this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2024
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Proton

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Empowering you to choose a better internet where privacy is the default. Protect yourself online with Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive. Proton Pass and SimpleLogin.

Proton Mail is the world's largest secure email provider. Swiss, end-to-end encrypted, private, and free.

Proton VPN is the world’s only open-source, publicly audited, unlimited and free VPN. Swiss-based, no-ads, and no-logs.

Proton Calendar is the world's first end-to-end encrypted calendar that allows you to keep your life private.

Proton Drive is a free end-to-end encrypted cloud storage that allows you to securely backup and share your files. It's open source, publicly audited, and Swiss-based.

Proton Pass Proton Pass is a free and open-source password manager which brings a higher level of security with rigorous end-to-end encryption of all data (including usernames, URLs, notes, and more) and email alias support.

SimpleLogin lets you send and receive emails anonymously via easily-generated unique email aliases.

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from the team:


Hi everyone,

As you may know, Proton VPN has repeatedly proven effective anti-censorship tools, allowing people to find trustworthy news sources and access obstructed content.

To make Proton VPN’s anti-censorship features even more accessible, we made it possible to log in to the Android app without creating an account. Now you can log in and use the Proton VPN Android app for free without entering any credentials (i.e. you can “continue as guest”):

Together with the constant expansion of our infrastructure (over 6000 servers in close to 100 countries), we believe that this will help our privacy-first VPN service reach those who need it the most more efficiently than ever.

Thank you for your support,

The Proton Team

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[–] [email protected] 82 points 2 months ago (3 children)

proton's having a full on glowup

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 months ago (15 children)
[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Why wouldn't out be? Proton has always had a free tier, this just makes it easier for free users to connect to a vpn

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Proton's free plan is supported by people with paid plans

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Yes, but the root of the question is whether this is sustainable, or will it get shittified, when "too many" people jumps on the free tier.

Will it get more expensive for the paid tier?
Are they going to get rid of the free tier?
???

[–] [email protected] 34 points 2 months ago

The free tier servers are finite resources and usually much more busy/ slow. Proton isn't guaranteeing fast speeds or availability, and all of their free offerings have always been done in a sustainable way.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

They're transitioning to a non-profit organization now. While non-profits have their own problems, and it doesn't make them exempt from enshittifying, it removes the profit incentive to do so.

In other words: I'd give them a little more credibility when it comes to this sort of thing until they give us a reason not to. I'm hopeful that they can be a positive force in the industries that they are in.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Proton has offered free plans for all its products for the last 10 years.

If it wasn't sustainable, I think we'd have noticed by now.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Well, userbases tend to grow.

If it wasn't sustainable, I think we'd have noticed by now.

Exactly the opposite.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 months ago

Huge fan of Proton and their services. I use the VPN and two Proton email accounts. Very helpful, easy to use, and the free versions aren't horrible garbage.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 months ago
[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago (2 children)

How so? Like Mullvad does it?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

How do you use Mullvad without an account?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You use an account but it’s virtually anonymous. You can buy a sort of prepaid card that you activate. You never have to give personal information.

That’s different than what Proton is doing which is to connect you to their free tier without any authentication.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (4 children)

You basically get a prepaid number that you can use as an identifier for the clients and what you pay for to charge time onto it. Said number is valid for I think 5 devices and can be charged through various ways - you can even send them cash via mail.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

This is just "install and use for free without any login of code". Basically free tier without user.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Duh? It's anonymous.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

It seems to be an alternative to the sign in option, so it doesn't seem like it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago
[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

LET'S GOOOOOOOO

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

That's awesome!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

I really love all of the proton products...

Except their VPN. I'm sorry, but their servers trip CAPTCHAs and cloud flare warnings more than 95% of the time for me no matter where I connect from. I really wish it wasn't like that because it makes the Internet fucking awful to use

Mullvad will just keep getting my 5/month on top of my proton sub, I guess...

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Does Proton VPN not work in China? I’m trying to use it for the first time on iPhone, both directly and via my already-known-good VPN (Mullvad) but I can’t get the first connection to make an account started either way.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

You need to go to settings and under protocol select stealth. The other connection types are blocked in China.

Mullvad doesn't work here at all.

The most widespread one is Astrill, though it's quite pricey. Used to be the only one that works consistently; but Proton is a decent alternative.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Is proton vpn working in china? Im travelling there soon.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Tldr, probably not. Proton has an article saying no, but that article is older than their new Stealth protocol which was built to work better in anti-vpn environments.

I would also read this article which has some information you may find useful.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

You guys rock - keep it up and I'll keep supporting

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