Meta Choice
META TierCommercial VPNs
Proton VPN
Fully open-source, Swiss privacy laws, independently audited — and there's a free tier.
Why it matters
Proton VPN stands out for being fully open-source across all platforms (every app is auditable on GitHub) and independently audited. Swiss jurisdiction gives it some of the strongest legal privacy protections in the world. WireGuard by default, Secure Core multi-hop routes traffic through Proton-owned servers in Iceland/Switzerland before exiting, and NetShield blocks ads and malware at the DNS level. The free tier has no data cap — just limited servers and speed. First choice for devs already in the Proton ecosystem (Mail, Drive, Pass).
Specifications
ProtocolWireGuard (default), OpenVPN, Stealth
Free tierYes — unlimited data, 5 server locations
Price (Plus)From $4.49/mo (2-year), $9.99/mo (monthly)
Simultaneous devices10 (Plus)
JurisdictionSwitzerland
No-logs auditedYes (SEC Consult 2022)
Open sourceYes — all apps on GitHub
Secure CoreYes (multi-hop via own servers)
NetShieldYes — DNS ad/malware blocker
Stealth protocolYes — bypasses censorship
Kill switchYes
Split tunnelingYes
Strengths
- Fully open-source across all platforms — GitHub auditable
- Free tier with no data cap (speed and server limited)
- Swiss jurisdiction — among the strongest privacy laws globally
- Secure Core routes through Proton-owned servers before exiting
- NetShield blocks ads and malware at DNS level
- Part of Proton ecosystem (Mail, Drive, Pass, Calendar)
Trade-offs
- Email required at signup — not as anonymous as Mullvad
- Free tier speed-limited and server-limited
- Slightly higher latency than Mullvad on some routes
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