Developer(s) | Proton AG | ||||||||||||||||
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Type | Virtual private network | ||||||||||||||||
Website | protonvpn |
Proton VPN is a VPN service launched in 2017 [9] and operated by the Swiss company Proton AG, the company behind the email service Proton Mail. [10] [11] According to its official website, Proton VPN and Proton Mail share the same management team, offices, and technical resources, and are operated from Proton's headquarters in Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland. [12] On June 17, 2024 the company announced that it will be transitioning to a non-profit structure under the Proton Foundation. [13]
As of 6 October 2024, Proton VPN has a total of 8,162 servers, sited in 112 different nations. [14]
Although Proton VPN owns and operates a portion of their servers, the bulk majority are owned and operated by ASNs such as M247 and Datacamp Limited. [15] [16] Its service is available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, ChromeOS and also has a command-line tool [17] for Linux and can be implemented using the IPSEC protocol. [18] Proton VPN can also be installed on a wireless router.
Proton VPN utilizes OpenVPN (UDP/TCP), IKEv2, and WireGuard (UDP/TCP) protocols with AES-256 encryption. [19] On October 11, 2022, Proton VPN released their Stealth Protocol for Android, iOS and MacOS clients, designed to disguise VPN traffic as HTTPS traffic. [20] In August 2024, Proton VPN announced that it had also added the Stealth protocol to its Windows client. [21]
Proton VPN has a no-logs policy [22] that was independently audited by Securitum, a European security auditing company. [23] [24] [25]
In January 2020, Proton VPN released its source code on all platforms [26] and had SEC Consult conduct an independent security audit. [27]
In a January 2023 review by TechRadar , Proton VPN received 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. [16]
A May 2023 PC Magazine review gave Proton VPN a 5 star rating. Proton VPN was awarded their Editor's Choice Award in 2022 and 2023. [28]
In October 2023 technology website Engadget rated Proton VPN as the "best overall" for streaming, gaming, privacy and security. [29]
In January 2024 a comparative review of 10 different VPNs by German technology magazine CHIP rated Proton VPN as their test winner. [30]
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