/vpns · verified 2026-07-20

Proton VPN

Name: Proton VPN
Brand: Proton VPN

Free tier exists; paid plans accept BTC. Email required at signup.

Maintainer: Proton

Proton also runs: Proton Mail A · Proton Pass A · Lumo (Proton AI) B

light kyc FREE TIER AUDITED open source audited 2fa supported

Visit Proton VPN → ⚠ Report Markdown twin Share ↗

At a glance

Grade: B ()
KYC posture: light kyc
Fees: Free tier · paid $5–10/mo · BTC accepted, card requires KYC · email required
Last verified: 2026-07-20
Operating since: 2016 · 10y
Tor mirror: https://protonvpnbrtfzpfo7d3w63rsymd5jhjwfutpqyz5g6m4i65vbwiyrqid.onion

B Why grade B?

Solid pick. Verified working but with a meaningful caveat (UX rough, smaller market, intermediate trust step, partial coverage). Listed because the trade-off is sometimes worth it.

Full rubric + 7-step verification walkthrough at /methodology.

curator verdict · bottom line

Curator Verdict & OpSec Breakdown

THE BOTTOM LINE

Proton VPN is a verified, functional VPN that performs solidly for day-to-day use, provided readers account for its specific operational trade-offs.

✓

Proven Strengths

▸ Open-source codebase: public code repositories allow independent verification and audit.
▸ Tor-native accessibility: active, verified .onion hidden service mirror available.
▸ Established operational track record: serving users continuously since 2016 (10 years).

⚠

OpSec Trade-offs & Caveats

▸ Heuristic KYC triggers: transactions or accounts may be frozen for ID review if flagged by automated risk rules.

Review

Solid no-logs reputation. Free tier is generous but limited to a few locations + slower. Paid plans get a no-KYC path if you pay in BTC and use a throwaway email (ProtonMail anonymous signup is free).

Fees

Free tier · paid $5–10/mo · BTC accepted, card requires KYC · email required

Audit trail — receipts for the editorial claim

● UPSTREAM Up · HTTP 200 · 166ms · checked 2h ago
○ ONION Listed but operator doesn't advertise it (expected for Tor-only services + some clearnets) — protonvpnbrtfzpfo7d3w63rsymd5jhjwfutpqyz5g6m4i65vbwiyrqid.onion
✎ MANUAL Last manual verification 2026-07-20 (<90d)
⌕ LOG See curator log for Proton VPN

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