Software · head to head
Microsoft Defender vs ProtonVPN
M
Microsoft Defender
Software
Always-on protection for you and your family's data and devices
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only ProtonVPN has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Defender the overview page names Business, Business Premium and Enterprise tiers but publishes no per-seat figure on the page itself, routing every plan to a separate pricing page instead; ProtonVPN free plan limited to one device at a time
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Defender and ProtonVPN actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Defender | ProtonVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Founded | Unknown | 2014 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Microsoft Defender
Nothing recorded that ProtonVPN does not also cover.
Only in ProtonVPN
- No-logs policy
- Secure Core
- Kill Switch
- DNS leak protection
- Tor over VPN
- Split tunneling
- NetShield ad-blocker
- VPN Accelerator
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Defender
No use cases recorded yet. See the Microsoft Defender review.
ProtonVPN
- Privacy-focused browsing without subscription costnot Microsoft Defender
- Multi-device protection with Plus plan supporting 10 devicesnot Microsoft Defender
- Integrated access to Proton email and cloud services via Unlimited plannot Microsoft Defender
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Microsoft Defender
- The overview page names Business, Business Premium and Enterprise tiers but publishes no per-seat figure on the page itself, routing every plan to a separate pricing page instead
- Full family and business protection requires a Microsoft 365 Family, Personal or Premium subscription rather than being included with the free built-in Windows version
ProtonVPN
- Free plan limited to one device at a time
- Free plan restricted to 10 countries with random selection
- Pricing amounts not clearly published; shown as variable
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft Defender
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Defender review.
ProtonVPN
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the ProtonVPN review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Defender if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from ProtonVPN on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose ProtonVPN if
- You need no-logs policy.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- You also want secure core.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Defender or ProtonVPN better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Defender starts at On request and ProtonVPN at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Defender or ProtonVPN?
- ProtonVPN has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Microsoft Defender and Free for ProtonVPN.
- Does Microsoft Defender or ProtonVPN run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Defender runs on Web. ProtonVPN runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Can I use ProtonVPN for free?
- Yes. ProtonVPN has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Defender starts at On request.
- What can Microsoft Defender do that ProtonVPN cannot?
- ProtonVPN covers No-logs policy, Secure Core, Kill Switch, DNS leak protection.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Defender
Keep looking
Other head to heads
- Microsoft Defender vs 1Password
- Microsoft Defender vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Microsoft Defender vs Norton 360
- Microsoft Defender vs LastPass
- Microsoft Defender vs Bitwarden
- Microsoft Defender vs Kaspersky Total Security
- Microsoft Defender vs McAfee Total Protection
- Microsoft Defender vs Avast One
- Microsoft Defender vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Microsoft Defender vs CyberGhost VPN
- Microsoft Defender vs ESET NOD32 Antivirus
- Microsoft Defender vs ExpressVPN
- Microsoft Defender vs Malwarebytes
- Microsoft Defender vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Microsoft Defender vs NordVPN
- Microsoft Defender vs Snyk
- Microsoft Defender vs Trend Micro Vision One
- Microsoft Defender vs Acunetix
- ProtonVPN vs 1Password
- ProtonVPN vs Bitdefender Total Security
- ProtonVPN vs Norton 360
- ProtonVPN vs LastPass
- ProtonVPN vs Bitwarden
- ProtonVPN vs Kaspersky Total Security
- ProtonVPN vs McAfee Total Protection
- ProtonVPN vs Avast One
- ProtonVPN vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- ProtonVPN vs CyberGhost VPN
- ProtonVPN vs ESET NOD32 Antivirus
- ProtonVPN vs ExpressVPN
- ProtonVPN vs Malwarebytes
- ProtonVPN vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- ProtonVPN vs NordVPN
- ProtonVPN vs Snyk
- ProtonVPN vs Trend Micro Vision One
- ProtonVPN vs Acunetix