If you check our hands-on ProtonVPN review, you’ll see that we had plenty of positive things to say about this capable VPN service. And since you’re reading this article, you already know that ProtonVPN offers both free and paid versions. Naturally, this raises the question of whether it’s worth paying for this VPN? With that said, we wish you a warm welcome to our ProtonVPN free vs. paid comparison!
We'll dive in-depth into comparing ProtonVPN's free and paid plans, helping you decide which of those is better suited for your needs. However, before we do so, we bring you a handy and quick overview of ProtonVPN's free and paid plans, which you can check just below.
If you'd like to dive deeper into understanding the differences between ProtonVPN's free and paid plans, make sure to keep reading this article.
ProtonVPN Free vs. Paid (2021)
Our ProtonVPN free vs. paid comparison dives deep into individual aspects of this VPN service. That will help you understand what you'll get for free and what if you pay. Check the following table of contents to see what we'll talk about.
Supported Devices & Simultaneous Connections
First, let's check the differences between ProtonVPN's free and paid plans regarding the platforms and devices they support and the number of simultaneous connections they offer.
- ProtonVPN FREE: Most free VPNs typically support only a small number of platforms. However, that's not the case with ProtonVPN, whose free plan lets you install the VPN on any device it supports. Still, a significant limitation is that you can use your free ProtonVPN account on a single device only.
- ProtonVPN PAID: As you can guess, ProtonVPN's paid plans don't have any restrictions in the scope of platforms they support (and yes, you can even install this VPN on your router). On top of that, paid plans come with a higher limit of simultaneous subscriptions, ranging from 2 to 10 (depending on which paid plan you pick).
User Privacy & Security (VPN Features)
Next, let's look at the basic and more advanced features that ProtonVPN provides to its free and paid subscribers. Check the following table for a quick comparison.
- ProtonVPN FREE: We have to note that ProtonVPN's free plan is surprisingly "relaxed," giving you access to the majority of the VPN's features. Most importantly, ProtonVPN doesn't log data, and that applies to its free plan as well. And also, you get a complete set of protection mechanisms designed to keep you safe and private on the Web (on a single device only, though).
- ProtonVPN PAID: If you decide to pay, know that ProtonVPN offers several tiers of paid plans that unlock new sets of features. That’s how you can access everything that free users have, in addition to an ad-blocker, anti-malware, as well as ProtonVPN’s famous 'Secure Core' servers that route your Web data through multiple servers.
Server Count & VPN Infrastructure
Managing a vast network of servers comes at a cost, which is why free VPNs typically limit your access to their server network. That’s the case with ProtonVPN as well, as you can see below.
- ProtonVPN FREE: Using the free plan, you get access to 23 servers in 3 countries only, and those are Japan, the United States, and the Netherlands. You’re free to switch between those at any moment, which seems beneficial, as ProtonVPN’s free servers are typically always under a heavy load.
- ProtonVPN PAID: There are two tiers of ProtonVPN’s paid plans (Basic and Plus), giving you access to the VPN’s server network either partially or fully. If you get the Basic plan, you’ll get access to 350+ servers in 40+ countries. And if you get the Plus plus, you’ll get access to all 1,250+ servers in 55+ countries.
Data & Speed Limitations
One of the main characteristics of free VPNs is their bandwidth/speed limitation. They’re forced to impose those limits to cut their costs and preserve their servers’ performance.
- ProtonVPN FREE: We’re happy to report that ProtonVPN’s free servers don’t have data limitations. That means that you can download or upload as much data as you want. However, since you'll encounter limited speeds, you'll only get to do regular Web browsing in practice. Streaming online media will be impossible, and you'll need to wait for a long time to download any file from the Web.
- ProtonVPN PAID: Depending on the premium plan you pick, ProtonVPN can give you access to 10Gbps servers. And thanks to a newly introduced feature called VPN Accelerator, your connections to even the most remote servers should be incredibly fast and stable. Therefore, you'll pay for ultra-fast performance, and that's precisely what you'll get.
Media Streaming & Torrenting
If you're looking for a free VPN to streaming online media and download torrents, you'll want to read this segment carefully. Here's what you need to know.
- ProtonVPN FREE: Thanks to its strong encryption, you’ll get to unblock websites that might be restricted in your country. ProtonVPN’s free plan gives you access to servers in the US, Japan, and the Netherlands, so you’ll get to unblock websites available in those countries. Of course, we’re talking about "regular" websites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, and similar. Media streaming and torrenting are not on offer.
- ProtonVPN PAID: ProtonVPN’s Basic plan gives you access to blocked content and P2P file transfers. However, if you want to unblock and access media streaming sites, you’ll need ProtonVPN’s Plus plan, which gives you access to Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and more.
Customer Support
Of course, even if you don’t pay for a VPN, you’re still entitled to its customer support. With that said, we’ve made sure to include the customer support segment in our ProtonVPN free vs. paid comparison.
- ProtonVPN FREE: You'll be happy to know that ProtonVPN provides support for its free customers, who can rely on several self-help resources. That includes the VPN's knowledgebase, installation guides, frequently asked questions, and more. And for those times when you can’t find a solution yourself, you can always contact ProtonVPN via its online contact form.
- ProtonVPN PAID: Everything said above applies to ProtonVPN’s premium customers as well. You get a whole range of self-help resources and the ability to contact the VPN at any point. Still, we’re sure that ProtonVPN prioritizes paid customers, even though there’s no option to identify yourself that way (when filling out a contact form, for example). However, your account ID can reveal if you’re a free or paid customer.
Pricing
Finally, we come to the most differentiating factor when comparing ProtonVPN’s free and paid plans. And yes, we’re talking about their pricing. Here’s what you need to know.
- ProtonVPN FREE: As you can imagine, ProtonVPN's free plan really comes free of charge. There are no gimmicks here or any "fine print." You don't even have to supply your payment information when signing up, which means that there's no chance of ProtonVPN charging you at any moment.
- ProtonVPN PAID: If you decide to pay for ProtonVPN, you can choose from two VPN plans, called Basic and Plus (whose prices you can see just above). As explained in this ProtonVPN free vs. paid comparison, there are differences between the Basic and Plus plans, which also reflects in their price. And then, there’s also the Visionary plan – for those who want ProtonMail as well (an encrypted email solution).
In The End – Who Should Use ProtonVPN’s Free Plan? Should You Pay Instead?
Based on everything said so far in our ProtonVPN free vs. paid comparison, the conclusion is clear. This VPN offers one of the best free-of-charge subscriptions out there. However, it's suitable enough only for basic Web browsing and if you don't care about downloading large files, streaming online media, gaming, or torrenting.
In other words, if you needs are very basic, ProtonVPN's free plan will meet all of them. Still, we also think it's worth paying for ProtonVPN, as it brings a complete solution to protecting your privacy at affordable pricing ranges. To learn more, head over to ProtonVPN's website.
That would be all for our ProtonVPN free vs. paid comparison. If you have any questions for us, make sure to post them just below. And finally, thank you for reading!