Productivity & Business · Security, Privacy & Backup

Proton Mail

Proton Mail is encrypted email from Proton AG of Switzerland: a free plan with up to 1 GB, and Mail Plus at $3.99/mo billed yearly (USD).

Our take: Proton Mail pairs a free plan with a clear paid ladder, and Proton documents what its encryption covers: stored mail is zero-access encrypted, but mail to other providers is not end-to-end encrypted by default and subject lines are not end-to-end encrypted.

Best forEncrypted personal email

ReviewedNov 2026Freemium

7.45 criteria · see breakdown

Try Proton$0 (Free plan); $3.99/mo (Mail Plus, billed yearly)

Proton Mail, searched for as ProtonMail, is an encrypted email service from Proton AG of Switzerland, with a free plan and paid plans. Per Proton's pricing page, the free plan gives up to 1 GB of storage and one email address; Mail Plus is $3.99 a month billed yearly ($4.99 billed monthly), and Proton Unlimited, which lists 500 GB and larger VPN, password manager and Drive allowances than the lower plans, is $9.99 a month billed yearly ($12.99 billed monthly), all in US dollars (proton.me, read 5 November 2026). To sign in, use Proton's own page: Conversion Gems cannot sign anyone in.

The bottom line

$0 for up to 1 GB; Mail Plus at $3.99/mo billed yearly adds 15 GB, 10 addresses and a custom domain.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isAn encrypted email service from Proton AG of Switzerland, with a free plan, personal, family and business plans, inside a Proton Account that also covers Calendar, Drive, VPN and Pass.

Our takeProton Mail pairs a free plan with a clear paid ladder, and Proton documents what its encryption covers: stored mail is zero-access encrypted, but mail to other providers is not end-to-end encrypted by default and subject lines are not end-to-end encrypted.

The free limits (up to 1 GB, 150 messages a day) are tight for a main inbox, and paying monthly costs more than paying yearly.

Why we rate itClear free and paid tiers and a documented encryption scope, with open-source and audit claims attributed to Proton, held back by small free limits and by end-to-end encryption applying only between Proton users or to password-protected mail.

The catchFree is capped at up to 1 GB and 150 messages a day, and mail to other providers is not end-to-end encrypted by default.

Best / not good for

Best for

A private personal inbox with a free start
People who want hide-my-email aliases
Teams that want a custom domain with Proton's apps

Not good for

Heavy mail use on the free plan (up to 1 GB, 150 messages a day)
Using another email client on the free plan (IMAP/SMTP is listed for paid plans only)
Anyone who needs every message to other providers end-to-end encrypted without a password

Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

Time to value
Proton lists no credit card requirement for Proton Free, and says Easy Switch imports folders and messages from Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook.
Scale breakpoint
Proton Free stops at 150 messages a day, 3 folders and 3 labels; Mail Plus lifts these limits and adds 10 addresses and 1 custom domain.
Walled garden
Other email clients need Proton Mail Bridge, which Proton's FAQ says is available to paid plans, and Proton Unlimited bundles a VPN, a password manager and Drive into one price.

Still a fit?

If none of these block you, start on the free plan.

Try Proton

Proton Mail plan prices in US dollars, by billing period

Plan	Users	Billed monthly	Billed yearly	Storage
Proton Free	1 user	$0	$0	Up to 1 GB
Mail Plus	1 user	$4.99/mo	$3.99/mo ($47.88 per 12 months)	15 GB
Proton Unlimited	1 user	$12.99/mo	$9.99/mo ($119.88 per 12 months)	500 GB
Proton Duo	2 users	$19.99/mo	$14.99/mo ($179.88 per 12 months)	2 TB
Proton Family	Up to 6 users	$29.99/mo	$23.99/mo ($287.88 per 12 months)	3 TB
Mail Essentials (team)	Per user	$7.99/user/mo	$6.99/user/mo ($83.88 per 12 months)	15 GB per user
Workspace Standard (team)	Per user	$14.99/user/mo	$12.99/user/mo ($155.88 per 12 months)	1 TB per user
Workspace Premium (team)	Per user	$24.99/user/mo	$19.99/user/mo ($239.88 per 12 months)	3 TB per user
Enterprise	Custom	Quote: Proton shows Let's talk	Quote: Proton shows Let's talk	Not published

From proton.me/mail/pricing (Personal and Family tabs) and proton.me/business/mail/pricing, read on 5 November 2026 with Proton's currency selector set to USD. Yearly figures are what Proton bills every 12 months; its personal-plan pricing page says the 12-month price renews at the same amount. Proton Unlimited, Proton Duo and Proton Family are bundles of Proton apps, not mail only. Proton's pages also show promotional offers on Mail Plus; they are not regular prices and are not used here.

