Vivaldi bundles Proton VPN into its web browser

Vivaldi and Proton have teamed up to make it easier for Vivaldi browser users to privately explore the web without downloading a virtual private network (VPN). Starting today, the free version of Proton VPN is now integrated directly into Vivaldi’s browser, and can be accessed by logging into a Vivaldi account.

The feature is currently only available on the desktop version of the Vivaldi browser. The free version of Proton VPN allows users to connect to servers in five randomly selected countries and provides “medium VPN speed.” Vivaldi browser users can also upgrade to a paid version of Proton VPN starting from $10 per month, which provides faster VPN speeds, the ability to choose which servers to connect to across more than 110 countries, and other additional features.

It isn’t unique for web browsers to have VPN features baked in — Microsoft bolstered its Edge browser with the Edge Secure Network VPN, for example. Proton VPN can also be readily embedded into other web browsers like Chrome and Firefox via downloadable browser extensions. That hurdle, however small, is removed for Vivaldi browsers users, which may make the VPN more accessible to a wider audience.

Vivaldi also said its partnership with Proton was founded in shared “values,” citing that both European companies are “proudly outside the orbit of Silicon Valley’s extractive playbook or China’s state-driven oversight.”

“As governments and users alike reassess their relationship with tech, especially in light of escalating geopolitical tensions, there has been a huge increase in demand for independent, non-aligned, and values-driven solutions,” said Vivaldi CEO Jon Von Tetzchner. “Europe needs European alternatives. In fact, everybody deserves European alternatives. And with Vivaldi and Proton, you’re getting exactly that.”

While Tetzchner says that both Vivaldi and Proton are “politically neutral,” the statement feels like an obvious nod to the fractures appearing between the US and Europe’s relationship since President Donald Trump took office and surrounded himself with leaders of market-dominating Tech Giants. Bundling Vivaldi with privacy-focused freebies could be a viable lure to attract new customers who are already looking to switch to a non-US browser.