How to get a ProtonVPN free trial

ProtonVPN in the App Store on an iPhone
(Image credit: Postmodern Studio / Shutterstock)

ProtonVPN is one mighty VPN service with impeccable security features and the audits to back up its privacy claims. But is it one of the VPNs with a free trial

Well, the bad news is that ProtonVPN pulled the free trial of its premium plan this year. However, the good news is ProtonVPN has tiered plans  - and one of them won't cost you a dime!

Below you'll find everything you need to know about how to benefit from a ProtonVPN free trial of sorts, and what you'll get in ProtonVPN's 'Free' plan.

Is there a ProtonVPN free trial available?

There was a time when ProtonVPN offered its free plan and a 7-day free trial. Alas, the latter has now been removed from its website, but it makes sense when you consider what you can get when signing up for its freebie package (more on that below).

Much like the rest of its key competitors, then, ProtonVPN weighs in with a 30-day money back guarantee policy as its 'free trial' offering. This essentially gives you a month to give the VPN a spin on your devices and decide whether it's the one for you.

You will have to hand over your payment details and, if you do decide to proceed with ProtonVPN thereafter the 30-day period ends, you will pay for that month and beyond. This is the case with an ExpressVPN free trial and many other key players in the world of VPN.

But note - unlike other VPN with this policy in place, ProtonVPN works on a pro-rota basis. This means if you were to use Proton for a couple of weeks and then cancel, you'd only get a 50% refund.

You'll be able to try out ProtonVPN for 30-days across all three of its subscription plans, choosing between its Basic, Plus, and Visionary packages.

ProtonVPN free landing page

(Image credit: ProtonVPN)

What is included in ProtonVPN free plan?

Sitting proudly as one of the best free VPN options out there, ProtonVPN certainly isn't stingy in terms of what it offers with its free plan. For starters, you'll get a completely unlimited data allowance. Considering this is usually capped across free services with a usage of as little as 500MB, this puts ProtonVPN and its free plan in great stead.

Allowing access to 23 of its servers across three countries, these are fairly spread out - based in the US, the Netherlands, and Japan. In terms of devices, you'll be able to install on either Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, or Linux devices, though you're restricted to just one connection.

There's also a pretty impressive list of features available to you, including DNS leak protection and split-tunnelling. Funded by its paying users, you can also rest assured of its privacy credentials with the independent audits to back its claims of a strict no-logging policy. 

Of course, there are limitations to any free plan, otherwise how would ProtonVPN get you to cough up the cash? You won't be able to use ProtonVPN as a streaming VPN and the best speeds are prioritised for subscribers. Considering speed performance isn't something ProtonVPN excels at anyway, you may be facing some fairly slow loading times depending on when you're online.

Still, it's a great service that really gives you an idea of what ProtonVPN is all about. Why not give it a whirl and head to the website to try it out?

How to get the ProtonVPN free trial

Want to sign up to ProtonVPN and make the most of its 30-day money back guarantee? We always recommend signing up directly in order to secure the best rate. It's also the only place you'll be covered by the money back guarantee ProtonVPN free trial.

Here's how to do just that:

  • Head to the ProtonVPN website
  • Click on the green 'Get ProtonVPN Now' button
  • Choose between its Basic, Plus, and Visionary 
  • Create an account by entering a username, password and email
  • Click 'Create account'
  • Enter your payment details and click 'Confirm payment'
  • Verify your account through email or SMS

Remember you'll need to cancel your subscription within the 30-day window in order to receive a full refund if you decide you no longer wish to continue with ProtonVPN thereafter.

ProtonVPN interface on laptop screen

(Image credit: ProtonVPN)

Why should I choose ProtonVPN?

Based in Switzerland, ProtonVPN sets itself apart from other VPN, mainly because it funnels so much power into improving all its clients. In other words, it's not all about a fully-functioning, feature-packed Windows client here - its smartphone apps and so on get the newest updates, too. What's more, ProtonVPN has chosen to have its apps audited, supporting its claims that it abides and meet today's rigorous privacy standards.

With swish app interfaces, you can make the most of ProtonVPN's 1,200+ servers across over 55 locations around the world. Clients are loaded up with a number of great features including working kill switches across all apps, DNS leak protection, split tunneling, and more. It also comes with great P2P support and allows you to enjoy 10 simultaneous connections. Even top dogs like ExpressVPN only allow you to have five.

In terms of its streaming abilities (which you'll only find it you subscribe to its Plus package), its a dab-hand at geo-unblocking, able to access BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video. We have had success with unblocking Netflix in the past, though it's not always seamless. 

Admittedly it's not the fastest VPN and could do with expanding its customer support team, but if you're after a trustworthy service with some great apps across devices, it's definitely one to check out.

Read more:

Alice Marshall
eCommerce Editor

Alice is eCommerce Editor at Future with a focus on streaming services, such as Disney Plus and HBO Max, and VPN. She predominantly writes buying and streaming service guides, as well as how to watch articles. Previously a Commercial Content Writer at Trusted Reviews, Alice has five years experience giving online buying advice, and over two years writing about consumer tech.