The Proton Mail Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Proton Mail in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Proton Mail
The Insider’s Guide
End-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from Proton Mail’s own pages.
Made by Proton AG · checked Oct 4, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02Insider tipsWhat most people miss: ways to pay less, settings worth changing and the catches
- 03What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 04What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 05Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 06The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 07Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Proton Mail’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Proton Mail’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 4, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 41 of the 51 other email apps we grade
Proton Mail is an email provider built around end-to-end and zero-access encryption, so that Proton itself cannot read stored messages. It comes with its own web, desktop and mobile apps, Proton Calendar, tracker blocking, hide-my-email aliases and an import tool for moving from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo or Apple. The free plan covers one address, and paid plans add storage, more addresses, custom domains and access from other email clients through Proton Mail Bridge.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Proton Mail, taken from its own pages and our grades.
If you want lots of free space, look elsewhere.
- 1
Best for email your provider can't read
Proton Mail is encrypted email from Switzerland, built so Proton itself can't read your stored mail, with no ads.
- 2
Paid plans start at $3.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly.
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 3.0 GPA, above 41 of 51
That is against the other email apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Proton Mail you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Proton Mail at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Proton AG, since 2014
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 48,305 ratings
The report card
Best for email your provider can't read
Proton Mail is encrypted email from Switzerland, built so Proton itself can't read your stored mail, with no ads. The free plan is 1 address, up to 1 GB and 150 sent messages a day, Outlook or Apple Mail access and the desktop apps need a paid plan, and if you reset your password without a recovery phrase your old mail can stay locked. If you want lots of free space, look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Mail 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 | C | Free 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 | C | The 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 | A | 4.8 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 | A | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Proton Mail is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- People who want an email provider that cannot read their messages
- Anyone moving off Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo who needs to import old mail
- Users who want email, VPN, passwords and storage from one vendor
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Tips
Insider tips
What most people miss: ways to pay less, settings worth changing and the catches
6
Things most people miss, each from its own help pages
The things about Proton Mail that are easy to miss until they cost you: ways to pay less, settings worth changing and the catches at renewal or when you leave. Each one is from Proton Mail’s own pages, linked beside it.
Read on Oct 17, 2026. Read from Proton's support pages on password-protected emails, the Mail Export Tool, remote images, managing a subscription, plan limits and inactive accounts, and its Mail pricing page, on 17 October 2026. Not tried out: these tips are what its own pages say.
- 1
Easy to miss
Send a locked email to someone who isn't on Proton, even on Free
Click the lock icon in the composer, set a password and an optional hint, and send. The other person needs the password to open it, so tell them some other way. Proton's help page says these expire after 28 days by default and the recipient can reply securely up to 5 times.
proton.me - 2
Easy to miss
Export all your mail without paying for Bridge
The Proton Mail Export Tool runs on Windows, Mac and Linux and saves every email as EML plus JSON, which Thunderbird or Outlook can read. Proton says it's available for everyone. Big inboxes can take hours, and it can't pause and pick up later, so start it on a steady connection.
proton.me - 3
Privacy
Set image loading on every device, because it doesn't sync
On the web it's Settings → All settings → Proton Mail → Email privacy → Auto show remote images, which is on by default. On iPhone it's called Auto-load remote content. Proton's help page says this setting isn't synced across its apps, so change it on each one if you want to load images yourself.
proton.me - 4
Renewal
Switching plans is instant, but unused time comes back as credit
Cancel under Settings → All settings → Subscription and you keep your plan to the end of the period. Move to a different paid plan instead and it changes straight away, with the unused time turned into account credit for later payments, not money back.
proton.me - 5
Leaving
Get under 1 GB before you drop to Free or new mail stops arriving
Proton's help page says that if you go back to Free while over the storage limit, you can't receive new emails other than Proton's own, and a custom domain gets switched off. Stay over for 12 months and your data risks being deleted. Clear big emails out first.
proton.me - 6
Leaving
Free accounts left unused for 12 months can be deleted
Proton's inactive account policy says a free account with no activity for over 12 months could be deleted, emails, contacts and files included. Opening one email a year is enough. Reminders go out 30, 15 and 7 days before. Paid plans aren't affected, and the old 24-month grace ended on 9 April 2026.
proton.me
Part 03 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$3.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Proton Mail has a free plan. Paid plans start at $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly.
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.
The 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.
Read from proton.me on Oct 4, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on proton.me
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Mail Plus 1 month”, against $5.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | ₺149,99 | $3.05 | 49% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 59ribu | $3.30 | 45% less |
| India | ₹ 329 | $3.40 | 43% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 229.00 | $3.65 | 39% less |
| Canada | $7.49 | $5.26 | 12% less |
| United Kingdom | £4.89 | $6.46 | 8% more |
| Germany | 5,99 € | $6.71 | 12% more |
| Australia | $9.79 | $6.83 | 14% more |
Part 04 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
End-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, end-to-end encrypted, calendar, email client.
The gap Proton names itself: there's no IMAP or SMTP at all without Bridge, and Bridge needs a paid plan.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Proton Calendar
- Proton Drive
- Proton Pass
- Proton VPN
- Microsoft Outlook
- Mozilla Thunderbird
- Apple Mail
Who makes Proton Mail
Proton Mail is made by Proton AG, a Swiss company whose primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation, and which also makes Proton VPN, Drive, Pass and other apps. It earns money from paid subscriptions sold alongside free plans.
