Alternatives to Proton VPN
A VPN from the Proton Mail company with a free tier that has no data cap, and open source clients. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Proton VPN
A VPN from the Proton Mail company with a free tier that has no data cap, and open source clients.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Proton VPN.
Mullvad VPN
A flat-rate VPN service with anonymous account numbers instead of usernames, and open source apps.
Mullvad VPN has no free tier and charges a flat €5 a month, but needs no email or personal details, using random account numbers, and keeps open-source apps.
NordVPN
Large commercial VPN with the WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol.
NordVPN has no free tier and closed-source apps, but offers a very large server network, the NordLynx protocol, threat protection and meshnet in one subscription.
Windscribe
Canadian VPN with built-in ad blocking and a usable free tier.
Windscribe also has a free tier, but with a monthly bandwidth allowance, adds built-in ad and tracker blocking, and is based in Canada rather than Switzerland.
ExpressVPN
Commercial VPN with RAM-only servers and its own Lightway protocol.
ExpressVPN is paid only with closed-source apps, offers RAM-only servers and the Lightway protocol, and is among the most expensive consumer VPNs.
Surfshark
VPN with unlimited simultaneous devices on one subscription.
Surfshark is paid only with closed-source apps, but allows unlimited simultaneous devices and includes RAM-only servers and multi-hop routing.
IVPN
Gibraltar-based VPN with multi-hop routing and anonymous signup.
IVPN has no free tier and is Gibraltar-based, but allows signup without email, payment in cash or Monero, and multi-hop with open-source apps.
Mozilla VPN
A paid WireGuard-based VPN service from Mozilla that runs on Mullvad's server network.
Mozilla VPN has no free tier, runs on Mullvad's WireGuard server network, covers up to 5 devices per subscription, and its client is not open source.
Private Internet Access
Long-running VPN with fully open-source apps and port forwarding.
Private Internet Access is paid only and US-based, keeps fully open-source apps, and adds port forwarding and very granular connection settings.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Proton VPN as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
AdGuard VPN
A VPN service from the makers of AdGuard with a free monthly allowance and paid plans.
Proton VPN's free tier has no data cap instead of 3 GB a month, and its clients are open source, but it requires an account and has no browser extension listed.
AirVPN
Activist-run VPN with OpenVPN, WireGuard and detailed server statistics.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap and iOS apps, with open source audited clients from a Swiss company, but requires an account even for free use.
Astrill VPN
A commercial VPN service with a proprietary StealthVPN protocol for restrictive networks.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap and audited open-source clients from a Swiss company, though streaming and peer-to-peer need a paid plan.
Avast SecureLine VPN
A subscription VPN app from Avast for encrypting internet traffic on desktop and mobile devices.
Proton VPN offers a free tier with no data cap, open source audited clients, a Linux app and a Swiss no-logs policy, instead of a closed Avast client.
Avira Phantom VPN
Avira's VPN app with a free data allowance and a paid unlimited plan.
Proton VPN has a free tier with no data cap, open source clients and apps for macOS, Linux and iOS too, but it requires an account.
AzireVPN
A Swedish privacy-focused VPN service built on WireGuard and diskless servers it runs itself.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap, open source audited clients and Secure Core routing, but requires an account and is Swiss.
Betternet
A VPN app with a free tier needing no registration, plus a paid Premium plan.
Proton VPN offers a free tier with no data cap and no ads plus open source clients, but requires creating an account first.
Browsec
A VPN and proxy service with browser extensions and apps, free to start without an account.
Proton VPN has a free tier with no data cap and open source clients that protect all apps, but it offers no browser extension and requires an account.
Cloudflare WARP
A free WireGuard-based tunnel to Cloudflare that encrypts your traffic without pretending to be a privacy VPN.
Proton VPN also has a free tier with no data cap and no advertising, but lets you pick server countries, needs an account and publishes open source clients.
cryptostorm
A privacy-focused VPN service that uses hashed access tokens instead of named customer accounts.
Proton VPN offers a free tier and open source audited clients on all platforms, but requires an account rather than anonymous tokens.
CyberGhost VPN
A commercial VPN service with apps for desktops, phones, TVs, routers and web browsers.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap and audited open-source clients from a Swiss company, but has no browser extension listed and streaming needs a paid plan.
