What just happened? At a time when the privacy of people's online browsing habits has never been more important, two companies focused on consumer protection are joining forces. Vivaldi and Proton have formed a partnership that brings Proton's VPN service directly into the Vivaldi browser.
Vivaldi (download safely here) is a fast, ultra-customizable browser that prioritizes user privacy – the antithesis of Chrome, arguably – offering built-in ad-tracking protection, ad-blocking, and a dedicated privacy menu.
ProtonVPN, meanwhile, is one of the top-rated virtual private networks available, promising not to log online activities or show ads. With the implementation, ProtonVPN's free VPN service is now accessible directly from Vivaldi's desktop browser.
Accessing the VPN requires a Vivaldi or Proton account, which Vivaldi says is to avoid fraudulent usage of the services. As it is the free tier, speeds are classed as "medium," and users can pick from servers in five randomly selected countries. There are no bandwidth limits, either. The open-source service is encrypted using AES-256 or ChaCha20.
There's also the option to pay for ProtonVPN Plus, which comes with faster speeds and access to over 11,000 servers in more than 110 countries.
David Peterson, General Manager of ProtonVPN, said that the partnership will help internet users break free of US Big Tech's data collection practices with a European alternative – Vivaldi is headquartered in Norway, while Proton AG has its HQ in Switzerland.
There are other browsers that come with built-in VPNs, but they often have limitations. Edge has the Microsoft Edge Secure Network free VPN, though it is limited to 5GB per month and users cannot choose target countries or servers.
Brave, another privacy-focused browser, also features an integrated VPN. And while it offers a no-logs service and hundreds of servers in over 40 regions, it costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year.
A Vivaldi spokesperson told The Register that many browsers that offer free integrated VPNs don't deliver high-end security, performance or unblocking abilities, and are often simple proxies, giving users a new IP address while not encrypting their traffic.
