1 Best Open-Source Alternatives to Proton VPN in 2026
By Noahlast updated
Compared: open-source alternatives to Proton VPN
| Alternative | Best for | Standout | Biggest weakness | Learning curve | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPNreference | privacy-conscious users and journalists who want an open-source, independently audited VPN with a genuinely unlimited-data free tier, or paid subscribers wanting 10-device coverage bundled with Proton's email and storage products | The free tier has no data cap, unlike most competitors' free plans, and VPN Accelerator claims up to a 400% speed boost over standard WireGuard on high-latency or lossy connections. | The free tier is capped at one device and a small pool of server locations, and users who only want a fast, single-purpose VPN end up paying for Mail, Drive, Pass, and Calendar features bundled into the higher-value Unlimited plan if they upgrade past VPN Plus. | Low | Free tier · paid from $4.99/mo |
| Mullvad | privacy-conscious individuals who want anonymous signup and a single flat-rate plan instead of tiered VPN pricing | Anonymous account-number signup with no email required, combined with cash or cryptocurrency payment options and a fully open-source, independently audited client. | No free tier and no long-term discount: the price is a flat €5/month whether paid monthly or in advance, so heavy multi-year commitments don't get cheaper the way many competitors' 2-3 year plans do. | Low | Custom pricing |
Proton VPN
Mullvad1.Mullvad — best Proton VPN alternative for privacy-conscious individuals who want anonymous signup and a single flat-rate plan instead of tiered VPN pricing
Mullvad is the best Proton VPN alternative for privacy-conscious users who want to sign up with no email address or personal information at all, generating a random account number instead, and pay with cash or cryptocurrency for full anonymity. Mullvad charges a single flat rate of €5/month (roughly $5.40) regardless of plan or commitment length, close to Proton VPN's $4.99/month VPN Plus price, with no tiers to compare. Both services publish fully open-source client apps for independent audit: Mullvad's under GPL-3.0 on GitHub, matching Proton VPN's own open-source, independently audited apps, and Mullvad adds DAITA traffic-analysis defense and quantum-resistant tunnel options beyond standard WireGuard. Proton VPN is still the better choice for anyone who wants a genuinely free tier or a discount for paying in advance: Mullvad has no free plan and no discount for annual or multi-year prepayment, unlike Proton VPN's uncapped-data free tier, and Mullvad's smaller server network can matter for streaming geo-unblocking, where Proton VPN's VPN Plus tier offers dedicated streaming-service unblocking.
Compared to Proton VPN: anonymous account-number signup with no email required, cash/cryptocurrency payment options, DAITA traffic-analysis defense and quantum-resistant tunnels beyond standard WireGuard
Wins:Anonymous signup with a random account number; no email or personal information required, unlike Proton VPN · Cash and cryptocurrency payment options for users who want to avoid linking a card to the account · DAITA traffic-analysis defense and quantum-resistant tunnel options beyond standard WireGuard
Loses:No free tier at all, unlike Proton VPN's uncapped-data free plan · No discount for paying annually or multi-year in advance, unlike many VPN competitors' longer-term plans · Smaller server network than large competitors, which can matter for streaming geo-unblocking that Proton VPN's VPN Plus specifically supports
Pros
- Anonymous signup with a random account number; no email or personal information required.
- Cash and cryptocurrency payment options for users who want to avoid linking a card to the account.
- Client apps are open source (GPL-3.0) and published on GitHub, with regular independent security audits.
- DAITA traffic-analysis defense and quantum-resistant tunnel options beyond standard WireGuard.
Cons
- No free tier; every user pays the same flat €5/month with no trial beyond the money-back guarantee window.
- No discount for paying annually or multi-year in advance, unlike competitors that cut price sharply on longer commitments.
- Smaller server network than large competitors like NordVPN or ExpressVPN, which can matter for streaming geo-unblocking.
- No bundled extras (password manager, ad blocker as a separate product, antivirus) that some competitors include in higher tiers.
Pricing: Custom pricing — Flat €5/month (~$5.40) vs Proton VPN's $4.99/month VPN Plus (verified undefined NaN, NaN)