F-Secure VPN
A paid commercial VPN service from F-Secure that encrypts your connection and hides your IP address.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap, open source audited clients and a Linux app, but free servers cover few countries.
hide.me VPN
An independent commercial VPN service with a free plan, WireGuard support and native IPv6.
Proton VPN offers a free tier with no data cap and audited open-source clients including Linux, but requires an account and streaming needs a paid plan.
HMA VPN
A commercial VPN service, formerly Hide My Ass, with servers in more than 65 countries.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap and open source audited clients, though streaming and peer-to-peer require a paid plan.
IPVanish
A commercial VPN service with apps for common devices and a verified no-traffic-logs policy.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap and audited open-source clients from a Swiss company, though streaming and peer-to-peer need a paid plan.
Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection
A commercial VPN app from Kaspersky that encrypts your internet traffic on public and home networks.
Proton VPN offers a free tier with no data cap, open source audited clients on every platform and a Swiss no-logs policy.
Mysterium VPN
A paid decentralized VPN that routes traffic through residential IP addresses in over 100 countries.
Proton VPN offers a free tier with no data cap and open source audited clients, but uses its own servers instead of residential exit addresses.
Obscura VPN
A two-hop privacy VPN that splits your identity and your traffic between separate operators.
Proton VPN adds a free tier and Secure Core routing through hardened servers, with open source audited clients, but requires an account and one provider sees everything.
OVPN
A Swedish paid VPN service with a no-logging policy and diskless servers on hardware it owns.
Proton VPN is a Swiss service with open source audited clients, Secure Core routing and a free tier with no data cap, adding Linux support.
PrivadoVPN
A commercial VPN service with a free tier, bundled with ad blocking and antivirus.
Proton VPN offers a free tier with no data cap or ads, open source audited clients and Linux support, without a bundled antivirus.
PrivateVPN
A Swedish commercial VPN service with apps for desktop, mobile and routers.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap and open source audited clients, but streaming and peer-to-peer require a paid plan.
PureVPN
A commercial VPN service with apps for desktop, mobile and TV devices and a large server network.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap and open-source, audited clients from a Swiss company, though streaming needs a paid plan.
StrongVPN
A long-running commercial VPN service with WireGuard support, SmartDNS and eSIM data in one plan.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap, open source audited clients and a Linux app, while streaming and peer-to-peer need a paid plan.
TorGuard
A commercial VPN and proxy service with stealth connection options and client apps, including Android.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap and open-source, audited clients, with a published no-logs policy from a Swiss company.
TunnelBear
A simple consumer VPN service with a limited free plan and apps for major platforms.
Proton VPN's free tier has no data cap and includes a Linux client, with open-source audited apps, though an account is required even for free use.
VeePN
A commercial VPN service with desktop apps and browser extensions for hiding your IP address.
Proton VPN adds a free tier without a data cap and open source, independently audited clients, but has no browser extension listed and requires an account.
VPN Gate
A free academic VPN network of volunteer-run public relay servers from the University of Tsukuba.
Proton VPN's free tier has no data cap and uses audited open-source clients with a published no-logs policy, but requires an account and covers few countries.
VPN.ac
A commercial VPN service with WireGuard, OpenVPN and obfuscated protocols and servers in many countries.
Proton VPN brings open source audited clients, a free tier with no data cap and Secure Core routing, from a Swiss company with a published no-logs policy.
VyprVPN
A commercial no-log VPN service with apps for computers, phones and TV devices.
Proton VPN adds a free tier with no data cap and open-source, audited clients, though streaming requires a paid plan.
X-VPN
A commercial VPN service with a free tier and apps for desktop, mobile, TV and browsers.
Proton VPN offers a free tier with no data cap and no advertising, plus open source audited clients, though it has no TV or browser extension apps listed.
ZoogVPN
A commercial VPN service with a limited free plan and apps for desktop, mobile and browsers.
Proton VPN offers a free tier with no data cap and open source, independently audited clients from a Swiss company, but requires an account even for free use.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
WireGuard
A small, fast VPN protocol and set of official clients that connect two machines by exchanging public keys.
Tailscale
Builds a private network between your own devices using WireGuard, without opening ports or running a server.
OpenVPN Community
The VPN protocol and client that has been the default for two decades, and still runs on everything.
Riseup
An activist-run collective providing email, VPN, mailing lists and collaboration tools for social movements.
