The internet is dotted with several VPN apps for various platforms. For those of you who aren’t sure if they know what a VPN is, a VPN is a service that creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a server operated by the VPN company. The encrypted tunnel has one purpose, securing your information. When your VPN is enabled, you secure your traffic against mass data collection spies, nosy ne’er-do-wells on the same network as you, and aggressive advertisers. VPNs hide your identity from your ISP and the website you are visiting because the sites will think your query is coming from the VPN server, not your device. You can use VPNs to mask your location or even appear in another part of the world.
Back to the topic at hand, ProtonVPN is a VPN service owned by the same Swiss company that made ProtonMail. Proton VPN allows peer-to-peer networking. This means that it has the technology(torrent) to download the movies and games of your choice. And since it delivers high speeds, you can stream HD videos without too many issues. ProtonVPN offers its services for nothing with the free plan. The free plan has some limitations, but this is understandable. The free plan gives you access to servers in just three countries and doesn’t offer any notable internet speeds, but this is enough to cover your basic needs. If you need more advanced services, you’ll need to switch to one of their paid plans.
ProtonVPN holds the rating as the best free VPN available on PC Magazine. This is largely due to its focus on security.
STRENGTHS
A major issue with most VPN providers is the fact that they have DNS leaks and WebRTC leaks. ProtonVPN has none of these as it has passed several leak tests. ProtonVPN has a Transparency Report where it lists requests for information that it has received from authorities and what action it has taken about those requests.
ProtonVPN offers a high-end encryption network as would be expected of all VPN service providers. The whole idea of VPN networks revolves around the premise of privacy and security, so it’s no surprise that ProtonVPN embodies this. ProtonVPN offers the best protocol available for the device you’re using. Their Windows application supports OpenVPN (TCP and UDP), while IKEv2 for mobile devices. Encryption is also set at the highest possible level – AES-256.
Another strong point of ProtonVPN is the speed it offers. The speeds offered by ProtonVPN are quite good. Most of these speeds offered on each server will be more than enough for almost anything, even streaming high-quality 4k video if necessary. The only time that the VPN might seem slow is when you are trying to download a huge file – which might take a bit more time.
ProtonVPN has a “secure core” concept known as a ‘multi-hop solution’ on other VPN providers. This means that your connection is routed through a series of VPN servers for additional privacy potential. ProtonVPN’s Secure Core comprises servers in three countries – Switzerland, Iceland, and Sweden. The secure core routes your connection through one of these three countries before heading towards the country that you’ve selected as your VPN server location.
WEAKNESSES
ProtonVPN spans 41 countries, but only a few of those serve the Asia region. A few key locations, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, are available, but if you need country-level support in this region, you will be disappointed because their range in that area is limited.
ProtonVPN is prone to get blocked by more websites than most other VPNs out there. The website servers usually recognize the VPN connection or sometimes even outright block. The VPN’s identity is also revealed sometimes when it encounters random errors such as CSS irregularities.
ProtonVPN also has this issue with their customer support. They do not have any live support available, and the only way you can get support is via email – and with all email-based customer care services, they do take a while to respond. They take about 24 hours on average to reply to your query, and it might take another day or more to resolve the issue. The email network is “tedious” at its best, and most times, you might just be asked to move to another server without any clear reasons as to why your problem occurred in the first place.
PRICING
ProtonVPN gives you a total of four plans, and the first one (as discussed earlier) is free. You can try the free plan if all you want are just the basic VPN services. The free plan allows you to connect to servers in three countries and the speeds are decent enough.
However, if you are looking for more advanced VPN controls, you should consider moving to one of the paid plans. The paid plans include Basic, Plus, and Visionary. Each of the paid plans has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
ProtonVPN’s basic plan gives you access to its entire network, and it comes at a relatively low price. It allows you to use two devices on one subscription, giving you higher speeds than the free plan.
The plus plan is just a step above basic and a tad higher in price but still generally less expensive than other VPNs; the plus plan allows you to connect up to five devices with a single subscription and gives you access to ProtonVPN’s secure core server and Tor servers.
The Visionary plan gives you the best ProtonVPN has to offer at a higher cost. You can connect up to ten devices on a single subscription. It also includes a Visionary account from their sister app; ProtonMail
Overall, ProtonVPN gives exactly what it offers a simple way for anyone to use VPN networks. While it has some strong advantages, there are still a large number of drawbacks to using it. Proton VPN will be able to cater to all your standard VPN need, but if you’re looking for a flexible network to use different services at once with no bugs, then you should try opting for a stronger VPN provider.