Which VPN Ought to You Use?

Each Proton and Atlas VPN present strong encryption and privateness safety for you and your small business. For these involved about authorities knowledge requests, Proton VPN has an added layer of safety because it operates beneath Switzerland’s strict privateness legal guidelines. However, Atlas VPN has a various set of specialised servers and permits for a vast variety of system connections at an inexpensive value.

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Whereas each VPNs have robust safety, they provide completely different options which will make it difficult to decide on between the 2. Let’s examine the 2 VPN companies and see which one is greatest in your wants.

Proton VPN vs. Atlas VPN: Comparability desk

Proton VPN and Atlas VPN pricing

Proton VPN pricing

Proton’s free model grants you entry to 86 servers from the USA, Netherlands and Japan. With the free model, you get medium VPN pace, a kill swap and limitless knowledge.

If you’d like the quickest connection on the lowest potential value, Proton VPN Plus is the very best of those choices. It permits customers to attach 10 gadgets concurrently, has Proton’s quickest speeds, and contains Proton’s full server suite. Those that use VPNs for torrenting (P2P) and streaming also needs to go for the VPN Plus plan, as these options aren’t accessible with the free model.

I’d solely suggest Proton Limitless for customers who need Proton’s different encryption-based companies on high of the options you get with VPN Plus.

Atlas VPN pricing

Atlas VPN’s Free model gives servers in three areas: the Netherlands, New York and Los Angeles. Customers may even be capable to join a vast variety of gadgets and have entry to at least one server for streaming.

Whereas the free model is a welcome choice, I’d suggest Atlas’s premium tier, when you have the finances. Atlas’s free VPN has a month-to-month knowledge cap of 5.0GB, and also you additionally don’t get the VPN’s specialised Privateness Professional servers. Fortunately, Atlas VPN’s Premium plans are comparatively inexpensive.

Beginning at $4.08 monthly (for the annual plan), you get Atlas’s quickest speeds, its SafeSwap IP swapping function, limitless knowledge and the total server community. Additionally they provide an extended three-year plan that downsizes the price to solely $1.83 monthly — which is able to profit those that desire a subscription with longer phrases.

Proton VPN vs. Atlas VPN: Characteristic comparability

Understanding the place these two VPN choices differ of their encryption, safety and knowledge safety options will show you how to make the very best determination in your wants.

Safety and encryption

Each Proton and Atlas VPN have strong encryption protocols to guard consumer knowledge. Trendy protocols IKEv2 and WireGuard can be found in each VPNs (Determine A). Sadly, solely Proton VPN helps the widely-used, {industry} commonplace OpenVPN protocol.

Determine A

Whereas this doesn’t make Atlas VPN an insecure choice, it’s a disgrace that one of the vital respected protocols within the area isn’t included with their bundle. Proton VPN would be the better option when you’re searching for a extra full set of protocols.

When it comes to area title system leak safety, I examined each Proton and Atlas VPN by working it via a DNS leak device. After a number of runs, each Proton and Atlas didn’t have any leaks.

Specialised servers

Proton gives what they name Safe Core servers that include added safety towards knowledge assaults. It routes your visitors via a number of servers, making it more durable for unhealthy actors to realize your true IP tackle.

In the meantime, Atlas has two “Privateness Professional” servers referred to as SafeSwap and MultiHop+ (Determine B). SafeSwap servers let you have a number of IP addresses without delay for higher anonymity, whereas MultiHop+ rotates your connection between completely different VPN areas. Atlas additionally has speed-optimized servers that present as much as 10Gbps in pace.

Determine B

Total, each Proton and Atlas provide vital security-focused servers that may defend your knowledge properly. Atlas does have extra selection in having multiple specialised server, in addition to speed-optimized servers that will probably be greatest fitted to streaming or torrenting.

Efficiency and consumer expertise

In my use of each Proton and Atlas VPN, I didn’t have any noticeable drops in pace. Whether or not I used to be streaming a 1080p YouTube video, utilizing Google Docs or looking via social media — the 2 VPNs maintained snappy speeds.

With Proton’s Home windows app, I had zero bugs or slowdowns after I activated options or switched between servers. Sadly, I had a much less easy expertise with Atlas. There have been a number of cases the place the VPN couldn’t correctly hook up with a brand new server or the place the app itself lagged for no cause. These slowdowns didn’t persist to be a critical concern, nevertheless it’s value noting on this comparability.

