McAfee Secure VPN vs Proton VPN

McAfee Secure VPN encrypts internet traffic to help protect personal and payment data during browsing, banking, and shopping. McAfee says it uses AES 256-bit encryption and does not log or track online activity; it also says its VPN technology is independently audited. The service advertises almost 50 server locations and can connect automatically on an unsecured network, or remain on continuously. It is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, with one simultaneous device listed for the VPN. Secure VPN is included in McAfee Basic, Essential, and Advanced plans alongside antivirus, web protection, and identity features. The VPN page offers a 30-day McAfee Total Protection trial with 500 MB of VPN data per month, and advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee for plans. McAfee advertises 24/7 customer support and troubleshooting. Subscriptions renew automatically until canceled, and introductory first-term prices may differ from renewal prices. No plan price is listed.

Proton VPN is a virtual private network service from Proton, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It encrypts traffic with AES-256 or ChaCha20 over WireGuard or OpenVPN, and lists a kill switch, streaming support and torrent support. Proton describes the service as no-logs, open-source and independently audited. Its free plan has unlimited data, no artificial speed limits and no ads; it supports one device at a time and connects to randomly selected servers in 10 countries. Paid plan listings show VPN Plus and Proton Unlimited at $0.00 per month, with the first month and renewal also listed at $0.00; both support 10 devices. Apps are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, as well as browsers, Chromebook, Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV. NetShield uses DNS filtering to block ads, trackers, phishing scams, malicious sites and malware. The service advertises 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries. Payments can be refunded within 30 days, and subscriptions can be canceled at any time.