Proton VPN review for Canada (2026): the free plan and VPN Plus

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Verdict

Proton VPN is the provider to start with if you want to try a VPN without paying. Its free plan has no data cap, though it limits you to one device and a random choice of 10 countries. The paid plan, VPN Plus, covers 10 devices and lists servers in Canada. Proton is a Swiss company and has published a no-logs audit every year for five years.

This review is an editorial assessment from Proton's published pages and its own price data. We did not run our own tests. Our review method explains how we work.

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Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Proton VPN suits you if:

• you need a VPN now and then, on one device, and do not want to pay;
• you want a paid plan from a company under Swiss law with yearly audits;
• you want monthly billing at a stated price.

Look elsewhere if you need a Calgary server, or want to pay in Canadian dollars. Mullvad lists Calgary and accepts Canadian dollars as a payment currency.

The free plan

Many people searching for "Proton VPN free" want to know the catch. Here is what Proton states on its pricing and free VPN pages:

• it is "Unlimited and free forever";
• it works on 1 device at a time;
• you "Connect to servers in 10 countries (randomly selected)", so you cannot pick a country or a city;
• Proton says there are no data or speed limits;
• the free page mentions a "Stealth VPN protocol".

For protecting your phone on café or airport Wi-Fi, that is enough. You do not need a Canadian server to encrypt your connection on a public network. Our public Wi-Fi safety guide covers what a VPN does there. If you need a Canadian IP address while abroad, for example to reach your bank, the free plan cannot promise one. Our page on free VPNs in Canada compares Proton's free plan with Windscribe's.

Plans and prices

Proton's pricing page fills in its prices with a script, so we read them from Proton's own payments data instead. That data offers only Swiss francs, euros and US dollars, with no Canadian-dollar option. The figures below are Proton's US-dollar list prices on October 6, 2026. Your checkout may show a different currency or a promotional price.

The price data also lists 3, 6, 15, 18 and 30-month cycles for VPN Plus. Proton Unlimited is a separate, higher-priced plan. Proton's data did not give a renewal price, so check what the plan renews at before you pay for 12 or 24 months.

Servers in Canada and protocols

Proton's server pages list Canada among its locations. Overall, its server page title says "140+ countries" and the pricing page says "140+ countries, 20,000+ servers".

The pages we read did not list the protocols Proton's apps use, apart from the Stealth protocol on the free page. If protocol choice matters to you, check Proton's support pages before you buy. Our VPN protocols guide explains what to look for.

Privacy: jurisdiction and audits

Proton AG is based in Geneva, Switzerland, according to its privacy policy, and Proton describes the service as "Swiss-based".

Proton's no-logs audit post says its no-logs policy is checked each year by Securitum, and that the 2026 report is "the fifth consecutive annual audit". A yearly cycle means the most recent report is never far out of date.

What to check before you pay

• Renewal. Proton's price data gives list prices only. Look for the renewal price at checkout.
• Refund. Proton offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Currency. Proton's price data offers CHF, EUR and USD. Confirm the currency and total at checkout.
• Try free first. The free plan lets you check the apps on your own device before paying.

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Free or paid: what changes when you upgrade

The free plan and VPN Plus come from the same company, under the same Swiss jurisdiction. The differences are practical:

• Devices: 1 on the free plan, 10 on VPN Plus.
• Server choice: free users connect to 10 randomly selected countries; the paid network lists Canada among its locations.
• Cost: nothing, against USD 9.99 for a single month or USD 119.76 for 24 months at Proton's list prices.

If you only need protection on public Wi-Fi from one phone, the free plan covers it. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security describes this kind of service as "third-party privacy", used to secure a connection from a public access point such as an airport or hotel Wi-Fi hotspot. If you want a Canadian address when you are abroad, or you have a laptop and a phone to protect at once, the paid plan is the one to look at.

Alternatives

For a privacy-first paid option, compare Proton with Mullvad in Proton VPN vs Mullvad. Windscribe also has a free plan, and its server page names Canada among the 10 free countries. Read our Windscribe review for the details, including the gaps we found in its audit claims.

Common questions