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Proton VPN: free VPN users can use the browser extensions now

Proton announced today that it has made the decision to allow free users of its service to use the Chrome and Firefox extensions. Up until now, access was limited to paying customers.

Here are the details:

  • Proton VPN is available as a free, limited version.
  • The browser extensions may now also be used by free users.

Note: Proton VPN is compatible with most Chromium-based and Firefox-based browsers.

Proton says that access to browser extensions was a much requested feature. Using a browser extension offers some advantages:

  • The VPN connection applies only to the browser.
  • The Proton VPN app does not need to be installed.

Access to VPN apps may be blocked in some regions. The extension may still work, however.

Proton VPN Free

Proton VPN Extension
Proton VPN installed in Firefox

The free version of Proton VPN is limited, but not as much as most other free VPNs. The developers promise that theirs is the only solution that "doesn't limit your bandwidth, spy on your, show you privacy-invading ads, or sell your data".

Some features are off-limits when you use the free version. This includes:

  • 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 protections, VPN acceleration, or double-hop support.

Using the free browser extensions is very easy. If you have a Proton VPN account already, you just download the extensions for your browser and sign-in with your account. All done.

If you do not have a Proton VPN account yet, you can create one for free using two steps:

  • Provide an email address on the "Create your account" page.
  • Accept the pre-generated password or set a custom one.

That is all to it. No verification of the email address during setup.

The extensions are available here:

  • Chrome Web Store
  • Firefox Extensions Store

Using the extension

Proton Free VPN Speed Test
Speed test results of Proton VPNs browser extension

Some features that are not available are shown in the user interface. These are either darker than the rest or use the upgrade icon (which contains a plus-symbol).

Activate the icon of the extension and hit the connect button to connect to the VPN network. Note that you cannot pick a server, but that a fast nearby server is selected automatically. This can be in another country, but does not have to be. It took less than a second to connect to the VPN during tests.

A click on the features icon shows the available features. These are:

  • Auto Connect - enabled by default. Connects to the VPN automatically when the browser is started.
  • WebRTC Leak Protection -- prevents that the device's IP address is leaked using WebRTC.
  • Notifications -- Displays a notification for connect and disconnect events.

A click on the settings icon displays two options:

  • Share anonymous usage statistics -- Disabled by default.
  • Share anonymous usage crash reports - Enabled by default.

You can toggle the settings there.

The speed of the VPN was quite good during tests. On a not--so-great wireless connection, I got about 24 Mbps download and 16 Mbps upload. Sufficient for most tasks on the Internet.

Upgrades to Proton VPN Plus are available for $4.49 per month if paid when you subscribe for two years.

Closing Words

The Proton VPN browser extension works well. Compared to the majority of free VPN solutions, it is a much preferred option, considering that it does not include the negatives that come along with many free VPNs. To name a few: tracking, ads, upsell popups, bandwidth limits, selling of user data.

Free users of Proton VPN have two options now: use the dedicated VPN app on their device, or use the browser extension. Note that free is limited to one device at a time.

All in all, this improves an already-great option for users who want to protect their Internet connection and thus privacy further.

Do you use VPN solutions? If so, which do you use and why? Let us know in the comments down below.

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