Proton Free, Mail Plus and Proton Unlimited: what changes

Feature	Proton Free	Mail Plus	Proton Unlimited
Mail storage	Up to 1 GB	15 GB	500 GB
Email addresses	1	10	15
Custom email domains	Not listed	1	3
Messages per day	150	Unlimited	Unlimited
Folders and labels	3 folders, 3 labels	Unlimited	Unlimited
Custom filters	1	Unlimited	Unlimited
Attachment size	25 MB	25 MB	25 MB
Hide-my-email aliases	10	10	Unlimited
Email client support (IMAP/SMTP)	Not listed	Included	Included
Short @pm.me address	Not listed	Included	Included
Priority customer support	Not listed	Included	Included
End-to-end encryption and password-protected emails	Included	Included	Included

From Proton's plan comparison on proton.me/mail/pricing, read on 5 November 2026. 'Not listed' means Proton's table leaves the cell empty. Proton's table says up to 1 GB of mail storage on Proton Free, while its FAQ says free storage starts at 500 MB and rises to 1 GB when you finish its Get started checklist. Proton's table also lists the Desktop app as a 14-day free trial on Proton Free and as included on Mail Plus and Proton Unlimited.

Who makes Proton Mail, and what it is called

Proton's terms of service (last modified 9 October 2026) say the services are operated by Proton AG, a Swiss company at Route de la Galaise 32, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland. Proton's About page says Proton AG is a Swiss corporation whose primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation, and that the company has no venture capital investors.

Proton's pages write the name as Proton Mail, two words. Many people still search for the one-word spelling ProtonMail, and protonmail.com redirects permanently to proton.me/mail. Proton's Android app link still carries the identifier ch.protonmail.android. We found no dated Proton announcement of the change, so no rename date is given here.

What Proton says its encryption covers

Proton's support page on encryption says messages and attachments in your Proton Mail inbox are secured with zero-access encryption, so nobody else can access them, not even Proton. It says messages between Proton users are end-to-end encrypted in transit.

For mail to a non-Proton address, the same page says messages travel over TLS and are not end-to-end encrypted by default once delivered, and it names password-protected emails as the option for end-to-end encryption there. It also says subject lines are not end-to-end encrypted. Proton's open-source page says all Proton apps are open source and independently audited; it says nothing about server code.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ProtonMail, and is it the same as Proton Mail?Is Proton Mail free?How much do Proton Mail paid plans cost?What is the difference between Proton Mail and Gmail?Is Proton Mail safe, and what are its downsides?How do I sign in to Proton Mail?

What is ProtonMail, and is it the same as Proton Mail?

Yes, ProtonMail and Proton Mail name the same email service, from Proton AG of Switzerland. Proton's pages write the name as Proton Mail, and protonmail.com redirects permanently to proton.me/mail. A Proton Account also covers Proton Calendar, Drive, VPN and Pass, which are separate products (checked 5 November 2026).

Is Proton Mail free?

Yes, with limits. Proton Free needs no credit card and gives up to 1 GB of storage, one email address, 150 messages a day, 3 folders and 3 labels; Proton's FAQ adds that mail storage starts at 500 MB and rises to 1 GB when you finish its Get started checklist. Proton's table also lists the Desktop app as a 14-day free trial on Proton Free and as included on Mail Plus and Proton Unlimited. Custom domains, unlimited messages and email-client access through IMAP/SMTP are listed only for the paid plans (checked 5 November 2026).

How much do Proton Mail paid plans cost?

In US dollars, Mail Plus is $3.99 a month billed yearly ($47.88 for the first 12 months) or $4.99 billed monthly, and Proton Unlimited is $9.99 a month billed yearly ($119.88) or $12.99 billed monthly. Proton's pricing page says the personal yearly plans renew at the same yearly amount. Family plans and team plans are priced separately in the table above, and Proton's pricing page also shows promotional offers that this page does not use (checked 5 November 2026).

What is the difference between Proton Mail and Gmail?

The documented differences are in how each company describes its service. Proton says Proton Mail is funded by paying subscribers and uses zero-access encryption on every plan, while Google's help page describes a Personal Google account as up to 15 GB shared among Drive, Gmail and Photos, against up to 1 GB of mail storage on Proton Free. Proton says its Easy Switch tool imports folders and messages from Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook; Proton's own Gmail comparison page is written by Proton, so this page does not rely on it.

Is Proton Mail safe, and what are its downsides?

The downsides Proton documents are small free limits (up to 1 GB, 150 messages a day), no end-to-end encryption by default for mail to other providers, and subject lines that are not end-to-end encrypted. Conversion Gems does not rate safety, and this page does not assess news reports or disputes about the company; it states what Proton's own pages say. Proton says stored mail uses zero-access encryption and that mail between Proton users is end-to-end encrypted, but its support page says mail to other providers is not end-to-end encrypted by default unless you use password-protected emails. Proton's FAQ also says Proton Mail Bridge for other email clients is available to paid plans.

How do I sign in to Proton Mail?

Conversion Gems is a review site and cannot sign anyone in. Proton's sign-in page is https://account.proton.me/login, and one Proton Account covers Mail, Calendar, Drive, VPN and Pass. Proton's FAQ says you can open your inbox in the web app at account.proton.me, in the Proton Mail apps for iPhone and Android, or in the Proton Mail Desktop app.