs. If you want to encrypt your internet connection from hackers and snoopers while being able to bypass geo restrictions on streaming platforms and other content, it should be high on your list.

After experiencing the Swiss-based ProtonVPN firsthand on desktop and mobile, it offered a seamless solution for streaming and torrenting on multiple devices throughout the household.

Pricing and availability

I scooped up ProtonVPN because it's just €9.99 a month, which is roughly $10.82. That’s cheaper than most top-tier VPN providers, and you can save by committing to a one-year or two-year plan upfront. If you're more of a casual user like me, a monthly plan gives you the benefit of pausing whenever you want.

Nonetheless, its one-year plan is €71.88 or the equivalent of €5.99/mo ($6.49). Two years is €119.76 or the same as €4.99/mo ($5.41). While many of our favorites offer better VPN deals over the long term, it’s worth noting that ProtonVPN guarantees the price for life. I.e., it won’t jump up in the next billing period.

I always like to test a VPN before committing, so the free plan is a huge plus. You get unrestricted access to VPN servers in the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands for free, forever, on one device. Of course, these servers are more congested than its premium offerings, but ProtonVPN performs surprisingly well compared to most free VPNs that are only worth the odd browsing session.

The pricier Proton Unlimited Plan offers 500GB of encrypted drive storage, 15 @pm.me email addresses, and 20 calendars with sharing features. With the 10-device limit, this might suit freelancing teams and small offices, but there's not much here to warrant a €12.99 (approximately $14) per month price for an individual.

Setup and user interface

User-friendly apps for desktop and mobile

The ProtonVPN apps are available on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and Fire TV. It also provides Chrome, Chromebook, Firefox, and Android TV extensions. All the apps are intuitive and clean, and I had no problem getting them up and running. Simply log in and use the Quick Connect button to connect to the fastest available server at the time. The ability to scroll or search through its countries list and expand the link to find multiple servers per country is a useful feature not always found elsewhere. Whether encryption is all you want or you need to unblock geoblocking, it takes seconds to connect to an appropriate server.

The Windows version, which I use most, displays a world map of locations to help you choose a suitable server, which is a good way to judge distances from your real location. On mobile, you can tap the map tab, but it’s much easier to navigate or search through the list than tap map icons to connect. Overall, there are enough settings for advanced users without beginners getting overwhelmed.

I scooped up ProtonVPN because it's just €9.99 a month, which is roughly $10.82. That’s cheaper than most top-tier VPN providers, and you can make savings by committing to a one-year or two-year plan upfront.

Features

Advanced split tunneling for apps and URLs

Unless I'm traveling and using questionable Wi-Fi, I prefer not to encrypt all internet traffic because I like the lowest ping possible when gaming. ProtonVPN’s split tunneling feature lets you choose the precise apps on your devices and the URLs that should or shouldn’t be routed through the encrypted tunnel. I mainly use VPNs for Netflix to unblock the U.S. library from the U.K., so it's as simple as whitelisting Netflix and leaving everything else as it is. The ability to include IPs and URLs is a noteworthy addition, considering ExpressVPN and other VPNs tend to focus on app-based split tunneling only.

Configurable kill switch to stop traffic when disconnected

It’s not uncommon for internet connections to drop temporarily, but where does this leave the security provided by a VPN? Like most, ProtonVPN pauses all traffic if your device is disconnected from the VPN server or the internet and only resumes once encryption is active again. However, Proton goes a step further, allowing you to turn the kill switch on and off or set the permanent option, so you cannot even access the internet without the VPN connected. When other VPNs do this automatically, it can be frustrating when you just want to get online and figure out the VPN stuff later.

Stealth mode to obfuscate VPN usage

One hurdle you can face with a VPN is strict ISPs and restrictive countries that attempt to block their usage. To combat this, ProtonVPN uses obfuscation via its stealth feature. This disguises traffic and makes detecting that you’re using a VPN more difficult. Furthermore, if you have an annoying ISP like me that artificially reduces speeds at peak times or when you've had a torrent running for days, stealth mode keeps things steady.

OpenVPN and WireGuard for routers

The inclusion of the OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols allows you to configure the VPN at the router level, protecting your entire home network without needing the apps. You’ll find installation instructions and configuration files in your ProtonVPN web account. Some providers make this a chore, but Proton provides all the guides and lists of supported routers you need.

Swiss No-Logs policy

Much is made of no-logs policies. This means the provider does not hold data about when you use the VPN or the servers you connect to or share it with others. ProtonVPN gets a big thumbs up because it's based in Switzerland and has no legal obligation to retain logs or cooperate with international data requests. If you're concerned about billing information, you can pay using Bitcoin to add a level of anonymity. This isn't on the level of Mullvad's account anonymity, but it's still one of the best policies I've seen.

If you have an annoying ISP like me that artificially reduces speeds at peak times or when you've had a torrent running for days, stealth mode keeps things steady.

