Most VPN providers claim to specialize in privacy, but many lack evidence to support that claim. The Swiss-based ProtonVPN is a little different because the company has security experience – the company also runs ProtonMail, an encryption service used for end-to-end communications.
Throughout the article, we’ll take a look at ProtonVPN, a VPN service with over 1,400 servers in over 60 countries. In this review of ProtonVPN, we analyze its features, performance, pricing and customer support to help you decide whether it is the right VPN for you.
Is ProtonVPN secure?
The ProtonVPN team is dedicated to protecting online privacy and security. Among the most trusted methods for protecting digital assets, it promises the highest level of protection. There are many reasons to choose this VPN, including hiding your IP address and remaining anonymous online, torrenting safely, or avoiding online censorship. It is one of the best VPNs available.
The data privacy laws in Switzerland, where ProtonVPN is based, are extremely strict. Swiss law does not mandate that VPNs keep user data logs, making the country ideal for VPNs that do not log data. Furthermore, Switzerland is not a member of any international surveillance alliances like the Five Eyes alliance, the Nine Eyes alliance, or 14 Eyes alliance.
Each time a third party requests user information, ProtonVPN publishes a transparency report on its website. The company’s latest transparency report indicates that only one request for information on IP was received in 2019. Among the many providers of VPN, ProtonVPN is the one you can be sure to trust with your data.
How does ProtonVPN handle my data?
It is a fact that every VPN logs a certain amount of data required to function. Even so, ProtonVPN is one of the best privacy solutions out there. The VPN provider does not log users’ VPN connection data, so even if the Swiss government asks for it, ProtonVPN cannot provide it.
Killswitch
Your internet traffic will always go through the VPN because kill switches ensure this. If your VPN connection fails for any reason, the kill switch will cut off your internet connection to protect you from any unwanted threats.
ProtonVPN includes a kill switch. In the mobile application, you will find an always-on feature that automatically connects you to the VPN server and prevents your IP address from being exposed.
ProtonVPN: how fast is it?
We tested with an IKEv2/IPSec connection and had a download speed of 193 Mbps and an upload speed of 196 Mbps. As you can see from the table, ProtonVPN speeds are pretty impressive due to their bare-metal servers, modern tunnelling protocols, and unique technologies for improving connectivity.
ProtonVPN Encryption
For the security of your internet connection, ProtonVPN uses only the strongest encryption mechanisms available:
In terms of encryption, ProtonVPN use AES-256 as the algorithm
For exchanging keys, ProtonVPN use RSA 4096-bit
To authenticate messages, HMAC has been combined with SHA384
Cryptography suites only include those that feature Perfect Forward Secrecy. It means that someone cannot intercept your encrypted traffic after intercepting your key from another session. Each time a connection is made, a new encryption key is generated, which can’t be reused.
IKEv2/IPSec and OpenVPN are highly secure protocols supported by ProtonVPN. Protocols like PPTP and L2TP/IPSec involve low operational costs, but ProtonVPN servers do not.
Protocols:
Data packets are dispatched across networks according to Internet connection protocols. A VPN’s level of security is determined by the protocol it employs. Some VPNs rely on outdated, insecure protocols in order to increase speed and lower maintenance costs, which isn’t a good idea.
As a result, ProtonVPN built its VPNs for Mac, Android, and Windows on the OpenVPN platform, and its iOS and Android VPNs on the IKEv2/IPSec platform. These two protocols are both considered highly secure by the information security community.
OpenVPN
VPNs use OpenVPN to create a secure tunnel for web traffic. OpenVPN is an open-source protocol. Due to its good balance between speed and security, OpenVPN is considered the gold standard among VPN protocols. With it, VPN providers can configure protocols like PPTP, L2TP, IKEv2/IPSec, SSTP, and more, which allow up to 256-bit encryption using the Open SSL library.
IKEv2
As soon as you disconnect from the internet, Internet Key Exchange version 2 automatically resets your VPN connection. When you use your cell phone, you constantly switch between Wi-Fi and mobile hotspots, and that’s an excellent way to use this feature.
