Proton VPN Expands Free Plan With New Server Locations Proton VPN, a highly regarded VPN service, has just announced a significant expansion of its free plan. This move comes as a direct response to a major surge in global demand for free virtual private networks. The service is adding servers in Canada and Norway to its roster of no-cost locations. These new options join the existing free servers in the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Poland, Romania, and Singapore. This brings the total number of countries available on the free plan to eight. All of these servers are now live and visible within the Proton VPN application. It is important for potential users to understand a key limitation of the free tier. Unlike paid subscribers, free users cannot manually choose which country to connect to. The Proton VPN app is designed to automatically connect you to the fastest available free server at the moment you initiate a connection. This means you cannot reliably use the free service to access geo-restricted content from a specific country, such as Norwegian streaming libraries. Despite this, the expansion is excellent news for anyone using the free plan. A common issue with limited free VPN servers is overcrowding. When too many users are funneled through a small number of servers, internet speeds can slow down dramatically for everyone. By adding more server locations, Proton is effectively creating more lanes on the highway, reducing congestion and improving performance for all free users. Furthermore, the addition of servers in Canada and Norway is particularly beneficial for users in North America and Northern Europe. VPN connection speeds are heavily influenced by physical distance. The closer you are to the server, the faster and more reliable your connection tends to be. Users in these regions now have a higher chance of being automatically connected to a nearby server, resulting in a better overall experience. This development is part of a positive trend where reputable VPN providers are enhancing their free offerings. The growing global demand for accessible privacy and security tools is being met by established companies, which is a welcome change. When you need a free VPN, it is always safest to choose one from a provider that also offers a paid service. Free-only VPNs often have questionable privacy policies and may monetize user data, meaning you could become the product. Sticking with the free tier of a trusted, subscription-supported provider like Proton VPN is a much more secure choice for protecting your online activity.
