VPN Deal of the Week: Proton VPN drops its first deal of 2026 – and it's cheaper than NordVPN

Proton VPN new iOS app
(Image credit: Proton VPN)

Proton VPN has dropped its first deal of the year and it's Tom's Guide's VPN Deal of the Week. Two-year plans are 70%, costing $2.99 per month – down from the usual $3.59 per month.

Known for being one of the best VPNs, Proton VPN's main focus is privacy. It's an audited, open-source VPN with a wide array of great features.

Proton VPN | 2 yearsWas: $3.59 per monthNow: $2.99 per month at Proton VPN

Proton VPN | 2 years
Was: $3.59 per month
Now: $2.99 per month at Proton VPN
Proton VPN is one of the most well-respected privacy providers around. This is its first deal of 2026 and represents a great saving.

What you get:

🔐 World-renowned privacy credentials
📺 Excellent streaming performance
🚀 Some of the fastest VPN speeds we've tested
All features included in every plan

The two-year plan costs $2.99 per month ($71.76 upfront) and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Fast speeds and unique features – all on one plan

A two-year Proton VPN deal costs $2.99 per month ($71.76 upfront) and a 30-day money-back guarantee ensures you can claim a refund if the VPN isn't for you.

As with all VPNs, two-year plans represent the best value for money but Proton VPN does offer one-year and one-month plans as well – costing $4.32 per month and $9.99 per month respectively.

What you see is what you get with Proton VPN. It only has one tier of plan, with the only difference being the length of your subscription. All features are included in all plans, and it's one of the only leading VPNs to offer this.

You'll get your hands on one of the fastest VPNs we've tested. Proton VPN recorded speeds of 1,521 Mbps in our testing, only bettered by Surfshark and Mullvad. It's also one of the best streaming VPNs. It had no trouble unblocking almost all major streaming sites, only failing with the New Zealand service TVNZ+.

17,000+ servers worldwide, with 166 locations in 127 countries, mean you shouldn't struggle to find your desired location. All Proton VPN's servers are physical and are operated by Proton itself.

Laptop and smartphone on a table, both connected to Proton VPN Free

(Image credit: Future)

Proton VPN's focus on privacy sees it boast a range of dedicated anti-censorship features, including Guest Mode, Secure Core, the obfuscating Stealth protocol, and Proton VPN Free – one of the best free VPNs.

Core VPN features like a strong kill switch and split tunneling are also present. You'll receive threat protection in the form of NetShield, but this didn't perform that well in our testing.

Proton VPN's price cut sees it become cheaper than all NordVPN plans. It's $0.40 per month cheaper than NordVPN Basic and it's $0.90 per month cheaper than the feature-equivalent NordVPN Plus.

At $2.79 per month, ExpressVPN Basic is still cheaper. But its equivalent plan, ExpressVPN Advanced, costs $3.59 per month, $0.60 per month more than Proton VPN.

If you're on a tight budget, Surfshark is still your best option and plans start at $1.99 per month. However, if you want to make a significant saving on a fast, private, and feature-rich VPN, check out Proton VPN.

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

George Phillips
Staff Writer

George is a Staff Writer at Tom's Guide, covering VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity news. He is especially interested in digital rights and censorship, and its interplay with politics. Outside of work, George is passionate about music, Star Wars, and Karate.

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