Proton VPN
The privacy-purist pick — Swiss, open-source, audited
Privacy posture
Our verdict
Proton VPN is the pick if you genuinely care about privacy posture, not just streaming convenience. Swiss jurisdiction, fully open-source apps (verifiable by anyone), Stealth protocol for censorship-heavy regions, and the same parent that runs Proton Mail. The free tier is meaningfully usable (no speed throttle, no ads) which is unique among reputable VPNs. Slightly slower than NordVPN/Surfshark on some routes but the privacy story is the strongest of any major commercial VPN. If you're in the crypto-casino space because of privacy ideology (not just convenience), this is the default pick.
Pros
- +Swiss jurisdiction — best legal protection of any major VPN
- +Apps are fully open-source — independently verifiable
- +Stealth protocol works in restrictive networks (China, Iran, Russia)
- +Free tier is genuinely usable — no ads, no speed cap
- +Port forwarding supported (matters for some setups)
Cons
- −Slower than NordVPN on some routes (especially long-haul)
- −Premium pricing isn't the cheapest
- −Server count smaller than Nord/Surfshark
Pricing
Methodology
Trust score weighs: jurisdiction (no-eyes preferred), independent no-logs audit recency, RAM-only servers, leak-test results, transparency reports, and parent-company ownership. We re-test every quarter.