Your VPN and password manager are among the most sensitive tools you use online. They see your browsing habits, your credentials, your entire digital life. So why trust them to companies based in countries with broad surveillance laws?
The Problem with US-Based VPNs
NordVPN is registered in Panama, ExpressVPN was acquired by Kape Technologies (UK/Israel), and many "no-log" claims have been tested — sometimes unsuccessfully — in court. The US CLOUD Act means any company with US operations can be compelled to hand over data.
European VPNs with Real Privacy Guarantees
Mullvad says its flat €5 monthly rate includes VAT; cryptocurrency payments get 10% off. The Swedish provider doesn't ask for an email address — you get a random account number. You can pay with cash or Monero. Their infrastructure has been audited multiple times, and they've proven their no-logs policy in practice when Swedish police seized their servers and found nothing.
According to its website, Proton VPN is Swiss-based, with Proton AG listed at an address in Geneva, Switzerland. It's fully open-source, has a free tier that doesn't throttle speeds, and includes a kill switch and DNS leak protection.
AzireVPN, a smaller VPN provider, says it was launched in Sweden in 2012 and supports the WireGuard protocol.
European Password Managers
Passbolt is built for teams and enterprises. The Luxembourg-based company offers a fully open-source, self-hostable solution where your vault never leaves your infrastructure. Ideal for companies that need team password sharing with audit logs.
Proton Pass extends Proton's zero-knowledge philosophy to passwords. Proton says its end-to-end and zero-access encryption stop even Proton from accessing your data without your permission. It also generates email aliases to reduce spam and exposure.
Conclusion
Both are audited, open-source, and operated by companies whose entire business model depends on protecting your data — not monetizing it.
