Proton VPN Price in 2026: Free Tier and Paid Plans
Proton VPN is free at the base tier, with VPN Plus at $9.99 a month, $4.99 a month on a year, or $2.99 a month on two years. The free plan is the headline: unlike most "free" VPNs it is a real product from a privacy company rather than a trial designed to frustrate you into upgrading.
Here is what each tier costs, and where the free plan genuinely stops being enough.
Proton VPN price at a glance
| Plan | Monthly billing | 1-year term | 2-year term | Total on 2 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton Free | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| VPN Plus | $9.99 / month | $4.99 / month | $2.99 / month | $71.76 |
| Proton Unlimited | $12.99 / month | $9.99 / month | $7.99 / month | — |
VPN Plus on a one-year term comes to $47.88 for the first year, and the two-year term totals $71.76. Proton Unlimited bundles the wider Proton suite — mail, storage and the rest — rather than just adding VPN features.
Prices are Proton's published US rates in USD. All paid tiers include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The free tier is genuinely usable
Most free VPNs exist to make you miserable enough to pay: hard data caps, aggressive advertising, or a business model that quietly monetises your traffic. Proton's free plan is a different proposition, offered by a company whose entire brand rests on privacy.
For baseline anonymity on public Wi-Fi, or occasional privacy on a home connection, the free tier does the job at no cost. That is a genuine option, not a consolation prize.
Where it stops being enough is server choice, speed under load, and streaming. If you want a wide spread of countries, consistent performance, or reliable access to geo-restricted catalogues, that is what VPN Plus is for.
Which Proton plan fits you
Proton Free
Occasional privacy, public Wi-Fi protection, no streaming requirements. Costs nothing and comes from a company with a real privacy record.
VPN Plus
You want full server choice, better speeds and streaming access. At $2.99 a month on two years it is among the cheapest premium VPN rates available.
Proton Unlimited
You want Proton Mail, storage and the rest of the ecosystem as well. Buy it for the suite, not for the VPN — the VPN itself is the same.
The usual caution applies. VPN pricing is built around long-term deals, so the headline figure is almost always an introductory rate. Check what the plan renews at before you commit — that is where the real cost sits.
Cheaper ways to get Proton VPN
Start on the free plan. It costs nothing and will tell you within a week whether you actually need the paid features, or whether baseline privacy was all you wanted.
Take the two-year term if you upgrade. $2.99 a month against $9.99 monthly is a saving of roughly $168 over two years for the same service.
Only take Unlimited for the suite. The VPN in Proton Unlimited is the same VPN as in Plus. Pay the difference for mail and storage, not for better protection.
Buy a discounted subscription. THEOTTDEALS lists Proton VPN in USD below the direct rate. Live pricing is on the product page below.
Frequently asked questions
Is Proton VPN really free?
Yes. Proton offers a genuinely free VPN tier with no cost, from a company whose business is built on privacy rather than on monetising free users' traffic.
How much does Proton VPN Plus cost?
VPN Plus is $9.99 a month on rolling billing, $4.99 a month on a one-year term ($47.88 for the year), or $2.99 a month on a two-year term ($71.76 total).
What is the difference between VPN Plus and Proton Unlimited?
The VPN is the same. Proton Unlimited adds the wider Proton suite including mail and storage, at $12.99 monthly, $9.99 a month on one year or $7.99 a month on two years.
Is the free Proton VPN good enough?
For public Wi-Fi protection and occasional privacy, yes. It falls short on server choice, speed under load and streaming access, which is what VPN Plus addresses.
Is Proton VPN cheaper than NordVPN?
On the long term, yes. VPN Plus is $2.99 a month on two years against NordVPN Basic at $3.49 a month, and Proton also offers a free tier NordVPN does not.
Does Proton VPN have a money-back guarantee?
Yes, all paid Proton VPN plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Get Proton VPN for less
View live USD pricing and order Proton VPN directly from its product page.