Firefox Relay vs Proton Mail (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Proton Mail: it is third in our ranking of email apps, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Proton Mail grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Firefox Relay
Email and phone masks that forward to your real inbox
Proton Mail
End-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland
Which one is for you
Pick Firefox Relay if
- Fits if you want a throwaway address for a few sign-ups
- Works for people who already use Firefox and want masks built into it
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want more than 5 masks, as Premium shows no price and is waitlist only
- Not for you if you need to reply from a mask, as the free plan can't
- Watch out: Mozilla advises against masks for banks, doctors, lawyers and mail with attachments you must receive
- Watch out: Relay Premium is limited to listed countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and most of the EU
Pick Proton Mail if
- Fits if you want email that the company running it can't read
- Works for leaving Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo, as Easy Switch imports old mail on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Free: 1 address, up to 1 GB (500 MB until setup is done) and 150 sent messages a day
- Not for you if you want Apple Mail, Outlook or the desktop apps without paying, as Bridge and the apps are paid
- Pricey if you subscribe inside the iPhone app, where Mail Plus is $5.99 a month against $4.99 on Proton's site
- Skip it if you forget passwords and won't write down a recovery phrase, as old mail can stay locked
- Watch out: some banks and shops refuse Proton addresses, the Linux app is beta, and there were outages in mid-2026
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAFirefox RelayFair | 3.0GPAProton MailVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe free plan is the only plan you can sign up for. Premium shows no price and a Join the Waitlist button, so there's no price on record. | BMail Plus is $3.99 a month on the yearly plan, inside the lowest-priced quarter of a category whose middle is $8, for 15 GB, 10 addresses and your own domain. Gmail and Outlook do give you 15 GB for nothing, mind, and in the iPhone app it's $5.99. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree for 5 email masks, the extension and tracker removal. Five masks is a cap you'll hit, and the free plan can't reply from a mask. | CFree for good with no ads. The caps are ones you'll meet, though: one address, up to 1 GB of mail and 150 sent messages a day, and the desktop apps are for paying customers after a 14-day trial. |
| Features | CEmail masks, a browser extension and tracker removal. Gaps: replies and promo blocking sit on Premium, and phone masking has no price shown. | CThe basics, with encryption that runs without any setup: tracker blocking, throwaway aliases, a calendar, snooze, send later and Easy Switch to import your old mail. The gap Proton names itself: there's no IMAP or SMTP at all without Bridge, and Bridge needs a paid plan. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install the extension and click to make a mask, with nothing else to set up. | A4.8 from about 48,500 App Store ratings, a touch above Gmail's own app. It works like any inbox, and Easy Switch brings your old mail over for you. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb and a browser extension only, with no phone app, desktop app or integrations listed. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Mail through Bridge and the rest of Proton's suite. The desktop apps do need a paid plan, and the Linux one is still beta. |
| Best for | email masks from Mozilla | email your provider can't read |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Firefox Relay and Proton Mail. How we grade
Where they differ
- Proton Mail is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Firefox Relay also covers inbox filtering and ad and tracker blocking.
- Proton Mail also covers calendar and email client.
At a glance
| Firefox Relay | Proton Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly |
| Free plan | 5 email masks, the browser extension and removal of email trackers from forwarded mail. | Proton Free: 1 email address, up to 1 GB of mail storage (500 MB until the setup steps are completed), a limit of 150 sent messages a day and 3 personal calendars. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Mozilla | Proton AG |
| Price read from | relay.firefox.com | proton.me |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Firefox Relay
- Premium and phone plans show no price and a Join the Waitlist button, so only the free plan can be signed up for.
- The free plan stops at 5 masks and cannot reply from a mask; masks go to your existing inbox.
- Mozilla advises against masks for banks, doctors, lawyers and mail with attachments you must receive.
- Relay Premium is limited to listed countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and most of the EU.
Proton Mail
- The free plan is limited to 1 address, up to 1 GB of mail storage and 150 sent messages a day.
- Custom domains and IMAP/SMTP access through Bridge need a paid plan.
- The desktop apps need a paid plan; free accounts get a 14-day trial of them, and the Linux app is labeled beta.
- Buying in the iOS app costs more: the US App Store lists Mail Plus at $5.99 monthly, against $4.99 on Proton's site.
Key features
Firefox Relay
- Email masks
- Each mask forwards to your true address, and you can turn forwarding off for one mask without touching the rest.
- Browser extension
- An add-on creates a mask on a site's sign-up form. The homepage links the Firefox add-on, and masks can be made from the dashboard in other browsers.
- Tracker removal
- Common email trackers are stripped from forwarded mail, and this is included on the free plan.
- Promo blocking
- Premium can block promotional mail while still forwarding receipts and shipping notices. Blocking is not exact, so important mail can occasionally be caught.
- Anonymous replies
- Premium lets you reply to a forwarded email within 3 months of receiving it, and gives a custom mozmail.com mask domain.
- Phone masking
- A phone mask forwards calls and texts to your number and lets you reply to texts. The phone plan is a waitlist.
Proton Mail
- End-to-end and zero-access encryption
- Messages are encrypted so that only you can read them. Proton states that not even it can read your email.
- Tracker blocking and aliases
- Blocks the email trackers that report what you open and click. Hide-my-email aliases keep your real address off sign-up forms: 10 on Free and Mail Plus, unlimited on Proton Unlimited.
- Custom domains and extra addresses
- Mail Plus supports 1 custom email domain and up to 10 addresses. Proton Unlimited raises that to 3 domains and 15 addresses.
- Easy Switch import
- Imports existing mail from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo or Apple accounts. The import assistant is included on the free plan.
- Proton Mail Bridge
- Paid accounts can use the Bridge app to read and send encrypted mail in Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird or Apple Mail over IMAP and SMTP.
- Calendar and scheduling tools
- Proton Calendar is included, with 3 personal calendars on Free and up to 25 on Mail Plus. Mail also supports scheduled sending, undo send and snooze.
Plans
Firefox Relay
Limited email protection$0
5 email masks, the browser extension and removal of email trackers.
Relay PremiumCustom
Unlimited masks, a custom mask domain, replies and promo blocking; no price shown, waitlist only.
Proton Mail
Proton Free$0
1 address, up to 1 GB of mail storage, 150 sent messages a day, the Easy Switch import tool and 3 calendars.
Mail Plus$3.99
per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly
1 user with 10 addresses, 15 GB of storage, 1 custom domain, unlimited folders, labels and filters, and Bridge for IMAP/SMTP clients.
Proton Unlimited$9.99
per month, billed every 12 months ($119.88)
500 GB of storage, 15 addresses and 3 custom domains, bundled with Proton's VPN, password manager and cloud storage.
Ways to pay less
Firefox Relay
No public discounts listed.
Proton Mail
- Annual discount
20% off Mail Plus on the 12-month plan
Proton's pricing page lists Mail Plus at $3.99 a month when billed every 12 months ($47.88), against $4.99 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Firefox Relay or Proton Mail?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Firefox Relay publishes no starting price, and Proton Mail starts at $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Firefox Relay or Proton Mail?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Firefox Relay and Proton Mail have a free plan.
Which platforms do Firefox Relay and Proton Mail run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Firefox Relay lists a browser extension and only Proton Mail lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.