Proton announced today that it has decided to allow free users of its service to use the Chrome and Firefox extensions. Until now, access was restricted to paying customers.
Here are the details:
- Proton VPN is available as a free, limited version.
- The browser extensions can now also be used by free users.
note: Proton VPN is compatible with most Chromium-based and Firefox-based browsers.
According to Proton, access to browser extensions was a frequently requested feature. There are several benefits to using a browser extension:
- The VPN connection is only valid for the browser.
- There is no need to install the Proton VPN app.
Access to VPN apps may be blocked in some regions, but the extension may still work.
Proton VPN free
The free version of Proton VPN is limited, but not as much as most other free VPNs. The developers promise that their solution is the only one that “doesn’t limit your bandwidth, spy on you, show you privacy-violating ads, or sell your data.”
Some features are not available in the free version. These include:
- The ability to select a specific country/server to connect to.
- The highest possible speeds.
- Split tunneling support.
- Custom DNS support.
- Advanced features including ad blocking, malware protection, VPN acceleration or double hop support.
Using the free browser extensions is very easy. If you already have a Proton VPN account, just download the extensions for your browser and log in with your account. Done.
If you don’t have a Proton VPN account yet, you can create one for free in two steps:
- On the Create Account page, enter an email address.
- Accept the pregenerated password or set a custom one.
That’s all. No email address verification during setup.
The extensions are available here:
Using the extension
Some unavailable features are indicated in the UI, either darker than the rest or using the upgrade icon (which contains a plus symbol).
Activate the extension icon and click the “Connect” button to connect to the VPN network. Note that you cannot select a server, but a fast server nearby will be selected automatically. This may or may not be in another country. In tests, connecting to the VPN took less than a second.
Clicking on the feature icon displays the available features. These are:
- Automatic connection – enabled by default. Automatically connects to the VPN when the browser starts.
- WebRTC leak protection — prevents the device’s IP address from being revealed using WebRTC.
- Notifications – Displays a notification for connection and disconnection events.
Clicking on the settings icon displays two options:
- Share anonymous usage statistics – Disabled by default.
- Share anonymous crash reports for use – Enabled by default.
You can change the settings there.
The speed of the VPN was quite good in tests. With a not so good WiFi connection, I achieved around 24 Mbit/s download and 16 Mbit/s upload. Sufficient for most tasks on the Internet.
Upgrades to Proton VPN Plus are available for $4.49 per month when you pay for a two-year subscription.
Closing words
Proton VPN’s browser extension works well. Compared to most free VPN solutions, it is a much better option as it does not have the drawbacks that many free VPNs come with. To name a few: tracking, advertising, upselling pop-ups, bandwidth limits, selling user data.
Free users of Proton VPN now have two options: they can use the dedicated VPN app on their device or leverage the browser extension. Note that the free version is limited to one device at a time.
All in all, this improves an already great option for users who want to further protect their internet connection and therefore their privacy.
Do you use VPN solutions? If so, which ones and why? Let us know in the comments below.
Summary
Article name
Proton VPN: Free VPN users can now use browser extensions
Description
Free Proton VPN users can now also use the browser extensions to connect to the free VPN solution.
author
Martin Brinkmann
editor
Ghacks Technology News
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