Testing a New VPN - ProtonVPN

[Galant]

Just thought I'd post that I've been looking for a VPN for a little while and recently came across ProtonVPN when I signed up for one of their email accounts. There are paid upgrades available for both their email and VPN services but for now I'm curious to see how their most basic products fair.

The online reviews seemed be quite favourable, so I've decided to give them a look.

Thought I'd share this in case anyone else is looking and wants another option to try.

[Saracen999]

I've heard good things, but never used them. Will watch with interest.

[andythornton]

I tried out their free version for a while, pretty decent. Have you tried the paid version yet?

[IAmATeaf]

I’m trying their free version on my satellite box since the last week. Seems to be the only free version that allows you to configure an OpenVPN on box without needing to use their client software.

Haven’t really used it in anger yet but plan to do so over the next week or so.

[Galant]

Alright, so I've been running the VPN for a while now in two main environments. On a home PC used for the usual browsing, video streaming/Netflix, etc. and on a Windows laptop used for work where I do a lot of remote work.

The initial download came with a week's free trial of the upgraded version so I had to wait for that to expire before I could get a sense of how the 'normal' free version performs.

Note that I can't really comment on the effectiveness of the software in security as I don't really have any way to evaluate that myself. I have to take for granted what other reviewers and evaluators have said.

In terms of spec:

Home PC - AMD Ryzen 3300, 16GB RAM, Windows 10, running on ethernet.

Laptop - i7 7th Gen, 8GB RAM, Windows 10, running on wifi.

Internet is 75mb down, 15 up.

Overall, I've been happy with the performance. I had one random drop since I started. It automatically reconnected quickly enough.

There are two general modes if you have the upgraded version:
Standard and 'Secure Core'.

Secure Core routes you through a couple of locations, standard just the one.

When running 'standard' I've seen no difference between the performance on upgraded and free.

Based on speed tests I see a speed drop that varies, depending on server, of course, but in terms of noticeable performance, I don't see any issues - whether that's browsing or remote work. So that was good to see.

When running 'Secure Core' the performance drop was noticeable but not horrible.

In terms of use it's a simple interface and I can't imagine any VPN being simpler to use.

The free version has only three country options to choose from:
USA
Netherlands
Japan

The upgraded version has a great many.

That limited selection and the inability to have more than one active connection at a time are probably the biggest reasons a basic user would want to upgrade. Other than that, it's hard to argue with a free VPN service that performs like Proton.

Options are here. https://protonvpn.com/pricing

If anyone has any questions or suggestions or things you'd like me to try, let me know.

[Saracen999]

Did you look at NordVPN or ExpressVPN before settling (for now, at least) on Proton?

If so, do you mind me asking why you went for Proton (and yes, I get the Swiss jurisdiction and privacy laws aspect, but was it just that)?

I know Nord had a problem, but they still have a solid reputation and seem to be quite a bit cheaper than Proton "Plus".


Note: My interest is in VPN's as a deterrent, a bit like using simple CCTV and a burglar alarm to convince most burglars to go target someone easier. No internet-connected service is entirely secure, including Proton, but I'm interested in reasonable protection of privacy from hackers, casual privacy-invading by Google et.al. rather than doing a Snowdon and worrying about being seriously targeted by state-level snooping. If any state from Irsn to China bothers to devote effort targeting me, they're much more stupid than I think they are. If I was bothered about that, I'd use v1.0 pen and paper.

[Galant]

I looked at them online but haven't tested them.

I'm generally not a fan of testing something by signing up and then having to cancel - 30 day money back guarantee.

Price-wise, for the basic tier service, here's what I've see (per month):

Nord - £3.79 or £2.86 (2 year/1 year plan) - with some sort of 'offer' showing up - maybe it's a perpetual 'offer'.
Proton - €4.00 for basic, €8 for 'Plus'. I don't see myself needing Plus. I think the 'Basic' upgrade will be sufficient.
Express - $8.32

Because I haven't tested them I can't speak to their performance. I did some reading around and I approached Proton for three reasons, their reputation, my experience with their email service, which I like, and the fact they offer a genuine free version that I can trial in my own time. In addition, I didn't come across any real negative reviews of Proton. The free service has it's limits, so that's always noted, but beyond that, a lot of people have a lot of good things to say.

[Saracen999]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of sign-up and cancel schemes, either. Generally, I just refuse to do that. My attitude is .... either offer a free trial, or don't. What annoys me even more is auto-renewal for annual services, like insurance. That, I always reject. Remind me renewal is due, but if I want to renew, I'll do it pro-actively. Companies spending my money for me automatically really winds me up.