Proton Mail
Top pickEnd-to-end encrypted, open-source, Swiss — the privacy default.
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sovereigntyProton Mail is the most mature encrypted email provider, with over 100 million users and open-source apps on every platform. Mail is end-to-end and zero-access encrypted, it's based in Switzerland under strong privacy law, and it supports OpenPGP so mail with other PGP users is automatically end-to-end encrypted. It has grown into a genuine Gmail replacement with Calendar, Drive, Pass, and VPN in one account, plus a functional free tier.
OPEN SOURCEGPL-3.0 (apps)
LicenseGPL-3.0 (apps)
PricingFree (1GB); paid Mail Plus ~$4/mo; bundled Proton Unlimited adds Drive, VPN, and Pass
Open sourceYes
Self-hostableNo
Local-first dataNo
What it does well
- +End-to-end, zero-access encryption with OpenPGP support
- +Open-source apps, independently audited, Swiss jurisdiction
- +Free tier; custom domains on paid plans
- +Part of a full privacy suite (Calendar, Drive, VPN, Pass)
Where it falls short
- −Encryption to non-Proton, non-PGP contacts needs password-protected mode
- −A hosted service you don't self-host
- −Free-tier storage is modest (1GB)
Proton Mail as an alternative to
Where Proton Mail shows up in our comparisons, and how it ranked.
Proton Mail head-to-head
Straight comparisons against the tools people weigh it against.