Proton is one of the shining stars of privacy software. While I’ve used several good VPNs (and tons of bad, sketchy ones) and password managers, there’s no other reputable, privacy-first service that offers as comprehensive a suite of apps as Proton.

Each year since 2018, Proton has raffled off 10 exclusive Proton Lifetime Accounts, which include every Proton service for life, with the highest storage levels available. You can’t get one of these through normal sales channels. You can only win it. Needless to say, people jumped at the chance. Proton released word that 2025’s raffle raised $1.27 million for digital rights groups.

the lifetime account

One raffle ticket costs $10, a small price to pay when a Proton Unlimited subscription costs $10 per month on an annual plan. For the cost of one ticket, you could have that forever. Lifetime Accounts are even transferable, and Proton says past winners have sold theirs for as much as $15,000. People were free to buy as many raffle tickets as they liked in order to increase their chances of winning.

The 2025 contest closed on November 24, 2025, but Proton only announced the winners on January 9, 2026.

From testing out its VPN to its secure mail app, password manager, and cloud storage, I’ve been repeatedly impressed with Proton. You can read for yourself why it goes the extra mile toward transparency.

Proton invites users each year to nominate organizations that’ll receive the proceeds from the raffle. The organizations have to work to advance digital rights, but other than that, it’s up to the people.

For the full list of 10 organizations that’ll receive a cut of the contest’s $1.27 million, plus the $200,000 extra that the Proton Foundation chipped in, check out the list.