Proton: Quality experiences
Customers have mixed views on Proton’s quality, with a clear majority reporting positive experiences, 4379 positive mentions compared to 3248 negative ones. Overall, the sentiment leans positive, though there has been a noticeable dip in satisfaction over the past year, particularly from late 2025 through mid-2026. Reviewers consistently praise Proton’s strong privacy foundation, clean design, and reliable performance across devices, especially in its free tier. However, a growing number of users have reported technical issues such as frequent disconnections, slow speeds, app crashes, and poor customer support. These complaints have increased in frequency and severity, especially after the 7.10.1 update. Despite this, many long-term users remain loyal, citing consistent performance and trust in Proton’s commitment to privacy. The recent uptick in ratings from 3.48★ in December 2025 to 3.76★ in June 2026 suggests some improvement, though the underlying issues persist for a significant portion of users.
What Customers Praise
Many users praise Proton for its strong privacy focus, clean interface, and reliable performance across devices. They highlight the free version as genuinely useful and trustworthy, with no ads or data logging. Several reviewers describe Proton as the gold standard for privacy tools, especially for email and VPN services. The integration between Proton’s apps, like email, calendar, and drive, also earns high marks for creating a cohesive, secure ecosystem.
What customers said:
- „All of Proton's apps are extremely well made.“
- „the subscription management too“
- „Love the versatility and its effectiveness.“
Common Complaints
Common complaints center on technical instability, especially after recent updates. Users report frequent disconnections, slow loading times, and apps failing to start or respond. Some say the app buffers endlessly, even on premium plans. A recurring issue is the failure of drafts to disappear after sending, which began after the 7.10.1 update. Many also criticize the lack of effective customer support, describing responses as repetitive and unhelpful.
What customers said:
- „it takes minutes for a page to load“
- „Wont work with my autofill app.“
- „what is with this app lately??“
How It Has Changed Over Time
Quality perceptions have fluctuated over time, with a clear decline from late 2025 to mid-2026. Ratings dropped from 3.84★ in August 2025 to 3.02★ in October 2025, reflecting growing frustration. However, there has been a steady recovery since January 2026, reaching 3.76★ in June 2026. This suggests that while recent updates introduced problems, Proton may have addressed some of them. Still, the high volume of negative reviews in 2026 indicates that core issues remain unresolved for many users.
What customers said:
- „most options do not work in free“
- „free service which is really good“
- „Works well on android and as a browser extension“
Practical Takeaways
For users prioritizing privacy and a free, no-logs service, Proton remains a top choice despite its flaws. The free tier is still considered functional and trustworthy by many. However, those relying on consistent performance, especially on desktop or Linux systems, may face challenges. Users should consider testing the service before committing, particularly if they need stable connections for work or streaming. The killswitch feature is recommended for anyone experiencing disconnections.
What customers said:
- „the desktop app does not work very well on Zorin Linux OS“
- „Hands down the best mailbox service, and more!!“
- „It works great most of the time.“
Over time
Data as table
| Month | Avg. rating | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-08 | 3.84 | 141 |
| 2025-09 | 3.39 | 172 |
| 2025-10 | 3.02 | 279 |
| 2025-11 | 3.42 | 226 |
| 2025-12 | 3.48 | 186 |
| 2026-01 | 3.71 | 232 |
| 2026-02 | 3.60 | 271 |
| 2026-03 | 3.46 | 282 |
| 2026-04 | 3.61 | 303 |
| 2026-05 | 3.72 | 417 |
| 2026-06 | 3.76 | 709 |
| 2026-07 | 3.67 | 986 |
Sentiment over time
Data as table
| Month | Positive | Neutral | Negative | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08 | 62% | 2% | 35% | 141 |
| 2025-09 | 49% | 5% | 47% | 172 |
| 2025-10 | 34% | 6% | 59% | 279 |
| 2025-11 | 52% | 6% | 42% | 226 |
| 2025-12 | 54% | 4% | 41% | 186 |
| 2026-01 | 54% | 5% | 41% | 232 |
| 2026-02 | 55% | 6% | 39% | 271 |
| 2026-03 | 51% | 4% | 45% | 282 |
| 2026-04 | 56% | 4% | 40% | 303 |
| 2026-05 | 59% | 4% | 38% | 417 |
| 2026-06 | 61% | 5% | 34% | 709 |
| 2026-07 | 59% | 3% | 38% | 986 |
Sub-topics
- VPN speed & servers - 57 mentions
Customer voices
Short excerpts - full reviews are available at the original source.
„solid as can be“
„Solid across all devices I use it on“
„Works as advertised“
„I've enjoyed the Privacy it gives me“
„I like the email alias feature“
„It happens since the last update 7.10.1“
„Slow to start, delay happens on both iPhone and iPad“
„Cuts out constantly — every minute or so.“