Proton Mail vs mail.com
On privacy it's Proton Mail. On price it's mail.com. On features it's Proton Mail. Here's everything side by side, last checked 25 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- Proton Mail suits you best if you want end-to-end encryption built in; your mail kept in Switzerland; and email from a company that doesn't make money from adverts.
- mail.com is the better pick if you want a mailbox that costs nothing; more space for your mail: 65 GB; and to read your mail in any app, such as Apple Mail, Outlook or Thunderbird.
| Feature | Proton Mail | mail.com |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.5 | 2.5 |
| Privacy | 5.0 | 0.0 |
| Price | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Features | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Mail Plus $3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly) | Free Free |
| Free plan | Yes, 1 GB, no own domain | Yes, with adverts |
| Storage | 15 GB | 65 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ 1 | No |
| End-to-end encryption | ✓ Built in | No |
| Company based in | Switzerland | United States |
| Your data is kept in | Switzerland | United States |
| Founded | 2014 | 1995 |
| Free trial | Free plan; 30-day refund on paid plans | Free |
| Funded by advertising | No | Yes, or its parent company is |
| Works in any mail app | With Proton Bridge on paid plans | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | 10 addresses | Up to 10 addresses |
| 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.
Where they differ
- Proton Mail's cheapest plan is Mail Plus ($3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly)); mail.com's is Free (Free).
- For free, Proton Mail gives you a free plan (1 GB, no own domain), and mail.com a free plan (with adverts).
- Proton Mail comes with 15 GB of storage and mail.com with 65 GB of storage.
- Proton Mail keeps your mail in Switzerland, while mail.com keeps it in the United States.
- Proton Mail is based in Switzerland and mail.com in the United States, so different privacy laws apply.
- Proton Mail encrypts mail end to end; mail.com doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- Proton Mail lets you bring your own domain name; mail.com doesn't.
- Proton Mail works in other mail apps through Proton Bridge on paid plans, and mail.com works in any mail app over IMAP.
- Only mail.com is part of an advertising business.
- For extra addresses, Proton Mail has 10 addresses and mail.com has up to 10 addresses.
Proton Mail and mail.com: your questions
Which is more private, Proton Mail or mail.com?
Proton Mail scores 5 out of 5 for privacy and mail.com 0. Proton Mail gives you end-to-end encryption built in, your mail kept in Switzerland and email from a company that doesn't make money from adverts.
Which is cheaper, Proton Mail or mail.com?
mail.com costs nothing to start (Free). Proton Mail's cheapest plan, Mail Plus, is $3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly). Proton Mail has a free plan too: 1 GB, no own domain.
Do Proton Mail and mail.com work with my own domain?
Only Proton Mail does (1 domain on its cheapest plan that allows one). With mail.com your address stays on its own domain.
Where do Proton Mail and mail.com keep my email?
Proton Mail keeps it in Switzerland. mail.com keeps it in the United States.
Do Proton Mail and mail.com work in other mail apps?
Proton Mail works in other mail apps through Proton Bridge on paid plans. mail.com works in any mail app over IMAP.
Prices and the latest news
Neither price has changed since my first check on 23 October 2026.
The latest headlines: Proton Mail news · mail.com news.
Not sold on either? Try these
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Switching between them
Moving to Proton Mail · Moving from Proton Mail. Or see all my switching guides.