If you’d like a extra polished in-app expertise (Determine C), my testing confirmed Proton might carry out higher.

Determine C

Knowledge safety options

Proton VPN is predicated in Switzerland, which implies that it operates beneath Switzerland’s robust privateness legal guidelines. Consequently, Proton customers profit from the identical privateness protections as Swiss residents. Concretely, which means that Proton isn’t required to adjust to knowledge requests that aren’t supported by a Swiss court docket order.

Determine D

However, Atlas VPN gives knowledge safety throughout the app itself. It features a Knowledge Breach Monitor device (Determine D) that checks whether or not your electronic mail (and the credentials therein) is included in any publicly leaked databases. With the monitor, you will get an prompt alert in case your electronic mail is included in a safety breach. Customers also can test their account breach historical past for insights into previous knowledge breaches.

Each companies present significant options to guard your knowledge. Should you particularly need robust safeguards towards illegal entry to your knowledge, Proton’s Swiss-based safety hits the mark. If you’d like real-time updates in your knowledge’s security towards hackers, Atlas’ breach monitoring will profit you extra.

Third-party audits

Proton and Atlas VPN each have strict no-logs insurance policies. Which means that they don’t acquire or log any consumer info in your web exercise. This covers web sites visited, IP addresses, session occasions or some other identifiable consumer knowledge.

Sadly, solely Proton VPN has a third-party impartial safety audit that confirms these claims. Whereas this doesn’t low cost Atlas VPN’s safety, it could be vital for customers who desire a VPN that’s already been examined and verified by a 3rd celebration. Having third-party testing offers customers laborious knowledge that confirms that sure safety features work as marketed.

In line with Atlas, they’re already within the means of finishing extra impartial exams to again their claims. However as of publication, Proton would be the higher choice for a VPN with an independently verified no-logs coverage.

Proton VPN execs and cons

Professionals

• Provides robust Switzerland-based privateness options.
• Implements a strict no-logs coverage.
• Offers greater than 4,400 servers in 91 nations.
• Open supply and independently audited.
• Has a free model.
• Helps as much as 10 simultaneous connections.

Cons

• Priced comparatively excessive.
• Dwell chat assist is barely accessible for paid customers.

Atlas VPN execs and cons

Professionals

• SafeSwap IP tackle swapping function.
• Specialised server varieties for various customers.
• Limitless system connections.
• Extra inexpensive.
• Spectacular pace throughout use.
• Has a free model.

Cons

• Comparatively small server fleet.
• No OpenVPN safety protocol.
• A number of bugs have been skilled within the app.
• Lack of impartial audit on no-logs coverage.
• 5.0GB month-to-month knowledge cap on the free model.

Ought to your group use Proton VPN or Atlas VPN?

Proton VPN and Atlas VPN provide related options to guard their customers’ net exercise and on-line privateness. Nonetheless, in addition they comprise features that make their companies distinctive.

Should you desire a VPN with extra specialised servers, Atlas VPN could be the higher choice with its SafeSwap, MultiHop+ and speed-optimized server varieties. It’s additionally extra inexpensive and has a 3-year plan if you’d like a subscription with longer phrases.

However, if you’d like a VPN server that operates beneath robust privateness legal guidelines that may forestall authorities surveillance or illegal knowledge requests, Proton VPN is the higher selection.

As an entire, I really feel that Proton VPN is the extra full product. It has extra industry-standard safety protocols, an impartial audit on its no-logs coverage and a bigger server community. I additionally had a smoother general expertise with Proton VPN’s Home windows utility than Atlas.

Value-wise, Atlas VPN is extra inexpensive at $4.08 monthly (for the annual plan) in comparison with Proton VPN’s $5.99 monthly. Whereas the $2 distinction can add up, Proton has the heftier server and placement community — which could make the extra spend value it.

Methodology

My comparability of Proton VPN and Atlas VPN concerned hands-on time with each of their free variations and an in depth evaluation of their options, value and real-world efficiency.

To judge every product, each VPNs have been scored on every little thing from its pricing to its protocols primarily based on an inner algorithm to get a remaining ranking out of 5 stars. I additionally supplemented my findings with consumer testimonials and respected evaluations for each the free and paid tiers.

For pace and efficiency, I examined each VPNs utilizing a Home windows pc and ran it via Ookla’s Speedtest. As a disclaimer, VPN speeds will fluctuate relying on lots of elements: your web service supplier, your system and your location. To check for DNS leaks, I ran each VPNs a number of occasions via DNSleaktest.