# ZoneBlade vs Proton VPN: free browser VPNs compared (2026) Source: https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn [Compare VPNs](https://zoneblade.com/compare) ZoneBlade vs Proton VPN # ZoneBlade vs Proton VPN ## The short answer Both have a free plan with unlimited data and no ads, but in the browser ZoneBlade does more. It needs no account, lets you choose which of its 6 free countries to use, and can give each tab its own country with its own cookies. Proton VPN Free needs a Proton account, picks the server for you from 10 countries, and puts the whole browser in one place. Proton VPN is the better choice for a free VPN that covers your whole computer or phone. Checked against Proton VPN's own website and store listing on 20 October 2026. Every claim about Proton VPN links to its source. Side by side ## ZoneBlade and Proton VPN, row by row. Numbers link to their sources at the bottom of the page. | Feature | ZoneBlade | Proton VPN | | ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Free plan | Yes | Yes [1](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-1) | | Works without an account | Yes | No [1](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-1) | | Free data | Unlimited | Unlimited [2](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-2) | | Countries on the free plan | 6 | 10 [2](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-2) Picked for you | | No ads on the free plan | Yes | Yes [3](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-3) | | Doesn't sell your data or share your connection | Yes | Yes [4](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-4) | | A different country in each tab | Yes | No [1](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-1) | | The same site in two countries at once | Yes Each country keeps its own cookies | No [1](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-1) | | Countries | 180 | 149 [5](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-5) | | Apps for your whole device | No Chrome and Edge only | Yes [6](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-6) | | Price, month to month | $5.99 Premium, monthly | $9.99 [7](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-7) | | Lowest price a month | $4.00 Premium, $47.99 a year | $3.49 [7](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-7) First 2 years, introductory | Proton VPN: who runs it Proton AG, Geneva, Switzerland; the non-profit Proton Foundation is its main shareholder [\[8\]](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-8) Proton VPN: extension Works on its own but needs a Proton account; covers the browser only [\[1\]](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-1) Proton VPN: devices 1 on Free, 10 on VPN Plus [\[2\]](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-2) Proton VPN: Chrome Web Store 4.7 stars from 4,600 ratings, 2 million users [\[9\]](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-9) Proton VPN: no-logs audits Securitum, every year from 2022 to 2026 [\[4\]](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-protonvpn#source-4) ## Two free plans, two different deals Proton VPN Free has unlimited data and no ads, which is rare. It needs a Proton account, works on one device, and picks a server for you from its 10 free countries. ZoneBlade Free also has unlimited data and no ads, and needs no account at all: add it and it works. You choose the country yourself from its 6, and it can stay on whichever you pick. ## A country in every tab Proton's extension puts the whole browser in one country; paid plans can leave chosen websites out of the VPN. ZoneBlade's Each tab mode gives every Chrome tab group its own country, with its own cookies, so you can open the same site in two countries side by side. ## Privacy Proton is one of the most trusted names in privacy: Swiss, owned mainly by a non-profit foundation, with a no-logs audit by Securitum every year since 2022\. ZoneBlade, run by a UK company, keeps no record of the sites you visit either, and counts only data used per device and country; it hasn't been audited yet. ## Paying for more Proton VPN Plus covers 149 countries and 10 devices with full apps. ZoneBlade Premium covers 180 countries in Chrome and Edge, 15 GB a month in any of them and then unlimited in Free's 6\. Both prices are in the table above. ## When Proton VPN is the better pick Choose Proton VPN if you want a free VPN for your whole computer or phone, not only the browser, or if an independent no-logs audit matters to you. Its free plan also reaches more countries, 10 against ZoneBlade's 6, though it picks one for you. ## The verdict For a free VPN inside Chrome or Edge, ZoneBlade wins: no account, your choice of country, and a different country in each tab with cookies kept apart, none of which Proton's free extension offers. Proton VPN is the stronger pick only if you need your whole device covered. ## Questions Do I need an account for Proton VPN's free extension? Yes, a Proton account. ZoneBlade needs no account: add it to Chrome or Edge and it works. Can I choose my country on Proton VPN Free? Not exactly: Proton picks a server for you from its 10 free countries. On ZoneBlade Free you choose any of its 6 countries yourself. Can Proton VPN give each tab its own country? No, its extension puts the whole browser in one country. ZoneBlade's Each tab mode gives each tab group its own country. ## Sources 1. 1 2. 2 3. 3 4. 4 5. 5 6. 6 7. 7 8. 8 9. 9 ## More comparisons - [vs NordVPN](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-nordvpn) - [vs ExpressVPN](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-expressvpn) - [vs Surfshark](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-surfshark) - [vs CyberGhost](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-cyberghost) - [vs Windscribe](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-windscribe) - [vs Browsec](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-browsec) - [vs Hola VPN](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-hola) - [vs PureVPN](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-purevpn) - [vs Urban VPN](https://zoneblade.com/compare/zoneblade-vs-urbanvpn) - [All VPNs side by side](https://zoneblade.com/compare) ## Try ZoneBlade before you pay for Proton VPN. Free for good: unlimited data in 6 countries, a country in every tab, no account, no ads. Ready in a minute. [ Add to Chrome It's free ](https://zoneblade.com/#browsers)[ Add to Edge It's free ](https://zoneblade.com/#browsers)