Proton Mail vs HEY
In short: Proton Mail wins on privacy, Proton Mail wins on price, and Proton Mail wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
Proton Mail or HEY: which should you choose?
- Proton Mail is the better pick if you want encryption that means even the provider can't read your mail; your email to stay in Switzerland; and the lower price ($3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly)).
- HEY is the better pick if you want more space for your mail: 100 GB.
| Feature | Proton Mail | HEY |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.5 | 2.0 |
| Privacy | 5.0 | 0.5 |
| Price | 4.0 | 2.0 |
| Features | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Mail Plus $3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly) | HEY for You $99 a year (own domain: $12 per user a month) |
| Free plan | Yes, 1 GB, no own domain | No (30-day trial) |
| Storage | 15 GB | 100 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ 1 | ✓ On HEY for Domains |
| End-to-end encryption | ✓ Built in | No |
| Company based in | Switzerland | United States |
| Your data is kept in | Switzerland | United States |
| Founded | 2014 | 2020 |
| Free trial | Free plan; 30-day refund on paid plans | 30 days free on HEY for You; no trial on HEY for Domains |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | With Proton Bridge on paid plans | No, its own apps only |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | 10 addresses | Yes |
| Open-source apps | ✓ Yes | No |
| Sign up without ID | ✓ Yes | No |
| White label | No | No |
| Reader offer | Offer Proton's current deals | None |
| Last checked | 23 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- Cheapest plans: Proton Mail Mail Plus, $3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly). HEY HEY for You, $99 a year (own domain: $12 per user a month).
- For free, Proton Mail gives you a free plan (1 GB, no own domain), and HEY no free plan.
- Proton Mail comes with 15 GB of storage and HEY with 100 GB of storage.
- Data location: Switzerland for Proton Mail, United States for HEY.
- Proton Mail is based in Switzerland and HEY in the United States, so different privacy laws apply.
- Proton Mail encrypts mail end to end; HEY doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- Proton Mail works in other mail apps through Proton Bridge on paid plans, and HEY only works in its own apps.
- For extra addresses, Proton Mail has 10 addresses and HEY has yes.
Questions people ask
Which is more private, Proton Mail or HEY?
Proton Mail scores 5 out of 5 for privacy and HEY 0.5. Proton Mail gives you encryption that means even the provider can't read your mail, your email to stay in Switzerland and open-source apps anyone can check.
Which is cheaper, Proton Mail or HEY?
Proton Mail is cheaper. Its Mail Plus plan is $3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly), against $99 a year (own domain: $12 per user a month) for HEY's HEY for You. Proton Mail also has a free plan. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do Proton Mail and HEY work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. Proton Mail: 1 domain on its cheapest plan that allows one. HEY: On HEY for Domains.
Where do Proton Mail and HEY keep my email?
Proton Mail keeps it in Switzerland. HEY keeps it in the United States.
Do Proton Mail and HEY work in other mail apps?
Proton Mail works in other mail apps through Proton Bridge on paid plans. HEY only works in its own apps.
Recent price changes
Neither price has changed since my first check on 23 October 2026.
The latest headlines: Proton Mail news · HEY news.
Not sold on either? Try these
Proton Mail vs mailbox.org · HEY vs mailbox.org · Proton Mail vs Posteo · HEY vs Posteo · Proton Mail vs Tuta · HEY vs Tuta
How to switch
Moving to Proton Mail · Moving from Proton Mail. Or see all my switching guides.