- Founded
- 2014proton.me
- Based
- Geneva, Switzerland, with offices in Zurich, Paris, London, Barcelona, Skopje, Vilnius, Prague and Taipeiproton.me
- Ownership
- Owned by a nonprofit. Proton AG's primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation in Geneva, which its founders endowed with a donation of Proton shares in June 2024, according to its About page and its blog.proton.me
- Funding
- Started with a crowdfunding campaign in July 2014 that raised more than $550,000 from over 10,000 supporters, then announced $2 million in March 2015 in a round led by Charles River Ventures and FONGIT. Its About page now says it has no venture capital investors.proton.meproton.me
- Team
- More than 600 employees representing over 50 nationalities, according to its team pageproton.me
- Founders and leaders
- Hiring
- 57 open jobs across the whole company, in engineering, sales, growth and marketing, product and customer support among other areasproton.me
- Affiliate program
- Up to 100% commission on each new referral, plus recurring revenue on renewals. Paid by bank transfer on the 30th of the following month once the amount owed passes $100; bidding on Proton brand names is not allowed.proton.me
- Reseller program
- Channel partner program for managed service providers, distributors, value-added resellers and IT resellers, with resale pricing and recurring revenue. No margin rates are published.proton.me
- Referral program
- You and the friend you refer each get a $20 credit when they subscribe to an eligible premium plan, up to $1,000 in credits in total. Open to personal accounts, not Proton for Business plans.proton.me
- Lately
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 05 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
41/51
Other email apps it is graded above
Proton Mail's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 41 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 48 of 51) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $3.99 a month, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 15 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Proton Mail’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 29 of 51
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 51
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 51
- AEase of useAbove 48 of 51
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 41 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 50 email apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Proton Mail is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Proton Mail you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 41 of the 51 other email apps we grade. It costs $47.88 a year. Proton Mail is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Calendar: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive and Proton Pass among them.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
What this rests on. Proton Mail’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 06 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
HEY, Spark Mail, Superhuman Mail and Shortwave
The 4 tools Proton Mail is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
HEY
Free trial · from $99/yr
Email service and calendar with sender screening, from 37signals.
- Proton Mail has a free plan. HEY does not, though it has a free trial.
- Proton Mail is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- HEY also covers templates.
- 3.0GPA
Spark Mail
Free plan · from $8.25/mo
Email client with a unified smart inbox, AI tools and team features.
- Only Proton Mail lists a web app.
- Only Proton Mail lists a Linux app.
- Proton Mail is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
Superhuman Mail
From $25/mo
Keyboard-driven email client for Gmail and Outlook with built-in AI.
- Proton Mail has a free plan. Superhuman Mail does not.
- Only Proton Mail lists a Linux app.
- Only Superhuman Mail lists a browser extension.
- 2.6GPA
Shortwave
Free plan · from $18/mo
AI email client for Gmail with an assistant, filters and split inbox.
- Only Proton Mail lists a Linux app.
- Proton Mail is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Proton Mail also covers calendar.
Part 07 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Proton Mail free?
Proton Mail has a 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.
How much does Proton Mail cost?
Proton Mail lists 3 plans. Proton Free: $0.
What platforms does Proton Mail work on?
Proton Mail is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does Proton Mail offer any discounts?
Proton Mail publicly lists the following: 20% off Mail Plus on the 12-month plan.
How is Proton Mail rated?
Proton Mail's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 48,305 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Is Proton Mail open source?
Yes. Proton Mail is open source, according to its own site.
Is Proton Mail end-to-end encrypted?
Proton Mail describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
What does Proton Mail integrate with?
Proton Mail's listing names Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, Proton VPN, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird and Apple Mail.
Who makes Proton Mail?
Proton Mail is made by Proton AG. Proton AG's primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation in Geneva, which its founders endowed with a donation of Proton shares in June 2024, according to its About page and its blog.
What are the alternatives to Proton Mail?
The closest alternatives to Proton Mail in our directory are HEY, Spark Mail, Superhuman Mail and Shortwave.
How does Proton Mail compare with other email apps?
Proton Mail's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 41 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 5.
Is Proton Mail good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Proton Mail B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3.99 a month, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 15 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Proton Mail?
To replace Proton Mail you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Proton Mail’s own pages on Oct 4, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Based on Proton Mail's home, pricing, download, Bridge and help pages as of 9 October 2026, its App Store reviews and Hacker News threads about it. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-29.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Proton AG. Prices change, so check proton.me before you buy.
Part 08 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Proton Mail, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/proton-mail
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Proton Mail: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 4, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/proton-mail
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/proton-mail/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after Proton Mail, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 email apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft Outlook Insider's GuideMicrosoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web3.6 GPA
- BlueMail Insider's GuideCross-platform email client with a unified inbox and built-in AI3.2 GPA
- Thunderbird Insider's GuideFree, open-source email app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Proton Mail’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Proton Mail is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Proton AG. Prices and plans change: check proton.me before you buy.