Switzerland has some of the strictest privacy laws on the planet — stricter than the EU, stricter than the US, stricter than just about anywhere. That's not an accident. And it's exactly why ProtonVPN is based there. When a VPN company chooses where to incorporate, it's telling you something. Proton's answer is: we'd rather be legally obligated to protect your data than voluntarily promise to.
Quick verdict
ProtonVPN is one of the most trustworthy VPNs you can buy, full stop. Its security credentials are genuinely impressive — open-source apps, independent audits, a verified no-logs policy, and a legal home in Switzerland that makes government data requests extremely difficult to honour. For anyone who's had a reason to be worried about who's watching their traffic, this is where you end up.
The flip side? It's not the first name that comes to mind for pure streaming performance. It's improved a lot lately, but if your only goal is to unblock Netflix US or watch Premier League football abroad, there are faster, cheaper options tuned specifically for that job. ProtonVPN is excellent — it just has a particular personality, and you should know what that is before you subscribe.
Our score: 8.2 / 10
What we tested and how
We ran ProtonVPN through its paces across several weeks in 2025–2026, using Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS apps. Our testing covered speed across US, UK, European, and Asia-Pacific servers; streaming unblocking on eight major platforms; WebRTC and DNS leak checks; and the kill switch under simulated connection drops.
We also looked closely at what Proton actually publishes about its infrastructure — the transparency reports, the audits, the warrant canary. Because for this VPN in particular, those documents matter as much as any speed test.
Streaming performance
Let's be direct: ProtonVPN has historically been inconsistent with streaming, but the 2025–2026 version is meaningfully better. Here's what we actually tested.
What it unblocks
- Netflix US: Yes — worked consistently on dedicated streaming servers. UK and Australian Netflix also unlocked with no fuss.
- BBC iPlayer: Yes — UK servers connected reliably. No login gymnastics required.
- Disney+: Hit and miss. US library unlocked most of the time, but we hit two servers that didn't work before finding one that did.
- Hulu: Yes, worked on US servers.
- Amazon Prime Video: Generally works. Some regional libraries were patchy.
- DAZN: Unlocked on Canadian and Spanish servers — good news if you're a football fan abroad.
- ESPN+: Yes, unlocked.
- Australian streaming (Stan, 9Now): Stan unlocked; 9Now was inconsistent.
The trick with ProtonVPN and streaming is to use its dedicated "Streaming" servers — they're labelled in the app. General-purpose servers are less reliable for this. Once you know that, it clicks into place.
For the sports fans
If you're a British expat in Spain wanting to watch Sky Sports, or an American in Germany trying to catch NFL Sunday Ticket, ProtonVPN will do the job — but you may need to try a couple of servers before you land on one that's not been flagged. It's a minor annoyance, not a dealbreaker. But it is something NordVPN or ExpressVPN tend to handle more smoothly.
Speed and reliability
ProtonVPN has got faster. That's the short version. The longer version: it launched with a focus so heavily on security that speed was almost an afterthought. That's changed.
On WireGuard (the protocol we'd recommend you use — it's available in the app settings), you can expect:
- European servers: Minimal speed loss — typically 5–15% on a standard home broadband connection
- US servers (from Europe): More noticeable drop — around 20–35% depending on your baseline
- Asia-Pacific servers: Expect 40–50% reduction in some cases. Long distances cost speed. That's just physics.
For HD and 4K streaming, the European and US speeds are more than adequate. We streamed Netflix US at 4K without buffering on US servers connected from the UK. That's a decent result.
Reliability is where ProtonVPN genuinely shines. We had zero unexpected disconnections during our testing period. The kill switch (which cuts your internet if the VPN drops) worked every time we forced a disconnect. That's not glamorous, but it matters.
Privacy and security
This is where ProtonVPN earns its reputation — and where it beats most competitors, including Nord and Express, in our honest view.
Why Switzerland matters
Proton is incorporated in Geneva, Switzerland. Switzerland is not part of the EU, not part of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or Fourteen Eyes surveillance alliances. Swiss law actively restricts mass surveillance and data sharing with foreign governments. When a US or UK authority wants user data from Proton, the request has to go through Swiss courts. And Swiss courts are not known for rubber-stamping anything.
This isn't just geography. It's a genuine legal shield that most VPN companies can't offer.
Open source and audited
All ProtonVPN apps — every platform — are open source. That means independent security researchers can look at the actual code, not just trust a marketing claim. The apps have been independently audited multiple times, and those audit reports are published publicly. You can read them. That level of transparency is rare in this industry.
