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Proton VPN Free and Windscribe Free both officially support Ubuntu, and one independent Ubuntu 24.04 test recorded download speeds of 380 Mbps and 410 Mbps, respectively. Those are results from a single test setup, not speed guarantees. The same test did not measure client memory, and the available comparisons do not establish which free VPN uses less RAM on Ubuntu. If memory use is a deciding factor, there is not enough comparable evidence to name a winner.
Which free VPNs have official Ubuntu support?
Proton VPN and Windscribe are the two options in the available comparison with current official Linux support that includes Ubuntu. Their requirements and free-plan limits differ, so check the details for your Ubuntu release and device before installing.
| Service | Ubuntu support and package details | Free plan | Server choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN | Official Linux app supports Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora. The official page does not specify a minimum Ubuntu release or package architectures. | Free plan available; the page does not state a monthly data cap. | Automatically connects free users to a free server. Proton lists ten possible countries on the cited page; availability may change. |
| Windscribe | Supports Ubuntu 22.04 or newer; official Debian/Ubuntu packages are listed for AMD64 and ARM64/AARCH64. | 2 GB per month by default, or 10 GB per month after confirming an email address. | Free accounts can connect only to free locations. |
These plan details come from the providers’ support pages and can change. Check Proton VPN’s Linux support page and Windscribe’s Linux support article for current requirements and terms.
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In Gaurav Tiwari’s 2026 multi-distro test, Ubuntu 24.04 download results were 380 Mbps for Proton VPN Free and 410 Mbps for Windscribe Free. The test used fresh virtual machines, a MacBook Pro M5 Pro host with 24 GB of RAM, virtualization software, and a 1 Gbps fiber connection through the host. The measured server was in the Netherlands. See the reported results for Proton VPN Free and Windscribe Free.
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The 30 Mbps difference is a result from that setup, not proof that Windscribe will be faster for every Ubuntu user. Server load, route, protocol, client release, virtualization, and your baseline internet connection can all affect speed. The test is a useful comparison under stated conditions, not a population-wide estimate or a promise of what you will see at home.
Do not compare these numbers directly with Proton VPN speed figures from tests on other operating systems. For example, Tom’s Guide reports a separate result using Windows, 10 Gbps Ethernet, five tests averaged by median, and US and UK servers. That methodology does not provide an apples-to-apples Ubuntu comparison; see its Proton VPN Free review for the conditions.
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What do we know about Ubuntu VPN memory use?
No comparable Ubuntu RAM results are established for Proton VPN Free and Windscribe Free. The cited Ubuntu speed test did not report client RAM, and the Linux-focused comparison does not provide a like-for-like memory benchmark. That means there is no evidence-based RAM ranking between these two clients.
Comparitech publishes VPN system-impact measurements using 1 Hz monitoring and a score that weights marginal CPU per Mbps and RAM. Its ongoing figures provide broad context, but they do not establish a controlled comparison of free Linux builds on Ubuntu under the same workload. See Comparitech’s VPN system-impact page with that limitation in mind. Anecdotal reports about memory use on particular machines likewise cannot establish typical or comparative Ubuntu usage.
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A valid comparison would need both clients tested on the same Ubuntu release and hardware, with the client and daemon processes identified. It should record RSS or PSS after a fixed warm-up at idle and during the same sustained transfer, repeat the runs, and report medians and variability alongside protocol and client versions. App memory should be distinguished from total system memory. Without those controls, a RAM figure from another operating system or an individual machine should not be treated as an Ubuntu result.
Which app workflow should Ubuntu users expect?
Proton VPN
Proton provides an official Linux app and says it includes a kill switch and DNS leak protection. Its official page also says the current Linux v4 app does not yet support a command-line tool. As app capabilities can vary by release, consult the current Proton Linux documentation rather than relying on older CLI instructions.
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- I/O Ports: 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C 3.1, Headphone/Mic Combo Port, 4-in-1 Card Reader, HDMI, Kensington Mini-Lock Slot
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Windscribe
Windscribe’s official Linux help covers its desktop app. The independent Ubuntu test reports terminal use for its own setup, while Top10VPN’s 2026 Linux review found that Proton VPN and Windscribe were the only tested free options with dedicated GUI apps; that reviewer also reported usability issues with Windscribe in its testing. These are findings from separate reviews, not a guarantee of how every current installation will behave. Check Windscribe’s support instructions for the workflow supported by your release.
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Why protocol benchmarks do not settle the product comparison
An academic study tested open-source VPN protocols in environments including Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu 24.04. It concluded that “WireGuard still outperforms OpenVPN in terms of performance on all environments tested,” while also reporting that OpenVPN Data Channel Offload can rival WireGuard in some tested conditions. The findings concern protocol implementations, not Proton VPN Free versus Windscribe Free. They help explain why protocol and implementation can affect performance, but they cannot substitute for testing both commercial clients under matching Ubuntu conditions. See Performance of Open Source Virtual Private Networks.
Quick Recap
How to choose between them
- Choose by distribution and hardware first: Windscribe explicitly lists Ubuntu 22.04 or newer and AMD64 and ARM64/AARCH64 packages. Proton officially supports Ubuntu, but the cited page does not specify a minimum release or architectures.
- Consider your data needs: Windscribe’s free allowance is 2 GB monthly by default or 10 GB after email confirmation. Proton’s cited page describes automatic free-server connection but does not state a monthly cap.
- Decide how much server choice matters: Proton automatically selects a free server; Windscribe limits free accounts to free locations.
- Do not choose based on RAM rankings: there is no reliable, comparable Ubuntu client-memory result in the available evidence.
- Use speed figures as context, not forecasts: the 380 Mbps and 410 Mbps results came from one Ubuntu 24.04 virtualized test using a Netherlands server and a 1 Gbps host connection.
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