WireGuard
The WireGuard VPN protocol is an open-source protocol that is relatively new. Despite its newness, it uses tried and tested cryptographic standards, including ChaCha20, BLAKE2, and Poly1305′. In terms of security and privacy, it can’t compare to OpenVPN or IKEv2. Due to its lightweight coding, WireGuard should consume fewer computing resources than heavyweight protocols such as OpenVPN. Accordingly, ProtonVPN claims that mobile devices can establish VPN connections in as little as a second. If you use ProtonVPN for an extended period, it might also prolong the life of your device’s battery.
Pros:
It is possible to connect five devices simultaneously
Secure Core (double VPN) network provides the highest level of security.
Supports anonymous payment via Bitcoin and cash
Some servers fully support peer-to-peer torrenting
Protection against DNS leaks and kill switches
Log files are not available
Provides router support
Free plan with unlimited data is excellent
Cons:
Windows and Android are both at risk for WebRTC IPv6 leaks
Netflix and BBC iPlayer are not accessible
Plans & pricing
The protonVPN service is available in four different editions – Free, Basic, Plus, and Visionary.
The free edition has a vastly different feature set from the Basic edition, making it hard to decide if you want to subscribe to it. The free account can be reverted to the free version with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
You can connect to servers in just three countries, only access one device, and experience slower speeds with the free plan. However, it offers unlimited data, which stands out compared to other free VPNs. Compared to other free VPN services (like 2GB/month), ProtonVPN doesn’t cap the amount of data you can use in its free plan.
In addition to Secure Core, Tor, and P2P servers, the Plus and Visionary subscriptions provide access to them. There is one difference, ProtonMail subscriptions are also included for Visionary subscribers. In addition to ProtonMail, this email service provides access to Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, and ProtonMail Contacts. Those apps offer encrypted calendars, cloud storage, and email contact lists. Moreover, it includes 20GB of storage, up to 100 email aliases, and 10 domains, as well as support for six users.
ProtonVPN offers monthly, annual, and two-year subscription plans, with small discounts for longer subscriptions. For all Basic and Visionary terms plans, the price range is $3.29 to $30 per month.
We recommend that you upgrade to the Plus plan. You have access to all kinds of servers and can connect up to 10 devices with it. Payments can be made with major credit cards, PayPal, gifts cards, cash, Bitcoin, and gift cards.
ProtonVPN review: Final verdict
We were able to access every site we tested, the apps are open source and independently audited, and it offers some of the fastest speeds we have ever experienced. This is definitely the best VPN on the market right now, and it is only getting better. You should definitely give it a try.
ProtonVPN Review
Most VPN providers claim to specialize in privacy, but many lack evidence to support that claim. The Swiss-based ProtonVPN is a little different because the company has security experience – the company also runs ProtonMail, an encryption service used for end-to-end communications.
Throughout the article, we’ll take a look at ProtonVPN, a VPN service with over 1,400 servers in over 60 countries. In this review of ProtonVPN, we analyze its features, performance, pricing and customer support to help you decide whether it is the right VPN for you.
Is ProtonVPN secure?
The ProtonVPN team is dedicated to protecting online privacy and security. Among the most trusted methods for protecting digital assets, it promises the highest level of protection. There are many reasons to choose this VPN, including hiding your IP address and remaining anonymous online, torrenting safely, or avoiding online censorship. It is one of the best VPNs available.
The data privacy laws in Switzerland, where ProtonVPN is based, are extremely strict. Swiss law does not mandate that VPNs keep user data logs, making the country ideal for VPNs that do not log data. Furthermore, Switzerland is not a member of any international surveillance alliances like the Five Eyes alliance, the Nine Eyes alliance, or 14 Eyes alliance.
Each time a third party requests user information, ProtonVPN publishes a transparency report on its website. The company’s latest transparency report indicates that only one request for information on IP was received in 2019. Among the many providers of VPN, ProtonVPN is the one you can be sure to trust with your data.
How does ProtonVPN handle my data?
It is a fact that every VPN logs a certain amount of data required to function. Even so, ProtonVPN is one of the best privacy solutions out there. The VPN provider does not log users’ VPN connection data, so even if the Swiss government asks for it, ProtonVPN cannot provide it.
Killswitch
Your internet traffic will always go through the VPN because kill switches ensure this. If your VPN connection fails for any reason, the kill switch will cut off your internet connection to protect you from any unwanted threats.
