Free vs Plus at a glance
Plan details as listed by Proton on 13 October 2026. Confirm the live checkout; promotions and regional prices change. [1][2]
| Item | Proton VPN Free | VPN Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 [1] | $83.76 for the first 24 months ($3.49 per month displayed), then $83.88 every 12 months [1] |
| Devices at once | 1 [1][2] | 10 [1] |
| Server location | Servers in 10 countries, randomly selected [1] | Choice of 140+ countries [2] |
| Streaming, P2P, Secure Core, NetShield | Not listed for Free [2] | Listed as Plus features [2] |
| Refund | Not applicable | 30-day money-back guarantee listed [1] |
What free covers on a trip
The core travel job for a VPN is encrypting one device's path on Wi-Fi you do not control, after the venue has already granted access. Proton lists a kill switch and its Stealth protocol among Free features and states there are no ads and no data limits on Free. For one laptop on hotel or cafe Wi-Fi, that may be enough. [2]
The main limits are one device at a time and no choice of country on Free; Proton's pricing page says Free connects to servers in 10 randomly selected countries. If you need to appear in a particular country for a work tool or bank, Free does not let you choose it. [1]
When paying makes sense
If none of these applies, Free or a VPN you already pay for is the cheaper match. A VPN still does not log you into a captive portal or add hotel bandwidth.
- You need a laptop and a phone protected at the same time; Free lists one device at a time. [1]
- A work or banking service expects a connection from a specific country. [2]
- You need streaming support, P2P, Secure Core or the NetShield DNS filter, which Proton lists as Plus features. [2]
- You want router-level tunnelling for several devices and need the plan's 10-device allowance. [1]
Read the invoice, not the monthly figure
The displayed $3.49 per month for the 24-month option is an average. The charge at checkout is $83.76, and Proton states the plan then renews at $83.88 every 12 months. Over three years that is $83.76 plus $83.88, or $167.64, before any tax, if you let it renew and prices are unchanged. [1]
Put the renewal date in your calendar on the day you subscribe. Proton lists a 30-day money-back guarantee for subscriptions; read the linked terms for the conditions before relying on it. [1]
Free, Plus and a travel router
Proton documents generating WireGuard configuration files from the account Downloads page for use in third-party clients, choosing a platform, a server and options such as NetShield, Moderate NAT and VPN Accelerator. It states that on a Free plan the only option available is VPN Accelerator, so the configuration route is not limited to paid accounts. [3]
The practical constraint is the device allowance. A router tunnel puts every client on the travel LAN behind one connection, which can be convenient on Free, but Proton does not state on that page how a router configuration counts against the plan limit. Check the current support documentation before relying on Free for a router, and keep NetShield and Secure Core expectations for Plus. [1][3]
Generate one configuration per router and label it with the device name and date, so you can revoke the right file later. Do not share configuration files between people; each file carries a private key.
Worked example: a fictional two-week trip
Sam travels with a laptop for work and a phone for maps. On hotel Wi-Fi she wants the laptop protected; the phone mostly uses mobile data. Free covers the laptop. When she occasionally needs both on Wi-Fi at once, she connects whichever device is doing sensitive work. Free fits; paying adds little.
Joel travels with a laptop, phone and tablet on the same hotel Wi-Fi and needs a US location for a work dashboard. Free covers one device and does not let him choose a country, so VPN Plus matches his job. He records the $83.76 charge and the renewal date before subscribing.
Who should skip both
Skip a new VPN if your employer already requires its own VPN on the work laptop; stacking another tunnel on that device can conflict with company policy and configuration. Skip it if your concern is the hotel login itself, which a VPN cannot solve. This is documentation research; we have not installed, subscribed to or measured Proton VPN.
Questions before you decide
Does Proton VPN Free have a data cap?
Proton states that its free plan has no data or time limits. Its pricing page lists Free as one device at a time with servers in 10 randomly selected countries.
Can I use Proton VPN Free on a travel router?
Proton documents downloading WireGuard configuration files and says that on a Free plan the only VPN option available is VPN Accelerator, which indicates configuration downloads are possible on Free. Free still covers one device at a time, so check how your router connection is counted before relying on it. We have not tested this.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Proton VPN pricing (USD) Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Proton VPN: Free VPN Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Proton VPN: How to download WireGuard configuration files Accessed 13 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.