- ✓Proton VPN is our top privacy pick — independent, Swiss, open-source and audited, with a real free tier.
- ✓So people mostly leave for speed, streaming or a bigger network — not privacy.
- ✓The catch: the big, fast alternatives (NordVPN, ExpressVPN) belong to large groups, not independents.
- ✓If you want to keep independence and privacy, Mullvad is the only true peer.
- ✓If you’ll trade some independence for speed and streaming, NordVPN is the strongest all-round move.
The short answer
Because Proton VPN already leads on privacy and independence, the “best alternative” splits by what you want more of. Want to keep independent, privacy-first ethos? Mullvad is the only true peer. Want more speed and streaming and will accept a big-brand owner? NordVPN (or ExpressVPN). It’s one of the few switches where the honest advice is about what you’re trading, not just upgrading.
Keep the independence → Mullvad. Trade it for speed & streaming → NordVPN or ExpressVPN.
Why people leave Proton VPN
Rarely about privacy — Proton is our top privacy pick. Usually it’s one of these:
- Speed. Fast, but not the fastest we test; heavy users notice.
- Streaming. Good, but the dedicated streaming brands are more consistent across services.
- Network size. Fewer locations than the giants, which matters if you need a specific far-flung country.
- The free tier feels limited. Safe and genuinely free, but capped — and some want the full paid experience elsewhere.
The independence trade-off
This is the part that flips the usual “alternatives” logic. Most people choose Proton VPN because it’s independent — made by Proton AG in Switzerland, open-source and audited, unlike the big VPNs that belong to large groups (NordVPN and Surfshark under Nord Security; ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and PIA under Kape). So if you leave Proton for one of those, you gain speed or streaming but step out of independent ownership. The only way to keep both privacy and independence is Mullvad, the other independent standout. None of this is a knock on the big brands — it’s just the trade you’re actually making.
The best Proton VPN alternatives
Three, framed by what you’re prioritising:
Owner: Independent (Amagicom AB, Sweden)
The one alternative that keeps everything you chose Proton for — independence and privacy — just in an even more minimal form. Mullvad needs no email or account, takes cash, and stores essentially nothing (a 2023 police raid found no data). You give up Proton’s slick apps and free tier, and it’s weaker at streaming, but on privacy ethos it’s the closest peer there is.
Read our Mullvad review →
Owner: Nord Security
If Proton felt slow or you wanted more reliable streaming, NordVPN is the strongest all-round move — fastest in our tests, excellent unblocking, and an audited no-logs policy of its own. The honest trade-off: you’re leaving an independent for a large group, so it’s a step for performance, not for privacy purity.
Read our NordVPN review →
Owner: Kape Technologies
The other big-brand option if streaming and ease matter more than independence. ExpressVPN has the simplest apps and very reliable unblocking, with a long audit record. It’s pricier and, like Nord, part of a large group (Kape) rather than independent — a performance-and-polish choice.
Read our ExpressVPN review →At a glance
Should you actually switch?
If privacy and independence are why you’re on Proton VPN, the honest answer is usually no — you’re already on the strongest option for exactly that, and the free tier makes it low-risk to keep. Switch only if a concrete performance need is nagging: more speed, more reliable streaming, or a specific server location. Even then, weigh it against what you lose — if independence matters, Mullvad keeps it; if it doesn’t, NordVPN or ExpressVPN will be faster and slicker.
Compare directly in Proton VPN vs Mullvad and NordVPN vs Proton VPN. Or read the full Proton VPN review.