How to cancel a Proton VPN subscription and move to Proton Free

Where you cancel depends on where you paid. A website purchase made with a card, PayPal or credits ends inside the Proton account dashboard in a browser: sign in, open the subscription section, launch the cancel flow, confirm twice, pick a reason and submit the form, and if that route fails, Proton support can switch the renewal off for you. Plans billed through Apple or the Play Store stop only in that store's settings. Nothing gets cut off early: the paid tier runs until the current cycle closes, then the account drops to Proton Free and no further charge is taken.

Find the receipt before you look for the button

The billing channel decides where the off switch lives. A charge from Proton itself points to the dashboard; an Apple or Google charge points to the store. If you funded the plan with credits (the route for cash, bank transfer or Bitcoin), note the fine print: per Proton's terms of service, renewals of credit-funded plans are deducted from the credit balance, so cancelling still matters even without a card on file.

Cancelling VPN Plus or Unlimited in the Proton dashboard

1. Sign in to the Proton VPN account dashboard from any browser.
2. Choose Subscription in the sidebar and scroll to Cancel subscription, then click Continue.
3. Read the terms, select Cancel subscription again and approve it.
4. Pick a reason and press Submit.

The flow is not final until Submit is pressed, so do not close the page after the second confirmation; an unfinished form leaves the plan renewing as if nothing happened. If you reverse the decision later, Reactivate now in the same dashboard restarts the plan. Proton's cancellation guide shows every screen.

Getting support to do it

Paid plans come with priority live chat, plus a support form. An agent can stop the renewal for you. Proton does not advertise round-the-clock chat, so leave a margin before the next charge date.

Store purchases: Apple and Google

For an iPhone or iPad purchase, open the device Settings, tap your Apple Account at the top, open the subscriptions list, pick Proton VPN, tap Cancel Subscription and confirm after reading the terms; the Renew option there brings the plan back. On Android, launch the Play Store, open your profile picture, head to the subscriptions list, pick Proton VPN and follow the prompts. The Play Store website covers the case without a phone in hand. Deleting the app changes nothing: billing sits with the store account, not on the device.

Auto-renewal is switched on from day one

Every paid plan renews automatically unless stopped, and Proton publishes no reminder before the charge, so the date is yours to track. The intro pricing makes this painful: VPN Plus on the two-year deal costs $83.76 for the first 24 months ($3.49 a month), then renews at $83.88 every 12 months, which is $6.99 a month, twice the rate. Proton Unlimited runs $191.76 over 24 months ($7.99 a month) and renews at $119.88 per year ($9.99 a month). VPNRadarLab applies a renewal-price penalty for that x2.0 jump in its price-and-terms sub-index, which came to 5.3 out of 10. Cancelling does not shorten the days already bought; it only blocks the next charge. Put the date in a calendar or use the VPN renewal reminder tool.

Life on Proton Free after the last paid day

Free still carries unlimited data and no ads, but one device, a random country list and no streaming or torrent support are real limits. The Proton account survives the downgrade; wiping it entirely is a separate step.

Cancelling is not a refund

Stopping renewal returns nothing on its own. The money-back guarantee is a separate request that must be sent within 30 days of the initial purchase, direct purchases only, once per user; the rules are on the Proton VPN refund policy page.

Proton VPN cancellation FAQ

Does deleting the Proton VPN app stop the payments?

No. Billing sits in the dashboard or the store, not on the device.

Is there a free trial to cancel?

No trial exists. New users get Proton Free plus the money-back guarantee instead.

Will Proton Free ever charge me?

No. It is free, so there is nothing to renew.

Can I restart a cancelled plan?

Yes, through Reactivate now in the dashboard, or by renewing in the store you used.

Stopping Proton VPN billing, the short version

Website buyers cancel inside the Proton dashboard and must finish with Submit; Apple and Google buyers go through their store's subscription settings. Paid features last until the paid term closes, then the account turns into Proton Free and the charges stop. Track the renewal date yourself, cancel early if the renewal price puts you off, and file the refund separately within 30 days of the first payment.