Article Summary
- Best value: The 2-year plan at $2.99/mo (70% off) is what we recommend for most people, $71.76 upfront for 24 months of full access → Get Proton VPN for $2.99/mo
- Shorter commitment: The 1-year plan at $3.49/mo (65% off) works well if you’re not ready to commit two years, same features, $41.88 total
- Want to try before committing? The 1-month plan is 50% off at $4.99 (down from $9.99), no contract, so you can test the full paid service for a single month
- Not ready to pay at all? ProtonVPN’s free plan is genuinely usable, unlimited data, no card needed, limited to a handful of countries and 1 device
- Refund policy: 30-day money-back guarantee, but it’s prorated, you only get back what you haven’t used, not the full amount
We’ve been tracking ProtonVPN’s pricing for years, and as of 2026 the discount structure is straightforward, but there are a few things most coupon pages won’t tell you. Here’s what you actually need to know before buying.
ProtonVPN currently offers new users up to 70% off on its Plus plan, bringing the price down to $2.99/mo on a 2-year plan. The minimum you’ll save on any paid plan is 50% (the monthly plan), and that’s the floor, not the ceiling.
A note on timing: ProtonVPN’s discount level moves with its sale calendar. Earlier in 2026 the 2-year plan ran as low as 75% off ($2.49/mo); that promotion has ended, and the current standing rate is 70% off at $2.99/mo. We update this page when the checkout price changes, so the figure you see here is the one that’s live now.
One thing worth noting upfront: there are no traditional coupon codes to enter at checkout. The discount is applied automatically based on the plan you choose, though the percentage can vary depending on where you sign up. Use the link on this page and check the 2-year price shows $2.99/mo at checkout.
Still deciding whether ProtonVPN is worth it at all? Read our full ProtonVPN review where we cover its Swiss privacy protections, Secure Core servers, and how it compares to other top VPNs.
| Plan | Price per Month | Total Upfront | Discount | Key Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Year | $2.99/mo | $71.76 | 70% off | None |
| 1-Year | $3.49/mo | $41.88 | 65% off | None |
| 1-Month | $4.99/mo | $4.99 | 50% off | None (billed monthly) |
| Free | $0/mo | $0 | – | Limited countries, 1 device |
The 2-Year Plan at $2.99/Month: Best Value, With One Caveat
The 2-year plan is ProtonVPN’s best deal, $71.76 billed upfront for 24 months works out to just $2.99/month, a 70% discount off the standard $9.99/mo rate.
You get full access to ProtonVPN’s entire network: 20,000+ servers across 127 locations, including Secure Core (double-hop routing through privacy-friendly countries), the NetShield ad and malware blocker, P2P support, and unlimited bandwidth across up to 10 devices.
The caveat: you’re committing $71.76 upfront, and after the first term it renews at the standard annual rate (currently $83.88/year), so set a reminder if you want to reassess. And if ProtonVPN doesn’t work for your use case, let’s say a specific streaming service isn’t unblocked, the refund is prorated, not a full return. More on that below.
What’s included:
- 20,000+ servers across 127 locations
- Secure Core double-hop servers (routes traffic through Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden first)
- NetShield ad and malware blocker
- Unlimited bandwidth, up to 10 devices
- Streaming and P2P support on all servers
Compared to paying month-to-month at $9.99, you’re saving over $168 across the full 2-year period.
→ Get the 2-year plan at $2.99/mo
The 1-Year Plan at $3.49/Month: A Middle Ground Worth Considering
If locking in two years feels like too much, the 1-year plan is a reasonable alternative: $41.88 upfront for 12 months, that’s $3.49/month, a 65% discount.
You get exactly the same features as the 2-year plan. The only difference is the commitment length and the monthly equivalent price, where you’re paying $0.50/mo more for the flexibility of a shorter cycle.
Who this suits: people testing ProtonVPN as a long-term solution, or those who prefer to reassess subscriptions annually. If you’re already confident in ProtonVPN after using the free plan or the monthly plan, the 2-year is the better financial call.
→ Get the 1-year plan at $3.49/mo
The 1-Month Plan at $4.99: Try Before You Commit
If you’d rather test the full paid service before locking into a year or two, the monthly plan is currently 50% off at $4.99 (down from the standard $9.99), billed one month at a time with no contract. You get the same full network and every Plus feature, streaming, Secure Core, NetShield, P2P, and up to 10 devices, just on a rolling monthly basis.
This is the lowest-commitment way to try ProtonVPN properly. Take a single discounted month, test streaming and speeds on the paid servers, and either continue or turn off auto-renewal. The 30-day money-back guarantee applies here too, though remember it’s prorated, so treat the $4.99 as the cost of the test rather than something you’re guaranteed to get back in full. Because it’s a promotional rate, check the current monthly price and what it renews at before you subscribe.
→ Try the 1-month plan at $4.99
ProtonVPN Free Plan: Genuinely Good, But Know the Limits
Most VPN free plans are traps: data caps, speed throttling, or aggressive upsell popups. ProtonVPN’s free plan is different enough to be worth talking about honestly.
What makes it actually usable:
- No data cap: unlimited bandwidth, no throttle after X GB
- No credit card required: sign up with just an email
- No trial expiry: it stays free indefinitely
- Same no-logs policy as paid plans: Proton doesn’t log your activity
The real limitations to know before signing up:
- Limited server countries (including the US, Netherlands, and Japan), with no server selection within them
- 1 device at a time, can’t run on your phone and laptop simultaneously
- Slower speeds, free users get lower priority on shared servers. Fine for browsing, noticeably slower for HD streaming or large downloads
- No Secure Core, no NetShield, no streaming unblocking, those are paid features
Our honest take: the free plan is a legitimate option if you need basic privacy protection on a budget, or want to test ProtonVPN’s apps before committing. It’s not a replacement for a paid plan if streaming access or speed matters to you, and for that the $4.99 monthly plan is the better test.
→ Get ProtonVPN Free (no card needed)
ProtonVPN’s Refund Policy: Read This Before You Buy
ProtonVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it works differently from most VPNs, and it’s the one part of their pricing that catches people off guard.
The key difference: it’s prorated, not a full refund.
If you buy the monthly plan and cancel after 15 days, you get back roughly half of what you paid, the unused 15 days. You don’t get the full month back. This applies to all paid plans (monthly, 1-year, and 2-year).
Most competitors like NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer a flat 30-day full refund. Proton’s prorated approach is less generous by comparison, but it does mean you’re only paying for what you used, which is arguably fairer if you cancel on day 2 vs. day 28.
What the refund covers:
- All paid plans (monthly, 1-year, 2-year)
- Payments made by credit card or PayPal
What it doesn’t cover:
- Cash or bank transfer payments: no refund available
- App store purchases (Apple App Store, Google Play): refunds go through those platforms, not Proton
- Cryptocurrency payments: limited or no refund options
Refunds typically take up to 30 days to process back to your original payment method.
→ Try ProtonVPN with 30-day money-back
How to Pay for ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is one of the few VPNs that accepts cash by mail, which is useful if you want zero digital payment trail. Here’s the full list of payment options:
- Credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex)
- PayPal
- Bitcoin, good for added anonymity, though note refund limitations
- Cash by mail, maximum privacy, no refunds available
- Bank transfer, no refunds available
- Proton credits, if you already have balance from other Proton services
One practical note: if you pay with crypto or cash and decide ProtonVPN isn’t for you, you won’t be able to get a refund through normal channels. Stick with card or PayPal if there’s any chance you’ll want to cancel.