Look, I get it. You’ve probably ignored about seventeen different VPN ads this week alone. They’re everywhere – plastered across YouTube videos, hiding in your podcast breaks, probably lurking in your spam folder right now. But here’s the thing: if you’ve been waiting for an actual good deal (and not just another sketchy “limited time offer” that runs year-round), Black Friday might actually be your moment.

ProtonVPN is slashing prices by up to 75% on their two-year plans, and before you roll your eyes, this isn’t your typical VPN hype. This is the company that came out of CERN – you know, the place with the giant particle collider – and they’ve built a reputation for actually giving a damn about privacy. Which, in the VPN world, is kind of like finding a unicorn.

The deals are live now, and honestly? They’re pretty competitive even compared to the usual suspects in the VPN game. But let’s talk about what you’re actually getting here, because “75% off” means nothing if the product is garbage.

What Makes ProtonVPN Different (And Why You Should Care)

Here’s where it gets interesting. Most VPN companies will promise you the moon – total anonymity, military-grade encryption, protection from everything except maybe a zombie apocalypse. ProtonVPN does some of that marketing too, sure, but there’s actual substance behind it.

They’re based in Switzerland, which matters more than you might think. Swiss privacy laws are legitimately strict, and the country isn’t part of any international surveillance agreements. Translation: they’re not legally obligated to hand over your data to governments playing Big Brother. That’s not just marketing fluff.

The Technical Stuff (Without Putting You to Sleep)

ProtonVPN uses something called Secure Core, which basically routes your connection through multiple servers in privacy-friendly countries before it reaches the internet. It’s like taking a really paranoid route to the grocery store – three right turns, two left turns, maybe a U-turn just for fun – so nobody can follow you home.

They’ve also got this feature called NetShield that blocks ads, trackers, and malware at the VPN level. So you’re not just hiding your location, you’re actively blocking the creepy stuff that follows you around the internet. It’s kind of like having a bouncer for your browsing habits.

• No-logs policy: They genuinely don’t keep records of what you do online, and they’ve been audited by third parties to prove it
• Open source: Their code is publicly available, which means security researchers can actually verify their claims instead of just taking their word for it
• Perfect forward secrecy: Even if someone somehow got your encryption key, they still couldn’t decrypt your past sessions (yeah, it’s as cool as it sounds)

Breaking Down the Black Friday Deals

Okay, so let’s talk numbers. The two-year plan is seeing the biggest discount – we’re talking about dropping from around $10 per month down to about $2.50 per month when you pay upfront. That’s actually cheaper than your morning coffee, which is a comparison I hate making but here we are.

The catch? Well, you’re committing to two years. That’s a long time in tech years. But ProtonVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can actually test drive it first.

What Each Plan Gets You

ProtonVPN has a few different tiers, and honestly, it can get a bit confusing. The free version exists and it’s not terrible – you get access to servers in three countries with decent speeds. But it’s pretty limited.

The Plus plan (which is what’s on sale) gives you access to over 1,900 servers in 65+ countries, all the premium features like Secure Core and NetShield, and support for up to 10 devices. That’s enough to cover your laptop, phone, tablet, and probably your smart fridge if you’re feeling ambitious.

There’s also a Proton Unlimited plan that bundles in their email, calendar, and cloud storage services. If you’re trying to de-Google your life or just want everything in one place, it might be worth looking at. The Black Friday discount applies there too.

The Reality Check Nobody Talks About

Let’s be real for a second. VPNs aren’t magical invisibility cloaks. You’re not going to become a ghost on the internet just because you subscribed to a service.

If you’re logged into Facebook or Google while using a VPN, they still know it’s you. Your browsing habits might be hidden from your internet provider, but the websites you visit can still track you through cookies and other methods. A VPN is one tool in your privacy toolkit, not the entire workshop.

“Privacy is never just one thing – it’s layers of protection working together, and a VPN is just one of those layers.”

What a VPN Actually Does Well

Here’s what ProtonVPN (and VPNs in general) are genuinely good for: hiding your browsing from your internet service provider, protecting your connection on sketchy public WiFi, accessing content that’s geo-restricted, and adding an extra layer of encryption to your internet traffic.

That’s not nothing. If you travel a lot, work from coffee shops, or just don’t trust your ISP (and why would you?), these are real, practical benefits. But it won’t make you anonymous if you’re simultaneously posting selfies with location tags on Instagram.

• Streaming services: ProtonVPN works with Netflix, though they don’t advertise it heavily because streaming companies are constantly trying to block VPNs
• Torrenting: They allow P2P traffic on specific servers, and they won’t throttle your connection or rat you out
• Speed: WireGuard protocol support means you’re not sacrificing too much speed for security, which used to be a real problem with VPNs

Should You Actually Pull the Trigger?

Look, I’m not going to tell you what to do with your money. But if you’ve been thinking about getting a VPN – like, actually thinking about it, not just vaguely wondering – this is probably one of the better deals you’ll see.

ProtonVPN isn’t perfect. Their server network isn’t as massive as some competitors like ExpressVPN or NordVPN. The interface can be a bit clunky on certain platforms. And yeah, paying for two years upfront is a commitment.

But they’ve got a solid track record on privacy, they’re transparent about their operations, and 75% off is 75% off. The deal runs through the end of the month, so you’ve got some time to think about it. Or you could do what I usually do and bookmark it, forget about it, and then kick yourself when the sale ends.

Either way, if you’re going to use a VPN, at least pick one that’s not going to turn around and sell your data to the highest bidder. Kind of defeats the purpose otherwise, doesn’t it?