AirVPN

VS

Proton VPN

VPNs Comparison

AirVPN vs Proton VPN: Side-by-Side Comparison

AirVPN
Proton VPN
Rating
★★★★★★★★★★
4.1/5
★★★★★★★★★★
4.6/5
Free Tier
No
Yes
Trial Days
None
30-day trial
Pricing
3-day trial €1. Monthly plan €7. Annual plan €49. 3-year plan €99.
Free tier available. Plus from $4.99/month (2-year). Proton Unlimited from $7.99/month.
Company
AirVPN
Proton AG
Founded
2010
2017
Best For
Technical users and system administrators needing port forwarding and advanced network routing control
Privacy advocates wanting an audited open-source VPN with free tier and Swiss legal protection

Pros & Cons

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AirVPN

Advanced user base with custom Eddie client offering granular network controls
Port forwarding on all servers for torrenting, self-hosting, and gaming
All servers operate on bare metal hardware owned by AirVPN directly
Tor over VPN and SSH tunneling over VPN for maximum obfuscation
Public real-time server status shows load and speed before connecting
Interface is complex and intimidating for non-technical VPN beginners
Payment by cryptocurrency or prepaid cards only - no PayPal or Visa

Proton VPN

Based in Switzerland with the strongest legal privacy protections of any VPN jurisdiction
Open-source apps with published code independently audited by SEC Consult
Secure Core routes traffic through privacy-safe countries before exiting to destination
Free tier available with no data limits and no ads or tracking
Netshield ad-blocker and Stealth protocol included on all paid plans
Speeds on the free plan are noticeably slower due to server congestion
Fewer total servers than NordVPN or Surfshark limits server selection variety

Use Case Analysis

Which is better for Privacy?

Both AirVPN and Proton VPN support Privacy workflows. Proton VPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. If Privacy is your primary use case, Proton VPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for No Logs?

Both AirVPN and Proton VPN support No Logs workflows. Proton VPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. If No Logs is your primary use case, Proton VPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for Encryption?

Both AirVPN and Proton VPN support Encryption workflows. Proton VPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. If Encryption is your primary use case, Proton VPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for Kill Switch?

Both AirVPN and Proton VPN support Kill Switch workflows. Proton VPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. If Kill Switch is your primary use case, Proton VPN is the safer pick.

Verdict

Proton VPN edges out AirVPN with a 4.6 vs 4.1 rating. Proton VPN's main advantage: Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. That said, AirVPN may still be the better choice if Technical users and system administrators needing port forwarding and advanced network routing control.

Try Them Yourself

The best way to choose is to trial both. See full details on each:

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