Proton VPN Free vs Plus
Proton VPN Free is one of the few free VPNs with unlimited data and no ads. Plus adds speed, streaming, P2P and nine more devices.
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Quick answer
Proton VPN Free is one of the few free VPNs with unlimited data and no ads. Plus adds speed, streaming, P2P and nine more devices. We compared Proton VPN’s free plan with Proton VPN Plus using Proton’s official plan and pricing pages (checked October 2026) and published reviews.
Last updated Prices checked Oct 2026
We compared Proton VPN’s free plan with Proton VPN Plus using Proton’s official plan and pricing pages (checked October 2026) and published reviews. For the full picture, see our Proton VPN review.
Free vs Plus at a glance
| Free | Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $9.99/mo, or $4.49/mo for the first year |
| Data | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Servers | 10 countries, chosen automatically | 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries |
| Devices | 1 at a time | Up to 10 |
| Speed | Labelled “medium” | Up to 10 Gbps servers |
| Streaming | No | Yes |
| P2P / torrenting | No | Yes, with port forwarding |
| NetShield ad and tracker blocker | No | Yes |
| Secure Core (multi-hop) | No | Yes |
| Ads, no-logs, kill switch | No ads, no-logs, kill switch | Same |
What the free plan really limits
Proton’s free plan is unusually generous: no data cap, no ads, the same no-logs policy and a kill switch. The limits are about control and speed:
- No server choice. Proton connects you to the fastest available server in one of 10 countries (the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Mexico, Canada and the US). You can’t pick the country.
- Change cooldowns. You can switch servers, but after a few changes there’s a wait (Proton lists 45 seconds, rising to 10 minutes).
- One device. Only one connection at a time, though Proton says a router connection counts as one device.
- No streaming or P2P. Free servers don’t support streaming services or torrenting.
Proton VPN Plus pricing
| Term | Price | Per month | Renews at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99/mo |
| 1 year | $53.88 first year | $4.49 | $83.88/yr |
| 2 years | $83.76 first 2 years | $3.49 | $83.88/yr |
Proton’s deals page has also listed a two-year offer at $71.76 ($2.99/mo). Promotions change often, so check the live price at checkout, and remember all longer plans renew at $83.88 a year.
Who should upgrade?
Stay on Free if you mainly want privacy on public Wi-Fi, use one device at a time and don’t need a particular country. It’s the free VPN we recommend first in our best free VPN guide.
Get Plus if you want to stream from other regions, torrent (see best VPNs for torrenting), cover a household’s devices, or need faster, hand-picked servers. If you’re choosing between paid VPNs, compare NordVPN vs Proton VPN and Surfshark vs Proton VPN.
Frequently asked questions
Is Proton VPN Free really unlimited?
Can I stream Netflix with Proton VPN Free?
How much is Proton VPN Plus?
Sources
Pricing and plan details were checked on the official pages below as of Oct 2026. Vendors change prices, credits and plan names often, and some show regional pricing at checkout, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
- Proton VPN plans (protonvpn.com)
- Proton VPN pricing (protonvpn.com)
- TruePick: Proton VPN Free vs Plus (truepick.net)
Related
Proton VPN Review: Is It Worth It in 2026?
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comparisonSurfshark vs Proton VPN
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