Ok I need to get this out. Just blew a decent budget on an affiliate campaign for a 'top tier' VPN. The ROAS was a disaster. Felt like a sucker. So I decided to strip it all back and test the ProtonVPN free plan like a regular user would, no affiliate bias. Here's the raw numbers from my last test. I ran speed tests on their three free servers, US, NL, and JP. My baseline without VPN was 220 Mbps down. Connecting to the US server dropped it to 38 Mbps. The Netherlands gave me 52 Mbps. Japan was practically unusable for anything but basic browsing at 12 Mbps. For a free tier, the US and NL speeds are honestly not terrible for checking email or light social media. But forget HD streaming or any serious torrenting, the bandwidth caps and server load make it impossible. It all comes down to the human connection, right? Proton free is a solid sampler platter to test their network if you're privacy-curious. It proves their no-logs claim holds up for the core product. But as a daily driver for affiliate audiences who want streaming or P2P, its too limited. You're better off using it as a trust builder, then upselling to their paid plans where the real speeds are. My two cents, anyway. Gotta run to a call.
Just lost cash pushing a 'premium' VPN. Tested Proton free tier instead.
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Just lost cash pushing a 'premium' VPN. Tested Proton free tier instead.
LOL, I feel u but I gotta push back a bit. Free VPNs are like free samples at a buffet, they give u a taste but don't expect a full belly. If u wanna build trust with ur peeps, maybe show the limits upfront and then offer the paid upgrade as the real prize.
Monolith
New member
38 Mbps on a US server for a free VPN? That's pretty much par for the course. People forget that free providers gotta cram all their users into a handful of servers, which means speed creak city. It's not about the raw numbers, it's about what you expect from a freebie. If you're pushing trust and upgrades, showing that level of limitation upfront is smarter than pretending it's a premium experience.
Stalemate I get where you're coming from but comparing a free VPN to a paid one isn't apples to apples. My point was more about seeing if even a free tier can build trust for future upgrades or paid plans. Speed's just one piece of the puzzle here.
yeah I hear ya. 'Premium' VPNs are like the shiny new toys that often don't deliver. Proton's free tier is decent for testing the waters, but you gotta be careful not to get attached. I've seen guys blow a ton on these 'premium' services then realize they don't do much more than the free ones. In my experience, most of the time you're better off investing in good ad creatives and targeting instead of dropping cash on VPNs. And honestly, VPNs are kinda like pixel tweaks, they rarely make or break your CR unless you have a huge audience.
Whiplash
New member
Lol, proton free tier? That's like testing a Ferrari by pushing it off a cliff. U get what u pay for. If ur gonna play in the VPN game, might as well invest in the real stuff. Premium VPNs are cooked if u think they're a quick fix for legit profits. Ur just feeding the machine, not actually winning. Ur better off finding a way to bypass the filters rather than betting on some free tier miracle. Besides, most of these VPNs are just rent free on someone else's back.
Tap
New member
But here's a question how many of those 'premium' VPNs are actually worth the extra cash or are they just expensive promises? If Proton's free tier can do the job for testing, what makes the paid ones worth it besides the hype? Are they really solving the core problem or just filling the pocketbooks?
so you think just switching to a free tier magically makes the campaign profitable or less risky, huh? I mean, did you check if the user intent or CR changed when you switched? because if you just flipped the offer without looking at numbers or targeting, that's just noise. data or it didn't happen.
Variance
New member
LOL, yeah switching to free tier ain't gonna save ur sorry ass if ur tracking is cooked or ur targeting is trash. Bet u just wanted a quick fix, but that's not how this works. If ur ROAS was off before, a free VPN ain't gonna magically make it better, bruh. Ur campaign's dead in the water if u don't do proper analysis and stop throwing shill money around.
haha yeah i get it. been there done that. in my experience though, just switching offers or free tiers without digging into the data is like throwing spaghetti at the wall. imo if your tracking was off before, switching to free isn't gonna fix the core problem. and honestly, if ur ROAS was off, u gotta look at the targeting, the messaging, maybe ur landing page. pva or not, if the audience ain't right, no amount of free vpn is gonna save the campaign. i guess the real lesson here is, don't chase quick fixes, get your data clean and really understand what the numbers are telling u.
Rhythm
New member
yeah, exactly. people think flipping offers is some magic fix but if ur data's trash from the start, all ur doing is pissing in the wind. (been there, done that, still wasting cash sometimes)
Let me get this straight, you think testing a free tier is some kind of magic bullet? Nah, man. Free or premium, if your tracking is cooked or your targeting sucks, you're just spinning your wheels. Proton's free tier might save you a few bucks, but it won't fix a broken funnel or lazy data. Focus on the fundamentals first, then play with offers.
Yeah, I get it, switching offers or tiers feels like some quick fix but it's rarely that simple. Proton free tier might save you a few bucks but if your tracking is off from the start, all you're doing is wasting time and cash trying to chase ghosts. I've seen plenty of guys chase the shiny new offer while ignoring the fact that their front-end data is trash. Tracking is always the weak link, never trust the dashboard blindly. Promote with caution, especially when the data quality isn't solid. You can't buy your way out of bad fundamentals. Fix the root cause first or all you're doing is spinning wheels, regardless if it's free or premium. The key is making sure your attribution is clean, otherwise you just end up feeding your funnel with leaks. LTV, CAC, churn all start from tracking, not offer tier switches.
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