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ProtonVPN For Mac

3.3/5 6
Certified 100% CLEAN GPL     /  Freemium   

Highly secure VPN service with servers in numerous countries, good speed, support for multiple devices, and an intuitive, open-source macOS app. #VPN Service  #VPN Client  #Hide IP  #VPN  #Privacy  #Security  

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Developed by the Swiss team behind ProtonMail, a secure webmail alternative, ProtonVPN is a serious contender in the highly competitive VPN market, and one that is evolving at a rapid pace.

It stands out through its commitment to security, privacy, and transparency, evidenced by the company's recent decision to make the source code of all their apps available to the public and undergo an independent security audit.

While it isn't expected to be the last VPN to go down this path, the company's decision to be the first to make all their dedicated apps open-source is laudable. Despite all assurances, many users find it impossible to fully trust a VPN service if they can't see exactly what is hidden in the app's code.

The company also conducted an independent security audit, handled by SEC Consult. This yielded positive results, especially when it comes to the macOS app, which was determined to be the most secure.

Seeing as the company is based in Switzerland, a country with strong privacy laws that also isn't a part of the five, six, nine, or fourteen eyes intelligence alliances, ProtonVPN is already off to a good start.

What's more, the company has a strict no-logging policy, which is one of the most important things you should look for when choosing a VPN. All that's stored is a timestamp of the last successful login, but that should be harmless.

To beef up your security even more than a regular VPN, the service is capable of routing your traffic through an additional server, one housed in a secure location, in a country with good privacy laws. This way, should the endpoint server be compromised, your data will still be safe.

If you're a fan of Tor, or you are at least interested in what the service can offer, you'll be glad to know that ProtonVPN allows you to establish a connection via the network directly from the Mac app.

I didn't encounter a significant speed reduction while using the VPN, but your location and the distance to the server will make a big difference. I've seen faster VPNs, but the difference certainly isn't big.

When it comes to the available servers, ProtonVPN isn't the most impressive. However, while more nodes would be nice, the service surpasses many competitors when it comes to the number of countries they are found in. You can also select specific servers.

The Mac client is quite impressive at first glance, with a user-friendly layout and a quick tour to get you up to speed. You can manage connections directly from the menu bar if you prefer.

To manage connection parameters, you can create profiles for standard use, Secure Core, P2P or Tor. These handle advanced protocol and encryption settings automatically, but it would have been nice if users had the option to customize them manually as well.

As expected, the app comes with a kill switch to prevent your real IP address from being revealed, and you can monitor the current server's load and current transfer speeds from the main UI.

ProtonVPN was a good option before making their apps open-source, but now the service is even more worthy of consideration. Since trust is an inherent necessity when using a VPN, it's much easier to have faith in a company that lets you see exactly how their apps work at the most basic level.

The service's pricing is quite competitive as well, with multiple plans that give you access to limited or more advanced features. The lower tiers don't support a lot of devices, however, which could be an issue for some. Speaking of devices, clients are also available for Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.

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ProtonVPN 4.1.9

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  runs on:
macOS 11.0 or later (Universal Binary)
  file size:
91.2 MB
  filename:
ProtonVPN.dmg
  8 screenshots:
ProtonVPN - You can view all available VPN locations on a map in the main windowProtonVPN - You can create multiple profiles and activate them with a single clickProtonVPN - You can hide the map and just view the location and server listProtonVPN - screenshot #4ProtonVPN - screenshot #5ProtonVPN - screenshot #6ProtonVPN - screenshot #7ProtonVPN - screenshot #8
  main category:
Internet Utilities
  developer:
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