ProtonVPN includes a kill switch. In the mobile application, you will find an always-on feature that automatically connects you to the VPN server and prevents your IP address from being exposed.
ProtonVPN: how fast is it?
We tested with an IKEv2/IPSec connection and had a download speed of 193 Mbps and an upload speed of 196 Mbps. As you can see from the table, ProtonVPN speeds are pretty impressive due to their bare-metal servers, modern tunnelling protocols, and unique technologies for improving connectivity.
ProtonVPN Encryption
For the security of your internet connection, ProtonVPN uses only the strongest encryption mechanisms available:
Cryptography suites only include those that feature Perfect Forward Secrecy. It means that someone cannot intercept your encrypted traffic after intercepting your key from another session. Each time a connection is made, a new encryption key is generated, which can’t be reused.
IKEv2/IPSec and OpenVPN are highly secure protocols supported by ProtonVPN. Protocols like PPTP and L2TP/IPSec involve low operational costs, but ProtonVPN servers do not.
Protocols:
Data packets are dispatched across networks according to Internet connection protocols. A VPN’s level of security is determined by the protocol it employs. Some VPNs rely on outdated, insecure protocols in order to increase speed and lower maintenance costs, which isn’t a good idea.
As a result, ProtonVPN built its VPNs for Mac, Android, and Windows on the OpenVPN platform, and its iOS and Android VPNs on the IKEv2/IPSec platform. These two protocols are both considered highly secure by the information security community.
OpenVPN
VPNs use OpenVPN to create a secure tunnel for web traffic. OpenVPN is an open-source protocol. Due to its good balance between speed and security, OpenVPN is considered the gold standard among VPN protocols. With it, VPN providers can configure protocols like PPTP, L2TP, IKEv2/IPSec, SSTP, and more, which allow up to 256-bit encryption using the Open SSL library.
IKEv2
As soon as you disconnect from the internet, Internet Key Exchange version 2 automatically resets your VPN connection. When you use your cell phone, you constantly switch between Wi-Fi and mobile hotspots, and that’s an excellent way to use this feature.
WireGuard
The WireGuard VPN protocol is an open-source protocol that is relatively new. Despite its newness, it uses tried and tested cryptographic standards, including ChaCha20, BLAKE2, and Poly1305′. In terms of security and privacy, it can’t compare to OpenVPN or IKEv2. Due to its lightweight coding, WireGuard should consume fewer computing resources than heavyweight protocols such as OpenVPN. Accordingly, ProtonVPN claims that mobile devices can establish VPN connections in as little as a second. If you use ProtonVPN for an extended period, it might also prolong the life of your device’s battery.
Pros:
Cons:
Plans & pricing
The protonVPN service is available in four different editions – Free, Basic, Plus, and Visionary.
The free edition has a vastly different feature set from the Basic edition, making it hard to decide if you want to subscribe to it. The free account can be reverted to the free version with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
You can connect to servers in just three countries, only access one device, and experience slower speeds with the free plan. However, it offers unlimited data, which stands out compared to other free VPNs. Compared to other free VPN services (like 2GB/month), ProtonVPN doesn’t cap the amount of data you can use in its free plan.
In addition to Secure Core, Tor, and P2P servers, the Plus and Visionary subscriptions provide access to them. There is one difference, ProtonMail subscriptions are also included for Visionary subscribers. In addition to ProtonMail, this email service provides access to Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, and ProtonMail Contacts. Those apps offer encrypted calendars, cloud storage, and email contact lists. Moreover, it includes 20GB of storage, up to 100 email aliases, and 10 domains, as well as support for six users.
ProtonVPN offers monthly, annual, and two-year subscription plans, with small discounts for longer subscriptions. For all Basic and Visionary terms plans, the price range is $3.29 to $30 per month.
We recommend that you upgrade to the Plus plan. You have access to all kinds of servers and can connect up to 10 devices with it. Payments can be made with major credit cards, PayPal, gifts cards, cash, Bitcoin, and gift cards.
ProtonVPN review: Final verdict
We were able to access every site we tested, the apps are open source and independently audited, and it offers some of the fastest speeds we have ever experienced. This is definitely the best VPN on the market right now, and it is only getting better. You should definitely give it a try.
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