ProtonVPN

About this release

This is the desktop client for an encrypted tunnel service, and its distinguishing quality is how little it asks of the person using it. Open it, pick a country from the map or the list, connect, and everything leaving the machine goes through the tunnel. Underneath that simplicity sits a fairly serious set of controls for anyone who wants them, but nothing has to be configured for the basic thing to work correctly.

The connection handling is where the practical safety lives. A kill switch cuts network traffic entirely if the tunnel drops, so nothing leaks out through the ordinary connection during a reconnect, and a permanent variant keeps that block in place even when the client is not running. Automatic connection on startup and on joining an untrusted wireless network means the protection does not depend on anyone remembering to press a button.

Split routing solves the annoyance that makes people turn these clients off. Individual applications, or individual destinations, can be excluded from the tunnel or forced through it, so a banking site that objects to a foreign connection or a local network printer keeps working while everything else stays tunnelled. The rules are per application and per address, and they persist across sessions.

The server side is large and varied enough to matter. Servers across a great many countries, with load and latency shown per server so the choice is informed rather than a guess, plus specialised options: multi hop routing through two servers, tunnels that survive restrictive networks by looking like ordinary traffic, and dedicated routes for high throughput transfer. Protocol selection covers the modern fast option and the older widely compatible one, with automatic fallback when a network blocks one of them.

What it does

One click connection

Pick a country and connect, with everything leaving the machine routed through the tunnel.

Kill switch

Network traffic is cut if the tunnel drops, with a permanent variant that holds even when the client is closed.

Split routing

Per application and per address rules to exclude or force traffic through the tunnel.

Automatic connection rules

Connect on startup and whenever the machine joins an untrusted wireless network.

Large server network

Servers across many countries with live load and latency shown before connecting.

Multi hop and protocol fallback

Route through two servers, and switch protocol automatically when a network blocks one.

Changed in this version

• Faster reconnect after the machine wakes from sleep.
• Server list reworked with clearer load and latency reporting.
• Split routing rules now survive an application update.
• Improved throughput on the modern protocol on high speed connections.
• Fixed a rare kill switch state that could persist after uninstalling.

System requirements

Install order

1. Unpack the archive.
2. Run the installer and allow the virtual network adapter to be installed.
3. Set the kill switch and automatic connection preferences on first launch.
4. Add split routing exclusions for anything that must use the ordinary connection.

Worth knowing before you start

File details