How to Cancel Proton VPN and Get a Refund (2026 Step-by-Step)

Cancelling Proton VPN is quick. Getting your money back is a separate step, and that’s the part most people miss. Below is the exact process for each way you might have paid, what Proton’s 30-day guarantee covers, and what happens to your account afterwards.

Before you start: cancel and refund are two different things

When you cancel, Proton stops your subscription from renewing. You keep VPN Plus until the end of the period you already paid for, then your account drops to Proton Free.

A refund is a request you make on top of that. As Tom’s Guide points out, cancelling doesn’t automatically send money back. You need to contact support (or Apple, if you paid through the App Store) and ask.

So the order is: check you’re inside the 30-day window, cancel, then request the refund the same day.

Proton VPN’s refund policy in plain English

Proton VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, the same window listed in our comparison database. Here’s what Proton’s cancellation guide and Tom’s Guide’s walkthrough say about it:

• If you subscribed in the last 30 days, you can request a refund.
• It applies to monthly, 1-year and 2-year plans alike.
• Payments by card, PayPal and Bitcoin can be refunded. Bank transfers and cash cannot.
• After 30 days, there’s no refund for VPN Plus. You can still cancel to stop the next renewal.

That last point matters if you’re on a 2-year plan ($71.76 in our database). Miss the window and you’re paying for the full term, so set a reminder if you’re still testing.

How to cancel Proton VPN on the website

This is the method for anyone who bought directly from Proton, which is most people.

1. Go to account.protonvpn.com and sign in.
2. Open Subscription in the left sidebar.
3. Select Continue, then Cancel subscription.
4. Confirm by selecting Cancel subscription again.
5. Choose a reason from the list and submit it.

Don’t skip step 5. Proton’s help page warns: “Your cancellation will not be finalized until you have done this.” If you close the tab at the confirmation screen, your plan can still renew.

How to cancel Proton VPN on iPhone or iPad

If you subscribed through the App Store, Apple handles billing, so you cancel in Apple’s settings, not in the Proton app.

1. Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Tap Subscriptions.
3. Select Proton VPN and tap Cancel Subscription.
4. Confirm.

You’ll see the date your access ends on the same screen.

How to cancel Proton VPN on Android (Google Play)

1. Open the Google Play Store app.
2. Tap your profile picture, then Payments & subscriptions and Subscriptions.
3. Select Proton VPN.
4. Tap Cancel subscription and follow the prompts.

How to request your refund

If you paid on Proton’s website

Contact Proton support through the support form on its website, from the account you subscribed with. Tom’s Guide notes that support may ask for your email, plan, payment method and reason for cancelling. Have those ready and the request goes faster.

If you paid through the App Store

Proton can’t refund App Store purchases. Cancel first, then go to reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with your Apple Account, find the Proton VPN charge and choose “Request a refund”. Apple decides, not Proton.

If you paid through Google Play

Here Proton’s support team can handle the refund, according to Tom’s Guide. Proton’s own page also suggests trying the cancel-and-refund option inside Google Play.

How long does a Proton VPN refund take?

Proton gives these typical timelines once a refund is approved:

If nothing has arrived after the longest of those windows, reply to your support ticket with the date of your request.

What happens to your account after you cancel?

Cancelling doesn’t delete anything. Your Proton account stays, and you move to Proton Free when the paid period ends. That includes the free VPN plan: unlimited data, one device, no ads, but no server choice and no streaming support. If you also use Proton Mail or Drive, those carry on under their own free limits.

If you want the account gone completely, deletion is a separate process in your account settings. Think twice if you use the same login for email.

Common problems when cancelling

“I can’t find the Subscription tab.” Make sure you’re signed in at account.protonvpn.com, not just inside the desktop app. Billing is managed on the web dashboard.

“I cancelled but I was still charged.” Check two things. First, that you submitted the cancellation reason, which finalises the cancel. Second, where the charge came from: an App Store or Google Play subscription keeps running even if you cancel on Proton’s website, because Apple and Google bill you, not Proton.

“I bought a bundle, not just the VPN.” If you pay for a Proton plan that covers Mail, Drive and Pass as well, cancelling ends all of them. Tom’s Guide notes that, outside VPN Plus, Proton may offer a prorated refund for unused time after 30 days, paid as Proton credits rather than cash. Ask support which applies to your plan before you cancel.

“Support hasn’t replied.” Proton’s support is email-based, and our data scores it 3/5, with an average response time of one to two days. Send one clear request with your payment details rather than several short ones.

Should you cancel at all?

People usually cancel Proton VPN for one of three reasons. Two of them have fixes worth trying first.

“It’s slow.” Proton scores 5/5 on speed in our testing, so a slow connection is usually a server or protocol issue. Try a closer server and switch protocol to WireGuard in the app settings.

“It doesn’t work with my streaming service.” Fair. Proton is rated Very Good on Netflix in our tests but only Variable on BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hulu and Peacock. That’s the main reason it scores 4/5 on streaming rather than 5/5. If streaming is your priority, a switch may be the right call.

“I just don’t need it anymore.” Then cancel, and keep the free plan in your back pocket for public Wi-Fi.

If you’re switching, what to pick instead

If streaming was the problem, NordVPN is the obvious move. It scores 4.63/5 overall and 5/5 on streaming in our database, with Excellent results on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and HBO Max. The 1-year plan is $68.85 (about $5.74 a month), and you get a 60-day money-back guarantee, twice Proton’s window. Try NordVPN risk-free for 60 days.

If price was the problem, Proton is already one of the cheapest good VPNs at $47.88 a year (about $3.99 a month). Moving from the monthly plan ($9.99) to the yearly one is often the better fix.

For a full overview of who offers what, see our money-back guarantee comparison or the full table:

Want to compare all VPNs side by side? Check our full VPN comparison table with scores across 18 criteria.

We have the same walkthrough for other providers too, including how to cancel NordVPN. And if you’re weighing up whether to stay with Proton, our Proton VPN review covers its strengths and weak spots.

Quick checklist

• Check your purchase date is less than 30 days ago.
• Cancel through the same channel you paid with (website, App Store or Google Play).
• Submit the cancellation reason, or the cancel isn’t final.
• Request the refund: Proton support for web and Google Play, Apple for App Store.
• Keep the confirmation email until the money lands.