Proton Reviews & Ratings 2026
Proton's reviews tell a story of strong product trust with friction around the edges. Across the Mail, VPN and Pass apps, reviewers are overwhelmingly positive about what the products are built for: roughly 96 percent of quality mentions praise the encryption, the privacy stance and the speed of VPN connections. The criticism concentrates on getting in and getting set up. Account creation, signing in across devices and the limits of the free plan draw the most negative reports, and support earns mixed marks when problems drag on. Ratings also differ sharply by portal: app-store users rate Proton far higher than the small, complaint-driven Trustpilot sample. The average rating has been climbing over recent months. Every statement on this page links to the review it comes from.
Key findings
- Across 40211 reviews on 12 portals, Proton averages 4.0 out of 5 stars.
- Customers rate Value for money most positively (803 of 1556 mentions positive).
- Billing & payment draws the most criticism (309 of 362 mentions negative).
SWOT summary
Strengths
- Value for money: 54% positive across 1556 mentions
- Quality: 53% positive across 7792 mentions
Weaknesses
- Billing & payment: 86% negative across 362 mentions
- Communication: 70% negative across 914 mentions
- Ordering & website: 63% negative across 2970 mentions
Opportunities
- Address billing & payment to lift overall sentiment
- Lean on strength in value for money in marketing
Threats
- Ongoing criticism of billing & payment could deter new customers
Reviews by portal
The overall 4.0 / 5 score is weighted by review volume - portals with more reviews count proportionally more.
| Portal | Avg. rating | Count | Weight | Latest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | 4.3 / 5 | 12,990 | 32.3% | View profile ↗ | |
| Google Play | 3.8 / 5 | 6,517 | 16.2% | View profile ↗ | |
| Apple App Store | 3.3 / 5 | 5,343 | 13.3% | View profile ↗ | |
| Apple App Store | 3.4 / 5 | 3,664 | 9.1% | View profile ↗ | |
| Google Play | 4.2 / 5 | 3,098 | 7.7% | View profile ↗ | |
| Google Play | 3.3 / 5 | 1,959 | 4.9% | View profile ↗ | |
| Google Play | 3.5 / 5 | 1,890 | 4.7% | View profile ↗ | |
| Google Play | 4.1 / 5 | 1,580 | 3.9% | View profile ↗ | |
| Apple App Store | 3.0 / 5 | 1,307 | 3.3% | View profile ↗ | |
| Apple App Store | 2.9 / 5 | 1,045 | 2.6% | View profile ↗ | |
| Apple App Store | 3.9 / 5 | 600 | 1.5% | View profile ↗ | |
| Trustpilot | 2.1 / 5 | 218 | 0.5% | View profile ↗ | |
| Weighted overall | 4.0 / 5 | 40,211 | 100% | ||
Themes in the reviews
Quality7792× mentions
3966positive3376negativeAcross 7792 mentions, 53% of Quality feedback is positive and 42% negative — Quality is largely positive.
- VPN speed & servers (57)
Ordering & website2970× mentions
461positive1907negativeAcross 2970 mentions, 16% of Ordering & website feedback is positive and 63% negative — Ordering & website is a common pain point.
- Free plan & upgrades (33)
- Account & login (18)
- Setup & configuration (16)
Customer service2498× mentions
949positive1322negativeAcross 2498 mentions, 38% of Customer service feedback is positive and 54% negative — Customer service is a common pain point.
Value for money1556× mentions
803positive623negativeAcross 1556 mentions, 54% of Value for money feedback is positive and 39% negative — Value for money is largely positive.
Communication914× mentions
155positive621negativeAcross 914 mentions, 16% of Communication feedback is positive and 70% negative — Communication is a common pain point.
Billing & payment362× mentions
17positive309negativeAcross 362 mentions, 4% of Billing & payment feedback is positive and 86% negative — Billing & payment is a common pain point.
