- Only VPN with a truly unlimited free plan — no data caps
- Fully open-source and independently audited — unmatched transparency
- Based in Switzerland — outside EU/US jurisdiction, strongest privacy laws
- Paid plans unblock Netflix, Disney+ and more — good streaming performance
- Free plan limited to 3 server locations and 1 device — slower speeds
ProtonVPN — Full Score Breakdown
3,800+ servers · 100 countries · Open-source · Swiss-based
⭐ Our Verdict
ProtonVPN is the best free VPN in 2026 and a strong privacy-focused paid option. Its free plan has no data limits — unlike every other free VPN on the market. The paid plans are competitive with NordVPN but slightly slower in our speed tests.
Choose ProtonVPN if: you want a free option, you prioritize open-source transparency, or you're based in a country with strict data laws. Choose NordVPN if speed and streaming are your priority.
🆓 ProtonVPN Free Plan — What You Get
ProtonVPN is the only major VPN with a genuinely unlimited free plan. Here's what's included — and what's not:
| Feature | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Data limit | ✓ Unlimited | ✓ Unlimited |
| Server locations | 3 countries | ✓ 100+ countries |
| Speed | Medium | ✓ Fast |
| Streaming | ✗ No | ✓ Netflix, Disney+ etc. |
| Simultaneous devices | 1 | ✓ Up to 10 |
| P2P / Torrenting | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Secure Core | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Stealth protocol | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
🚀 Speed Test Results
We tested both the free and paid plans from a 200 Mbps base connection:
| Plan | Server | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Speed Retained |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid (Plus) | 🇺🇸 USA | 168 | 41 | 84% |
| Paid (Plus) | 🇬🇧 UK | 172 | 43 | 86% |
| Paid (Plus) | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 175 | 44 | 88% |
| Free | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 42 | 12 | 21% |
| Free | 🇺🇸 USA | 38 | 10 | 19% |
📺 Streaming Performance
ProtonVPN's streaming performance is good on paid plans, but the free plan doesn't support streaming at all:
| Platform | Free Plan | Paid Plan | Best Server |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🎬 Netflix US | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 📺 BBC iPlayer | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| ✨ Disney+ | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 🎥 Hulu | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 🎞 Max (HBO) | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | 🇺🇸 United States |
| ⚽ DAZN | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | Regional server |
🔐 Security & Privacy
ProtonVPN is the most transparent VPN available — its entire codebase is open-source on GitHub. This is where ProtonVPN truly shines:
✅ Security Highlights
- Open-source — all code publicly auditable on GitHub
- Swiss jurisdiction — outside EU and US data retention laws
- No-logs policy — court-proven (Swiss court dismissed a data request)
- Secure Core — routes traffic through hardened servers in Iceland, Switzerland, Sweden
- Stealth protocol — bypasses censorship in China, Iran, Russia
- Full-disk encryption — on all servers
⚠️ Limitations
- Free plan: only 3 server countries
- Free plan: no streaming or P2P
- Slower than NordVPN on paid plans
💰 ProtonVPN Pricing & Plans
ProtonVPN offers a free plan plus two paid tiers. All paid plans include streaming, P2P, and Secure Core:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Devices | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🆓 Free | $0/mo | 1 | Basic privacy — no cost |
| VPN Plus (1yr) | $4.99/mo | 10 | Full features |
| VPN Plus (2yr) | $4.49/mo | 10 | Best paid value |
| Proton Unlimited | $7.99/mo | 10 | VPN + Mail + Drive + Calendar |
👍 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Truly unlimited free plan — no data caps
- Fully open-source — unmatched transparency
- Swiss-based — strongest privacy jurisdiction
- No-logs policy court-proven
- Secure Core servers for extra protection
- Stealth protocol bypasses censorship
- Up to 10 simultaneous devices (paid)
- Works with Netflix, Disney+ on paid plans
❌ Cons
- Free plan is slow (21% speed retained)
- Free plan: no streaming, no P2P
- Paid plans slower than NordVPN
- Paid plans more expensive than NordVPN
- Fewer servers than NordVPN (3,800 vs 6,400)
🔄 Alternative: NordVPN
If you need faster speeds, better streaming, and lower prices on long-term plans, NordVPN is the better choice. It doesn't have a free plan, but its 30-day money-back guarantee makes it risk-free to test.
| Feature | ProtonVPN | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes ⭐ | No |
| Open-source | Yes ⭐ | No |
| Speed | 84% retained | 92% retained ⭐ |
| Streaming | Good (paid) | Excellent ⭐ |
| Price (2yr) | $4.49/mo | $3.09/mo ⭐ |
See our full NordVPN vs ProtonVPN comparison for a detailed breakdown.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Published: March 16, 2026 · Last updated: March 16, 2026 · Reviewed by VPNBestPick editorial team