No-logs policy
ProtonVPN's no-logs policy has been verified — not just claimed. When Swiss authorities asked Proton for user data in the past, Proton provided IP addresses (which it was legally compelled to) but had no browsing data to hand over because none was stored. That's a real-world test of a policy. It passed.
Extra security features
- Secure Core: Routes traffic through privacy-friendly countries (Switzerland, Iceland, Sweden) before exiting to the destination server. Significantly harder to trace. Available on Plus plans.
- NetShield: Built-in ad and malware blocker. Works well. Noticeably reduces page load times on ad-heavy sites.
- Kill switch: Works on all platforms. We tested it hard. It held.
- Tor over VPN: For the truly paranoid (or the truly in need). Routes your traffic through the Tor network on top of the VPN.
Apps and ease of use
Proton redesigned its apps significantly in 2024, and the result is much better than what came before. The Windows and macOS apps are clean, logical, and don't bury important features six menus deep. Android and iOS apps are similarly polished.
Server selection is done through an interactive map or a searchable list — both work well. Switching protocols (WireGuard vs OpenVPN) is easy. The Secure Core toggle is clearly visible. You don't need to be technical to use this.
That said, ProtonVPN does feel slightly more "serious" than NordVPN or Surfshark. It's not intimidating, but it's not a joyful consumer app either. Think reliable tool versus lifestyle product. Depending on your personality, that's either reassuring or dull.
One genuine weak spot: the router setup is more complicated than it should be. If you want ProtonVPN running on your router to cover all devices in your house, you're in for an afternoon of configuration. The support docs are good, but this isn't plug-and-play.
Pricing and value
ProtonVPN has a free tier — a genuinely usable one, not a crippled demo. Free users get access to servers in three countries (US, Netherlands, Japan) with no data cap and no ads. Speeds are limited and streaming servers are locked, but it's real privacy protection at no cost. That's unusual and worth acknowledging.
For the full experience, you're looking at Proton VPN Plus:
- Monthly: $9.99/month (about £7.90 / €9.20)
- Annual: $4.99/month (about £3.95 / €4.60) — billed as $59.88/year (about £47 / €55)
- Two-year plan: $3.99/month (about £3.15 / €3.70) — billed as $95.76/year equivalent (about £75 / €88)
There's also Proton Unlimited, which bundles VPN Plus with ProtonMail (encrypted email), Proton Drive, and Proton Calendar. If you're going full privacy ecosystem, that makes economic sense. It runs around $9.99/month (about £7.90 / €9.20) on the annual plan for everything combined.
Compared to NordVPN's two-year deal or Surfshark's aggressive introductory pricing, ProtonVPN is mid-range to slightly expensive. But you're paying for a different thing here — genuine legal infrastructure and a trustworthy company — not just server count.
Who it's best for (and who should look elsewhere)
ProtonVPN is the right call if:
- Privacy is a genuine priority for you — not just a preference, but a need
- You're a journalist, activist, researcher, or someone who has real reasons to be concerned about surveillance
- You want a VPN company you can actually verify — one with published audits, open-source code, and a real legal structure
- You want the free tier as a starting point before committing
- You like the idea of a full Proton privacy suite (email, drive, calendar)
Look elsewhere if:
- Your main goal is streaming and you want the fastest, most reliable unblocking — NordVPN edges it for that
- You need the cheapest long-term price — Surfshark is significantly cheaper on multi-year deals
- You want dead-simple router setup — look at ExpressVPN or NordVPN
- You need a huge server network — ProtonVPN has around 9,000+ servers across 100+ countries, which is solid but not class-leading
Final verdict
ProtonVPN is the most trustworthy VPN we've reviewed. Not the flashiest, not the cheapest, and not quite the best for pure streaming performance — but if you want a VPN where you can actually verify the privacy claims rather than just hope they're true, this is it.
The open-source apps, the Swiss legal base, the independent audits, the real-world test of its no-logs policy — these aren't marketing talking points. They're checkable facts. And in an industry full of companies making unprovable promises, that matters enormously.
If you're a sports fan abroad who just wants to watch your team's games and nothing else, you might find NordVPN a slightly smoother ride. But if you want a VPN you can actually trust — one built by people who seem to genuinely care about privacy as a mission rather than a selling point — ProtonVPN is where we'd send you.
Final score: 8.2 / 10
Try ProtonVPN — plans from $3.99/month (about £3.15 / €3.70)
