Proton Mail vs SimpleLogin (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 2.4.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Proton Mail grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Proton Mail
End-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland
SimpleLogin
Open-source email aliases that forward to your own inbox
Which one is for you
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
Pick SimpleLogin if
- Fits if you want a different address for every site you sign up to
- Works for people who already have an inbox and only want to hide it
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as it is 10 aliases and 1 mailbox
- Skip it if you need a mailbox of your own, since it only forwards to an inbox you already have
- Pricey if you want custom domains or catch-all, both Premium at $36 a year
- Watch out: there is no family plan and the listing says there are no refunds
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAProton MailVery good | 2.4GPASimpleLoginFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | BPremium is $36 a year, $3 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of email tools, which starts at $3.99 a month. Monthly billing is $4. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CFree covers 10 aliases, 1 mailbox, unlimited bandwidth and replies from an alias. You will hit the 10 quickly if you give every site its own. |
| Features | 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. | CForwards and replies from aliases, with PGP on Premium. It does not host a mailbox, and custom domains and catch-all sit on Premium. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You connect your real inbox and install the extension or app before it does anything. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, plus Proton Pass features. No desktop app on the listing. |
| Best for | email your provider can't read | email aliases that forward to your inbox |
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: Proton Mail and SimpleLogin. How we grade
Price against what you get
Proton Mail starts at $3.99 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SimpleLogin starts at $3 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
Proton Mail scores higher, and starts $0.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email apps on the chart, 1 scores higher than Proton Mail for less, and 8 score higher than SimpleLogin for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Proton Mail is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- SimpleLogin is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Proton Mail also covers calendar and email client.
At a glance
| Proton Mail | SimpleLogin | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly | $36 per year ($4 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 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. | 10 aliases, 1 mailbox, unlimited bandwidth, replies from an alias, browser extensions and mobile apps. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Proton AG | Proton AG |
| Price read from | proton.me | simplelogin.io |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
SimpleLogin
- The free plan stops at 10 aliases and 1 mailbox; custom domains and catch-all need Premium.
- It forwards to an inbox you already have and does not host a mailbox.
- There is no family plan, only a 30% reduction on extra subscriptions on request, and no refunds.
Key features
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.
SimpleLogin
- Aliases per site
- Create an alias for each account so a breach or a spam list exposes that alias only. The free plan allows 10.
- Reply from the alias
- Answer forwarded mail without exposing your address. Starting a new email from an alias needs Premium.
- Custom domains and catch-all
- Premium lets you bring your own domains, set a catch-all rule, and use subdomains and directories or usernames.
- PGP encryption
- Premium can encrypt forwarded mail with your PGP key before it reaches your mailbox.
- Apps and extensions
- Extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Safari, iOS and Android apps, TOTP and WebAuthn sign-in, and Sign in with SimpleLogin.
- Proton Pass features
- Both plans include Proton Pass, with its premium features (vaults, 2FA authenticator) bundled into Premium.
Plans
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.
SimpleLogin
Free$0
10 aliases, 1 mailbox, unlimited bandwidth and replies from an alias.
Premium$36
per year ($4 billed monthly)
Unlimited aliases and custom domains, catch-all, 5 subdomains, unlimited mailboxes and PGP encryption.
Ways to pay less
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.
SimpleLogin
- Education
Discounts for students and charities
The pricing page says it gives discounts or free Premium to educational staff and students, activists, journalists and charities, by email request.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Proton Mail or SimpleLogin?
As of Nov 12, 2026, SimpleLogin is cheaper to start with: $3 a month when paid by the year, against $3.99 a month for Proton Mail. Proton Mail starts at $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly, and SimpleLogin starts at $36 per year ($4 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Proton Mail or SimpleLogin?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Proton Mail and SimpleLogin have a free plan.
Which platforms do Proton Mail and SimpleLogin run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Proton Mail lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps and only SimpleLogin lists a browser extension. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. 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.