AirVPN vs Proton VPN

Comparing: two VPNs
Decided by: Independent no-logs audits
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26

AirVPNTakes bitcoin

Activist-run since 2010, taking bitcoin straight to its own wallet, with a three-day plan for two euros and no audit to its name.

Proton VPNTakes bitcoin

Five straight annual no-logs audits published in full, plus the only free tier here that a privacy-minded reader can honestly be pointed at.

Verdict: Proton VPN

Proton VPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 5 against 0 for AirVPN. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides.

Criterion: Independent no-logs audits
AirVPN: 0
Proton VPN: 5

AirVPN and Proton VPN, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

AirVPN and Proton VPN compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	AirVPN	Proton VPN
Independent audits	None	5, latest 2026 (favoured on this row)
Real-world tests	0	0
Incidents on record	0	0
Market exits	0	0
Owner	AirVPN di Paolo Brini	Proton AG
Jurisdiction	Italy	Switzerland
Eyes alliance	Fourteen Eyes	Outside
Price	EUR 2 for 3 days, EUR 99/3yr	Free tier, or paid VPN Plus
Money-back	30 days	30 days
Crypto accepted	bitcoin, monero	bitcoin
Anonymous signup	Yes	No
Free tier	None	Unlimited bandwidth, one device, servers in 10 countries, no ads
Servers	Vendor runs a modest network of owned and rented servers across roughly twenty countries	Vendor states thousands of servers, with paid plans reaching over 140 countries and the free tier limited to ten
Last reviewed	2026-08-26	2026-08-26

No-logs evidence, side by side

Dated audits and real-world tests from each review. An empty column is a finding: the claim has not been independently checked.

AirVPN

No independent audit or real-world test on record.

Proton VPN

2026Audit by Securitum: fifth consecutive annual no-logs audit of the production server infrastructure, report published in full
2025Audit by Securitum: annual on-site no-logs audit of the server infrastructure
2024Audit by Securitum: annual on-site no-logs audit of the server infrastructure
2023Audit by Securitum: annual on-site no-logs audit of the server infrastructure
2022Audit by Securitum: first annual no-logs audit, conducted on site

Frequently asked questions

Is AirVPN or Proton VPN better for privacy?

Proton VPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 5 against 0 for AirVPN. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides. Audits, court and seizure records and incidents are dated on each review with their sources.

Can I pay AirVPN or Proton VPN with bitcoin?

AirVPN takes bitcoin and monero (processor: In-house). Proton VPN takes bitcoin (processor: In-house). Each review quotes the vendor's own refund sentence for crypto purchases verbatim.

Which is cheaper, AirVPN or Proton VPN?

AirVPN: EUR 2 for 3 days, EUR 99/3yr. Proton VPN: Free tier, or paid VPN Plus. Money-back: AirVPN 30 days, Proton VPN 30 days. Prices are from each vendor's own page as of the review date.

Where are AirVPN and Proton VPN based?

AirVPN: Italy (fourteen eyes member). Proton VPN: Switzerland (outside the five, nine and fourteen eyes alliances). A jurisdiction matters less than a court record showing what the provider could hand over; the reviews carry those where they exist.

The full reviews: AirVPN and Proton VPN, each with its sources, and every VPN we review.

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