Additional security

Secure Core servers to ring-fence VPN usage

As well as stealth mode, ProtonVPN has several special servers and features that further improve your privacy and security.

Secure Core

Secure core first routes your traffic through a data-protected country such as Iceland, Switzerland, or Sweden. Then, if you connect to a country that enforces data sharing, such as the U.S., any network monitoring is neutralized by the core of protected servers. I.e., your activity on a compromised U.S. server cannot be traced back to your real IP address behind the secure core server.

The key difference between this and a typical multi-hop feature is that ProtonVPN physically owns and secures all its secure core servers, and they are all located in countries that are not obligated to share data. Proton has put their money where their mouth is with this feature, as it's all too easy for providers to stick up a no-logs policy, knowing full well they are based in the U.S. or EU and have to comply with data sharing.

Tor Over VPN

Sometimes, I like to access the dark web, but it can be a hassle if the VPN is already on and you have to jump over to the Tor Browser. Tor Over VPN works on your regular browser and uses the standard VPN connection before sending it through the Tor Network itself. ExpressVPN and other big names don't offer this kind of dark web integration. Moreover, accessing banned sites and services when based in a restrictive country like China or Iran is an excellent inclusion.

NetShield Adblocker

NetShield is a useful companion for a VPN on paper. Despite encryption, that doesn’t mean you can’t be exposed to malware and other online threats. When turned on, it blocks URLs from phishing and malware sites. It also blocks intrusive ads and tracking cookies.

Unfortunately, in practice, it doesn't catch everything, so I still use a reputable antivirus program and standalone ad blocker.

Leak prevention

Beyond the kill switch, ProtonVPN applies leak prevention technology to stop your real IP address and other data from slipping through, so the likes of Netflix, Wi-Fi hackers, and other snoopers never catch on. This includes full WebRTC, DNS, and IPv6 prevention. Unlike many VPNs, the latter two can be configured yourself if you plan to use custom DNS or need IPv6 on a certain device. However, these are disabled by default to prevent leaks for inexperienced users. With all protection turned on, I used IPLeak.net to test if its leak-prevention was legit.

ProtonVPN gets a big thumbs up because it's based in Switzerland and has no legal obligation to retain logs or cooperate with international data requests.

After connecting to a server in the Netherlands while really being located in the U.K., only the VPN IP address was found. Furthermore, there were no WebRTC or DNS leaks, and IPv6 was blocked altogether. It’s safe to say that ProtonVPN does not leak any kind of location data.

Locations, speeds, and optimized servers

Thousands of stable servers across 69 countries

There are few things worse than a slow VPN. ProtonVPN has a powerful foundation of servers configured for speeds of up to 10Gbps. In total, over 3,000 individual machines cover multiple locations in 69 countries. For example, expanding the U.S. tab will reveal hundreds of locations in multiple states. It also shows the current server load, so you can choose a fast server that many other people aren’t currently using.

While it supports fewer countries than ExpressVPN (105) and Surfshark (100), it has nine more than NordVPN. Realistically, the average user will have more than enough locations to choose from to bypass geo restrictions, and you can always check beforehand if there is a country you really need.

ProtonVPN speed testing

ProtonVPN is not the fastest VPN on the market following our real-world VPN speed tests, but it did make the top eight, which is still an impressive feat. My household manages to stream Netflix on one device while I download torrents on the computer with no noticeable bandwidth problems.

Obviously, the free servers are more congested than if you’re using a paid plan, so it’s worth upgrading if you like the general feel of the apps and their features.

Access international steaming platforms with optimized streaming servers

While all its servers will bypass geo-restrictions, the best performance comes from its optimized streaming servers. I could play 4K content on YouTube TV without any buffering. Simply scroll through the server list and look for the triangle play icon, which indicates that it’s optimized for streaming.

Access optimized P2P servers for safe torrenting

As with streaming, ProtonVPN has servers dedicated for P2P filesharing, which let me use qBittorrent with encrypted traffic. It successfully masked my IP, and I didn't find any problems with the speed of a well-seeded torrent file.

Should you buy ProtonVPN?

You should buy ProtonVPN if:

• You want to test the service for free
• You need optimized servers for streaming and torrenting
• You are facing strict ISPs or government censors
• You want an affordable monthly plan

You should not buy ProtonVPN if:

• You require more than 69 countries
• You want the fastest VPN speeds on the market
• You want a cheaper one-year or two-year plan

Overall, ProtonVPN is a comprehensive VPN solution that can easily bypass geo-restrictions and thoroughly protect your online privacy. Its no-logs policy is one of the best on the market.

It has all the important VPN features, including a kill switch, advanced split tunneling, and obfuscation. It’s also one of the few with a free forever plan and its monthly plan is cheaper than most. The trade-off is it’s not quite as fast as the likes of NordVPN and ExpressVPN. However, it suits me perfectly for streaming and torrenting on multiple devices.