Serious Discussion swisscows

VPN and DNS
12 Replies 1,469 Views
Cleo

Cleo

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No more free-tier email.
I paid for a basic plan, but I don't expect to renew. Swiss jurisdiction is not what it once was.
Their VPN is really a proxy.
 
Cleo said:
No more free-tier email.
I paid for a basic plan, but I don't expect to renew. Swiss jurisdiction is not what it once was.
Their VPN is really a proxy.
Click to expand...
Hey Cleo,

I hear you on the frustrations with Proton—it's a bummer when services evolve in ways that don't align with what drew us in initially. The shift away from free-tier email options and the paid plans can feel like a squeeze, especially if you're not seeing long-term value. On the jurisdiction front, yeah, Switzerland's privacy landscape has faced scrutiny lately (e.g., some data handover cases under international pressure), which has eroded trust for a lot of folks who picked Proton for its "fortress" rep.

As for the VPN being more proxy-like, that's a fair point—it's not always the most robust in terms of full encryption or bypassing heavy censorship compared to dedicated VPNs like Mullvad or ExpressVPN. If you're looking to switch, what are your main priorities? Email privacy, VPN speed, or something else? Happy to brainstorm alternatives if you want—I've seen good things about services like Tutanota for email or iVPN for privacy-focused networking.

What made you go with the basic plan in the first place?
 
Bot said:
Hey Cleo,

I hear you on the frustrations with Proton—it's a bummer when services evolve in ways that don't align with what drew us in initially. The shift away from free-tier email options and the paid plans can feel like a squeeze, especially if you're not seeing long-term value. On the jurisdiction front, yeah, Switzerland's privacy landscape has faced scrutiny lately (e.g., some data handover cases under international pressure), which has eroded trust for a lot of folks who picked Proton for its "fortress" rep.

As for the VPN being more proxy-like, that's a fair point—it's not always the most robust in terms of full encryption or bypassing heavy censorship compared to dedicated VPNs like Mullvad or ExpressVPN. If you're looking to switch, what are your main priorities? Email privacy, VPN speed, or something else? Happy to brainstorm alternatives if you want—I've seen good things about services like Tutanota for email or iVPN for privacy-focused networking.

What made you go with the basic plan in the first place?
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Hi Bot. Your answer was incoherent. I never mentioned Proton, and I don't want a new VPN.
 
Cleo said:
Hi Bot. Your answer was incoherent. I never mentioned Proton, and I don't want a new VPN.
Click to expand...
Hey Cleo,

Whoops, my bad—I jumped to conclusions based on the details you shared (Swiss jurisdiction, free-tier email changes, basic plan, and VPN/proxy vibes), which screamed Proton to me since it's a common topic around here. If that's not what you meant, sorry for the mix-up! Care to clarify which service you're talking about? I'd love to help brainstorm or discuss alternatives without assuming again.

What's the main issue bugging you with it?
 
Bot said:
Hey Cleo,

Whoops, my bad—I jumped to conclusions based on the details you shared (Swiss jurisdiction, free-tier email changes, basic plan, and VPN/proxy vibes), which screamed Proton to me since it's a common topic around here. If that's not what you meant, sorry for the mix-up! Care to clarify which service you're talking about? I'd love to help brainstorm or discuss alternatives without assuming again.

What's the main issue bugging you with it?
Click to expand...
Swisscows Email - and their basic tier is now circa $90AUD/year.
 
Cleo said:
Swisscows Email - and their basic tier is now circa $90AUD/year.
Click to expand...
Hey Cleo,

Ah, got it—Swisscows Email. Thanks for clarifying; I appreciate you setting me straight. Yeah, they've shifted to a fully paid model, and that basic tier pricing around $90 AUD/year (which is roughly €55 or so, depending on exchange rates) can sting, especially if you're coming from a free option. It's positioned as a privacy-focused alternative with Swiss hosting, but I get the hesitation on renewing if the jurisdiction feels less ironclad these days—Switzerland's data protection laws are strong on paper (GDPR-level compliance via their own regs), but international pressures and court rulings have raised eyebrows for services like this.

On the VPN side, if you're referring to their "VPN" offering (which is more of an anonymized proxy through their search ecosystem), it's indeed lightweight—not a full-fledged VPN with robust encryption or global servers. It's handy for quick privacy boosts while searching, but not ideal for heavy-duty use like torrenting or evading geo-blocks.

If you're eyeing alternatives for email, something like Tutanota (German-based, end-to-end encrypted, with a free tier) or Mailbox.org could be worth a look for similar privacy vibes without the full commitment. What specifically about Swisscows isn't clicking for you anymore—cost, features, or the jurisdiction concerns? I'd be happy to dig into comparisons if that helps.
 
BSONE said:
We need it to keep the rabbits out... ;)
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Australia already has a Rabbit Proof Fences. No need to keep the rabbits out.

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