Proton VPN ranks third because it's one of the more thoughtfully engineered implementations of VPN port forwarding in 2026, but it's not a dedicated IP play. Port forwarding is available on all paid Proton VPN plans and requires connecting to a P2P server.
The server opens a random port for you, and that port typically changes when you reconnect. Proton even exposes the active forwarded port in a local file path on Linux, which tells you what kind of user they're building for: people who automate and monitor rather than click and hope.
Proton's other strengths are consistency and safety: the apps are mature, cross-platform, and well-tested. The company's NetShield feature is a legitimate VPN with ad blocking option for ads, trackers, and malware domains at the DNS level.
For multi-device households and travelers, Proton's Plus plan supports up to 10 devices at once and advertises speeds up to 10 Gbps on supported infrastructure. The downside is simple: if your requirement is a fixed, exclusive public IP for allowlisting, Proton is not the tool.
AirVPN is fourth not because it's weak, but because it's specialized. AirVPN is built for control and transparency, and it has long been one of the most reliable choices for a VPN with port forwarding—especially for power users who want to reserve ports and manage mappings in a web dashboard.
As of the current AirVPN policy for new accounts, you can forward up to 5 ports by default, and the company has historically allowed additional ports in some cases via support. AirVPN also states 5 simultaneous connections per account.
The trade-off is the learning curve: AirVPN will happily give you the knobs and dials, but it won't hold your hand while you secure the service behind the forwarded port. You're expected to know what you're doing.
For experienced users who want granular control over port reservations and don't mind doing the configuration work, AirVPN remains a sharp tool—just not the simplest one for beginners or casual users.
