ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a Swiss virtual private network from Proton AG, the company behind Proton Mail. Founded in 2017 by scientists who met at CERN, it was built to make encrypted internet access available without ads or data-selling free tiers. As of August 2026 the service reports over 100 million users worldwide. What still sets it apart in 2026 is a free tier with no data limits paired with paid features that match expensive rivals: Secure Core multi-hop, NetShield DNS filtering, Stealth protocol, and VPN Accelerator. The company operates under Swiss privacy law, outside Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes alliances. Apps are open source and independently audited. Secure Core traffic can pass through hardened servers before it exits. For Mac users the native app supports macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe, with Apple Silicon builds. Version 6.5.0 adds VPN Accelerator improvements, NetShield ad/malware blocking, and Stealth for networks that try to detect VPN traffic. ProtonVPN publishes a strict no-logs policy that has been independently audited and tested in court. Pricing reality check for August 2026 readers: Free stays at $0 with unlimited data, no ads, one device, medium speeds, and a short country list. VPN Plus is the tier that unlocks up to 10 devices, Secure Core, Stealth, streaming/P2P support, and the full marketed network (20,000+ servers in 140+ countries on Proton's pricing surface). Independent 2026 roundups commonly cite Plus near $9.99/month monthly, about $3.99/month on 1-year billing, and about $2.99/month on 2-year billing. Proton Unlimited bundles Plus-level VPN with premium Mail, Calendar, Drive, and Pass at roughly $12.99 / $9.99 / $7.99 for those same commitment lengths. Taxes, currency, and live promos move the checkout total, so confirm on protonvpn.com/pricing before you buy. Paid plans keep a 30-day money-back guarantee. Mac workflow tips that show up constantly in community threads: leave VPN Accelerator on for distant exits, put the menu-bar control somewhere visible, and configure split tunneling before you discover the office printer vanished. NetShield's malware-only mode is the safer default if aggressive tracker blocking breaks a site layout; escalate to ads-and-trackers when you want stricter filtering. Stealth is the switch to flip on corporate or censored networks where WireGuard handshakes get reset. Jurisdiction and product packaging still drive the purchase more than a single speed benchmark. Switzerland sits outside Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes. Apps stay open source. Free remains funded by paid subscribers rather than ads. Plus is the tier that unlocks chosen countries, ten devices, Secure Core, Stealth, streaming and P2P, and the marketed 20,000+ server / 140+ country network. Unlimited is the ecosystem SKU when Mail, Calendar, Drive, and Pass are already on the shopping list. Quote the commitment length you will actually keep: about $9.99 monthly versus about $2.99 on two-year Plus marketing rates are different emotional purchases even when the feature list matches.