Proton VPN

Swiss privacy-first VPN with open-source apps and NetShield ad blocking

Darktrace

AI cybersecurity platform for autonomous threat detection and response across enterprise environments

Proton VPN

Excellent

22/25

Darktrace

Excellent

25/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionProton VPNDarktrace

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Proton VPN: Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.

Darktrace: Fully on-premise deployment available; AI learns locally within customer's own environment

5/5

Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.

5/5

Fully on-premise deployment available; AI learns locally within customer's own environment

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Proton VPN: Swiss jurisdiction under the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Swiss courts have a strong track record of protecting user privacy from foreign data requests. Publishes annual Transparency Report.

Darktrace: UK-incorporated public company under English law; strong GDPR alignment; no CLOUD Act exposure

5/5

Swiss jurisdiction under the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Swiss courts have a strong track record of protecting user privacy from foreign data requests. Publishes annual Transparency Report.

5/5

UK-incorporated public company under English law; strong GDPR alignment; no CLOUD Act exposure

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Proton VPN: Strict no-logs policy: no IP addresses, connection timestamps, session duration, or traffic content retained. RAM-only servers in Secure Core configuration. Independently audited open-source client code.

Darktrace: Customer data stays within customer's environment; self-learning AI operates locally

5/5

Strict no-logs policy: no IP addresses, connection timestamps, session duration, or traffic content retained. RAM-only servers in Secure Core configuration. Independently audited open-source client code.

5/5

Customer data stays within customer's environment; self-learning AI operates locally

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Proton VPN: ISO 27001 certified. All client applications open source and independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II; however, open-source audit transparency partially compensates for formal certification gaps.

Darktrace: ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 42001, and Cyber Essentials certified

3/5

ISO 27001 certified. All client applications open source and independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II; however, open-source audit transparency partially compensates for formal certification gaps.

5/5

ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 42001, and Cyber Essentials certified

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Proton VPN: Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive organisations and journalists. Swiss jurisdiction makes it particularly suitable for legal, financial, and human rights organisations requiring protection from government data requests.

Darktrace: Excellent fit for regulated industries; on-premise option, UK jurisdiction, and Cyber Essentials make it ideal for UK financial and public sector

4/5

Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive organisations and journalists. Swiss jurisdiction makes it particularly suitable for legal, financial, and human rights organisations requiring protection from government data requests.

5/5

Excellent fit for regulated industries; on-premise option, UK jurisdiction, and Cyber Essentials make it ideal for UK financial and public sector

Total Score

22/25

25/25

Best For

Proton VPN

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; organisations requiring broad certification coverage (ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 42001); regulated industries (ICO, FCA); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment.

Darktrace

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment; teams on a tight budget.

Detailed Comparison

Darktrace vs Proton VPN: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Darktrace (Darktrace Holdings Limited, GB) scores 25/25 overall with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. AI cybersecurity platform for autonomous threat detection and response across enterprise environments. Proton VPN (Proton AG, CH) scores 22/25 with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. Swiss privacy-first VPN with open-source apps and NetShield ad blocking.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Both score equally at 5/5.

●Darktrace (5/5): Fully on-premise deployment available; AI learns locally within customer's own environment

●Proton VPN (5/5): Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Both score equally at 5/5.

●Darktrace (5/5): UK-incorporated public company under English law; strong GDPR alignment; no CLOUD Act exposure

●Proton VPN (5/5): Swiss jurisdiction under the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Swiss courts have a strong track record of protecting user privacy from foreign data requests. Publishes annual Transparency Report.

#### Data Retention & Training

Both score equally at 5/5.

●Darktrace (5/5): Customer data stays within customer's environment; self-learning AI operates locally

●Proton VPN (5/5): Strict no-logs policy: no IP addresses, connection timestamps, session duration, or traffic content retained. RAM-only servers in Secure Core configuration. Independently audited open-source client code.

#### Certifications

Darktrace leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●Darktrace (5/5): ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 42001, and Cyber Essentials certified

●Proton VPN (3/5): ISO 27001 certified. All client applications open source and independently audited. Lacks SOC 2 Type II; however, open-source audit transparency partially compensates for formal certification gaps.

#### Regulatory Fit

Darktrace leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●Darktrace (5/5): Excellent fit for regulated industries; on-premise option, UK jurisdiction, and Cyber Essentials make it ideal for UK financial and public sector

●Proton VPN (4/5): Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive organisations and journalists. Swiss jurisdiction makes it particularly suitable for legal, financial, and human rights organisations requiring protection from government data requests.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Darktrace	Proton VPN
Cyber Essentials	Yes	No
ISO 27001	Yes	Yes
ISO 27018	Yes	No
ISO 42001	Yes	No

Overall Verdict

Darktrace has a clear trust advantage, scoring 25/25 compared to Proton VPN's 22/25. Darktrace particularly excels in certifications, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Proton VPN or Darktrace?

Proton VPN has a TrustKit score of 22/25 while Darktrace scores 25/25. Darktrace currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Proton VPN and Darktrace compare on data residency?

Proton VPN scores 5/5 for data residency (Incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland, outside EU and Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. Proton-owned infrastructure in Switzerland and EU. Strongest possible jurisdictional privacy posture for a VPN provider.), while Darktrace scores 5/5 (Fully on-premise deployment available; AI learns locally within customer's own environment).

Are Proton VPN and Darktrace GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Proton VPN has a regulatory fit score of 4/5 and Darktrace scores 5/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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