Themes over time
Data as table
| Month | Quality | Ordering & website | Customer service | Value for money | Communication | Billing & payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.1 |
| 2025-09 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| 2025-10 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| 2025-11 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 1.5 |
| 2025-12 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.3 |
| 2026-01 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.9 |
| 2026-02 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.2 |
| 2026-03 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
| 2026-04 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1.6 |
| 2026-05 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| 2026-06 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| 2026-07 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
Rating trend
Data as table
| Month | Avg. rating | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-08 | 3.74 | 1263 |
| 2025-09 | 3.51 | 837 |
| 2025-10 | 3.45 | 1146 |
| 2025-11 | 3.59 | 932 |
| 2025-12 | 3.63 | 905 |
| 2026-01 | 3.63 | 1052 |
| 2026-02 | 3.65 | 1206 |
| 2026-03 | 3.75 | 1450 |
| 2026-04 | 3.74 | 1511 |
| 2026-05 | 3.85 | 2398 |
| 2026-06 | 4.12 | 4536 |
| 2026-07 | 4.20 | 7932 |
Sentiment over time
Data as table
| Month | Positive | Neutral | Negative | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08 | 56% | 15% | 29% | 1263 |
| 2025-09 | 48% | 14% | 38% | 837 |
| 2025-10 | 47% | 13% | 40% | 1146 |
| 2025-11 | 51% | 13% | 36% | 932 |
| 2025-12 | 54% | 11% | 35% | 905 |
| 2026-01 | 54% | 12% | 34% | 1052 |
| 2026-02 | 54% | 13% | 33% | 1206 |
| 2026-03 | 56% | 13% | 31% | 1450 |
| 2026-04 | 56% | 13% | 31% | 1511 |
| 2026-05 | 61% | 10% | 29% | 2398 |
| 2026-06 | 69% | 11% | 20% | 4536 |
| 2026-07 | 72% | 10% | 18% | 7932 |
Products & services
- Proton VPN - 16052 mentions
- Proton Mail - 5301 mentions
- Proton Pass - 2932 mentions
- Proton Drive - 2481 mentions
- Proton Calendar - 2124 mentions
- Proton Authenticator - 1580 mentions
Customer voices
Short excerpts - full reviews are available at the original source.
„does EXACTLY what it says it will!“
„you should be able to choose what country at the minimum without paying for it“
„but plz continue with the free stuff.“
„thank you proton. you helped me with viruses and Trojan horse“
„I contacted proton and was told by Nikola that the developers weren’t adding that feature.“
„having a not obnoxious free tier I consider it the best free VPN“
„With Proton VPN having an iOS app, a desktop app for windows, mac, and lots of linux distros, and a chrome + edge extension“
„It’s iron- clad private!“
What Reddit users say about Proton
Additional source: 59 Reddit discussions about Proton reviewed.
Below are extracts from Reddit discussions - each linked to the original thread.
„the last couple months have been awful...“
„Proton Calendar is, without a doubt, one of the most solid solutions for those who want to protect their privacy.“
„As the more technical person in my family I've been tasked with finding a family photo storage solution.“
„i moved to Proton Drive“
„i tried out the free version of Proton Mail and ...“
„You can basically use any Authenticator like 2FAS, Proton or others based on your convenience“
„ended up giving proton mail a try“
„makes it hard to actually replace Google or Outlook“
„I used the free version for 2-3 months before I got onto the family pay plan with my wife“
„it hasn't improved much the entire time I've used it“
„It's priced similarly to Google Drive“
„signed up for two more a few months back“
Frequently asked questions
What is Proton and what do users say about it?
Proton is a digital service provider known primarily for its privacy-focused products, especially its VPN and email services, though users report mixed experiences with reliability and feature availability.
Privacy Focus
Reviewers describe Proton as a strong choice for privacy and security, particularly praising its VPN and email services. Many highlight its commitment to user data protection and its reputation as a trustworthy option in the digital privacy space.
Technical Issues
Despite strong security claims, some users report technical issues like broken email links after password changes and inconsistent performance. Others note limitations in the free version, such as restricted server location options, which can affect usability.
Mixed Reviews
The overall experience varies widely, some users rate Proton highly for its security and functionality, while others express frustration with updates, customer support, and feature gaps. The service is seen as promising but not yet fully reliable for all users.
What customers said:
- „proton definetly do a great job“
- „Proton VPN is great when it comes to privacy and security.“
„Proton VPN is great when it comes to privacy and security.“
Original„A Proton VPN é ótima quando o assunto é privacidade e segurança“
- „the developers at proton have dropped the ball.“
Why is Proton Mail not working well for users today?
Proton Mail users report significant frustration with recent app updates, citing persistent technical issues like constant disconnections, unreadable text, broken features, and poor customer support. Many feel the app has become unusable and are abandoning the service due to unresolved bugs and lack of responsiveness from Proton’s team.
App Stability
Reviewers report that recent updates have introduced serious usability problems, including constant disconnections across devices, unreadable dark purple text in replies, and emails not syncing properly between devices. Some users say the app has become 'absolutely useless' and 'unusable' due to these ongoing issues.
Feature Loss
Many users complain that core features have been removed or broken, such as the inability to access custom folders from Outlook, missing read receipt options, and drafts not saving. These changes have disrupted workflows and led to frustration, especially when the web version still supports features the app lacks.
Support Failures
Customer support is widely criticized as unhelpful and unresponsive, with users receiving generic, copy-pasted replies and being asked to provide screenshots without follow-up. Several reviewers say they’ve waited days for answers and feel ignored, leading to a loss of trust in the company.
What customers said:
- „I can't even see what I'm typing.“
- „the unsent email doesn’t even land in the drafts folder.“
- „The bottom toolbar for inbox messages no longer has 5 items (only 4)“
- „CONSTANTLY DISCONNECTING ON MY PHONE, TABLET & NVIDIA PRO“