🎯 Short Answer: The only way to get a Proton VPN free trial is with its 30-day money-back guarantee. You get access to its premium plan with all features. You can’t use a Proton VPN free trial for 7 days (it’s discontinued), but you can try its free version, which severely limits your capabilities. More details about a Proton VPN free trial in May 2026 are in this guide.
Proton VPN Free Trial May 2026: Use Proton VPN for Free for 30 Days
- Subscribe to Proton VPN. Pick any plan you like.
- Download and set up Proton VPN on your device.
- Launch the app and sign in to start using it.
- Request a refund within 30 days to be refunded and lose nothing.
Try Proton VPN for Free for 30 Days
Please note that, instead of a Proton VPN trial, you can opt for its free plan, which lets you use it without paying, forever. However, it lacks premium features, so you don’t get to try and test everything it offers.
Does Proton VPN Have a Free Trial?
No, Proton VPN doesn’t offer a free trial in the traditional sense, where there’s a limited test period with access to all features. Until recently, it had a 7-day trial when you signed up for the free plan, but it was discontinued. Instead, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee. How does it work? To take advantage of this, you must sign up for a Plus (premium) plan.
While it’s not the same as the free trial, a money-back guarantee lets you test everything before committing. We traced the reason behind that move to Reddit, where Proton VPN said it discontinued the free trial to prevent abuse. Some users were creating multiple accounts to access its premium features, causing server strain and performance dips for paid users.
But here’s how the money-back guarantee subs in as a free trial. Say you sign up for Proton VPN and try out its features. If you’re not satisfied, you can request a refund within 30 days. You walk away without spending money if the VPN doesn’t impress you, but you have a 30-day run, not 7 days.
Proton VPN Trial for 30 Days: How to Try it for Free?
Let’s dive into the easy-to-follow steps to try Proton VPN with its money-back guarantee. It’s nothing new, and it’s how most free trial VPNs function, including our favorite NordVPN free trial that you can also test.
Step 1: Sign Up 📝
Go to the Proton VPN website and choose a pricing plan. It has substantial discounts for the annual and two-year plans, but picking the monthly plan means you pay less to sign up. We leave the choice to you.
Note: Payments made with cash or bank transfers are not refundable, so we suggest using other methods instead. Also, make sure to sign up through the VPN’s website or mobile app, not a third-party service.
Step 2: Download and Install the App 📥
Download the VPN app once you’re done subscribing and creating an account. Proton VPN offers native apps for all popular platforms, so there should be no issues. Install the VPN and log in with your credentials. You can now enjoy its best-in-class security, fast speed, and unblocking prowess.
Step 3: Cancel Your Subscription and Request a Refund 🔄
You can cancel your Proton VPN subscription to claim a refund if you decide the VPN isn’t for you. To do so, reach out to the customer service team via the support form or use the live chat option on your account page.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind:
You’re only eligible for a refund if you request it within 30 days of your initial subscription. Don’t forget this because it’s a strict window—no exceptions. Also, if you check Proton’s Terms of Service, don’t be alarmed by the so-called prorated refunds for the unused portion of your subscription.
If you dig deeper, you’ll see that this doesn’t apply to Proton VPN or Proton Drive users. When we contacted support, a representative confirmed that you do get a full refund. Simply request one within 30 days. Also, refunds can take up to 30 days to process, according to Proton VPN’s policy.
However, this timeframe is likely a precaution to account for unexpected delays. In reality, you’ll see your money refunded within a few days. Finally, expect a refund in the same currency as your original payment. You could ask for a different currency, but the company decides the exchange rate.
What You Get With the Proton VPN Free Trial
Take advantage of Proton VPN’s money-back guarantee, and you’re getting front-row seats to everything it offers for up to 30 days. For example, you can access its server network with 20,000+ servers in 145 countries to bypass geo-restrictions, an area in which it has never struggled to impress.
The entire collection is optimized for fast connection speeds, which it brings to the table with its speed-friendly WireGuard and the VPN Accelerator. Proton VPN has a reputation for being a highly secure VPN. No surprises, considering it’s industry-standard and advanced security features.
They include military-grade encryption, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and Double VPN. You have the Swiss jurisdiction to bank on, privacy-wise, as it has some of the strongest privacy laws in the world. Also, you get built-in support for Tor, which guarantees your full anonymity.
Last but not least, Proton VPN has a strict no-logs policy. Independent experts have audited that policy multiple times, so it’s a valid claim. Curious to learn more? Read our detailed review of Proton VPN or check out our NordVPN vs Proton VPN comparison to make the best choice in 2026.
You Can Also Use Proton VPN for Free (Really)
What if you really don’t want to pay a subscription fee, even with the refund guarantee? Good news: this VPN offers a completely free plan that’s so good, we rank it among the top free VPNs. Proton VPN’s free plan is in a tiny category of free VPNs without a data or bandwidth limit.
What’s more, Proton VPN’s apps are ad-free. That’s a good sign that the VPN doesn’t track your browsing activities or sell your data to third parties. You don’t get that with most free VPNs. As great as this sounds, hold off on getting too excited. Proton VPN claims its free plan has no catch.
But that’s not entirely true. There are quite a few drawbacks. For instance, free users can only connect to servers in 10 countries: The United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland, and a few more. While the free plan is usable, Plus subscribers get priority for fast connections.
Proton VPN Free also has no streaming support. It can unblock, say, US TV channels from abroad, but it struggles to bypass more formidable geo-restrictions, which isn’t the case with its streaming-optimized premium tier.
Proton VPN Free Trial vs Free Plan Comparison
| Proton VPN Trial | Proton VPN Free Plan | |
| Data Allowance | Unlimited ♾️ | Unlimited ♾️ |
| Speeds | Fast 🚀 | Good |
| Streaming | Allowed ✅ | Blocked ⛔ |
| Torrenting | Allowed ✅ | Blocked ⛔ |
| Countries | 145 | 10 |
| Advanced Security | Yes ✅ | No ❌ |
| No-Log Policy | Yes ✅ | Yes ✅ |
| Simultaneous Connections | 10 | 1 |
| Customer Support | 24/7 live chat 💬 | Email 📩 |
Proton VPN Trial May 2026: Conclusion
With Proton VPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee, you have ample time to confirm if the VPN is a good fit. That’s like getting a Proton VPN free trial, except you must sign up for a premium account. Interested in checking other options? Here’s our guide to the best VPN free trials of 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
⌛ Is there a Proton VPN trial?
No, not in the traditional sense. Proton VPN has discontinued its 7-day free trial because it was prone to abuse. Instead, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, a risk-free way to test its premium features before committing.
🆓 Is Proton VPN free?
Yes, it's free. There are two versions: Free and Plus. The former is really free, and you don't have to submit a credit card to use it. It's not a Proton VPN trial but an entirely different, less capable version of the same VPN.
🍿 Can you unblock Netflix on a Proton VPN free trial?
Yes, Proton VPN unblocks several Netflix libraries hassle-free. Subscribing to the plan allows you to enjoy this benefit even if you plan on cancelling your subscription and claiming a refund within 30 days of purchase.