We just reviewed Proton VPN – here are 5 ways it impressed us

We're ever connected nan lookout for improvements successful nan VPNs we reappraisal – and Proton VPN has made rather a few.

Our regular testing regular intends we get to spot really VPNs amended complete time, really they respond to customer feedback, and springiness america nan chance to show you astir nan astir important changes successful their service.

While Proton VPN missed retired connected a spot successful our best VPN rankings this clip (PrivadoVPN conscionable pipped it to nan post), that's not to opportunity location aren't plentifulness of things that impressed america erstwhile we put nan supplier nether nan microscope. Read on, and I'll locomotion you done nan apical 5 ways that Proton VPN has gotten better.

1. Expanded server web

Proton VPN has ne'er been importantly worse than its title successful position of VPN server locations, but it's besides ne'er led nan pack.

Recently, however, that each changed. Proton VPN now has servers successful a whopping 112 countries – which is much than nan likes of ExpressVPN and NordVPN. NordVPN comes adjacent (with 111), but what sets Proton VPN isolated is simply a attraction connected worldwide connectivity.

With 42 locations successful Asia, 14 successful nan Middle East, and a awesome 18 locations successful Africa, Proton VPN takes a world position connected VPNs alternatively of focusing connected immoderate 1 peculiar region.

18 locations successful Africa mightiness not sound astonishing connected paper, but we checked 235 VPN server location lists and recovered that 104 of them didn't person a azygous server successful Africa – and only 16 had much than 5 locations connected nan continent.

Proton VPN's recently expanded array of servers gives users much prime – and that's a large deal. The much locations you person entree to, to much geo-restricted contented you tin unblock.

It's besides useful if you unrecorded aliases activity successful Africa aliases nan Middle East, arsenic you'll beryllium capable to link to adjacent servers pinch importantly little ping and bask a amended relationship if you're gaming aliases making video calls.

2. Recent nary logs audit

Proton VPN has been committed to personification privateness since its inception. This is nary surprise, fixed that it's built by nan squad down Proton Mail. That said, nary estimation successful nan world tin hit cold, difficult facts - and nan truth is that Proton VPN keeps passing no log audits pinch stellar results.

In fact, Proton VPN passed a 3rd audit conducted done Securitum, 1 of Europe's starring penetration testing companies. The summary of nan audit has been published connected nan Proton VPN tract and, dissimilar immoderate different VPN providers, it won't make you motion up to cheque it out.

That's bully news because it makes for absorbing reading. Essentially, Securitum wholly evaluated Proton VPN's servers from its configuration settings each nan measurement down to individual files and logs stored connected those servers. They moreover conducted interviews pinch Proton VPN's unit to make judge its in-house procedures lucifer up pinch its claims.

Securitum came to nan conclusion that Proton VPN doesn't support logs, it can't way individual users, and it has plentifulness of safeguards successful spot to support these facts from changing.

This intends nary personification activity logs, nary convention information stored, nary relationship times recorded, and nary trace of which servers you've used. Proton VPN can't way what you're doing online so, moreover if nan Swiss authorities inquire for your personification data, it can't beryllium handed complete – it doesn't exist.

It sounds beautiful precocious stakes, but location are plentifulness of reasons you should attraction astir regular auditing moreover if you're not bothered astir governments asking for your data.

Audit processes for illustration nan 1 Proton VPN has conscionable been done show that it takes transparency seriously, that your information isn't being sold disconnected to a 3rd party, and that immoderate outstanding vulnerabilities get taken attraction of quickly earlier a hacker tin leverage them.

3. Great unblocking capacity

Proton VPN is little vocal astir its unblocking capabilities compared to different providers we've reviewed, but that doesn't mean nan work underperforms arsenic a streaming VPN.

In fact, successful our astir caller information of testing, Proton VPN scored afloat marks. It unblocked everything we threw astatine it flawlessly. That includes Netflix successful nan US, Canada, nan UK, Japan, and Australia, arsenic good arsenic Disney+, Amazon Prime, ITV, Channel 4, 9Now, and 10Play.

Streaming platforms are perpetually cracking down connected VPN access, truthful it's awesome to spot that Proton VPN is still a reliable prime for avid streamers connected nan hunt for a reliable Netflix VPN.

Given that Proton VPN besides has servers successful locations astir different providers don't cover, it'll person your backmost if you're looking to watercourse niche contented successful regions crossed Africa and nan Middle East. On nan flip side, location aren't rather arsenic galore servers successful nan US and Europe, but we recovered that this didn't effect our streaming acquisition astatine all.

The only existent downside is that Proton VPN's free plan doesn't execute astir arsenic well. You'll only get entree to nan US, Netherlands, and Japan. While it's still imaginable to unblock immoderate streaming contented utilizing these locations, there's nary guarantee. Proton VPN besides isn't prioritizing unblocking capabilities for its free servers – meaning that if they activity for you today, they whitethorn not tomorrow.

4. Consistent speeds

Great unblocking capabilities are thing if a VPN can't grip nan speeds needed to watercourse high-quality video. Luckily, Proton VPN's capacity is lightning-fast, making it 1 of nan astir accordant performers we reviewed.

We recorded speeds of complete 950 Mbps utilizing nan WireGuard protocol – maxing retired our relationship statement connected our testing rig. This makes Proton VPN comparable to nan fastest VPNs connected nan market.

Without a speedy connection, your location bandwidth ends up strangled by nan maximum speeds that nan VPN tin handle.

There are plentifulness of issues caused by mediocre bandwidth – and you've astir apt dealt pinch a fewer of them before. Buffering while watching a video? Your net can’t download nan video accelerated enough. Lag erstwhile you’re gaming? Your information is taking excessively agelong to get to nan server you’re communicating with. Poor download speeds erstwhile you’re torrenting? You get nan idea. A slow VPN isn’t worthy using.

Our testing results show america that Proton VPN tin grip nan speeds of beautiful overmuch immoderate location connection. The work moreover supports larboard forwarding, which intends that you'll beryllium capable to group up your torrenting customer pinch optimal connectivity settings, resulting successful entree to much peers and faster download speeds.

5. Stealth protocol arrives connected Windows

Proton VPN is jam-packed pinch features that make it imaginable to evade ISP surveillance – and nan astir important of these is nan civilization Stealth VPN protocol.

In a nutshell, it's designed to wholly obfuscate your VPN relationship by making it look nan aforesaid arsenic immoderate different relationship you make to an encrypted website.

However, Stealth's first deployment successful 2022 didn't see a Windows version, but Proton VPN rectified this rumor by releasing a customer app that adds Stealth to Windows.

This brings Proton VPN's Windows type up to parity pinch its iOS, Android, and MacOS offering.

Unfortunately, Stealth still isn't disposable for Linux, but nan truth Proton VPN has a GUI-based Linux app astatine each puts it acold up of astir of nan title (that simply don't trim it arsenic Linux VPNs).

So, really does nan Stealth protocol perform? Well, each supplier approaches obfuscation somewhat otherwise truthful successful nan interests of fairness we've only compared it to nan speeds you'll get from nan different protocols Proton VPN supports.

Using our 950 Mbps trial rig, we recovered utilizing Stealth gave america mean speeds of 405 Mbps. This is only half arsenic accelerated arsenic nan WireGuard speeds which maxed retired our connection. On nan upside, it's doubly arsenic accelerated arsenic Proton VPN's OpenVPN implementation astatine 220 Mbps.

The takeaway present is that immoderate of these protocols are going to supply ample speeds for browsing nan nett and streaming video, but it's bully to cognize that you won’t person to sacrifice your speeds to support your VPN usage a secret.