Proton Mail vs mail.de
On privacy it's Proton Mail. On price it's mail.de. On features it's Proton Mail. Here's everything side by side, last checked 25 October 2026.
Should you pick Proton Mail or mail.de?
- Proton Mail suits you best if you want end-to-end encryption built in; a provider with no advertising business behind it; and email at your own domain name.
- mail.de suits you best if you want to pay less: €0.99 a month and freedom to use the mail app you already like.
| Feature | Proton Mail | mail.de |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Privacy | 5.0 | 3.0 |
| Price | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Features | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Mail Plus $3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly) | PureMail €0.99 a month |
| Free plan | Yes, 1 GB, no own domain | Yes, 1 GB, with adverts |
| Storage | 15 GB | 2.5 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ 1 | No |
| End-to-end encryption | ✓ Built in | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) |
| Company based in | Switzerland | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | Switzerland | Germany |
| Founded | 2014 | Unknown |
| Free trial | Free plan; 30-day refund on paid plans | 30 days free on paid plans |
| 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 | Yes |
| Open-source apps | ✓ Yes | No |
| Sign up without ID | ✓ Yes | No |
| White label | No | Unknown |
| 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.
How Proton Mail and mail.de differ
- On price: Proton Mail Mail Plus at $3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly), against mail.de PureMail at €0.99 a month.
- For free, Proton Mail gives you a free plan (1 GB, no own domain), and mail.de a free plan (1 GB, with adverts).
- Proton Mail comes with 15 GB of storage and mail.de with 2.5 GB of storage.
- Data location: Switzerland for Proton Mail, Germany for mail.de.
- Proton Mail is based in Switzerland and mail.de in Germany, so different privacy laws apply.
- Proton Mail encrypts mail end to end; mail.de offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage).
- Proton Mail lets you bring your own domain name; mail.de doesn't.
- Proton Mail works in other mail apps through Proton Bridge on paid plans, and mail.de works in any mail app over IMAP.
- Only mail.de is part of an advertising business.
- For extra addresses, Proton Mail has 10 addresses and mail.de has yes.
Proton Mail and mail.de: your questions
Which is more private, Proton Mail or mail.de?
Proton Mail scores 5 out of 5 for privacy and mail.de 3. Proton Mail gives you end-to-end encryption built in, a provider with no advertising business behind it and open-source apps anyone can check.
Which is cheaper, Proton Mail or mail.de?
mail.de is cheaper. Its PureMail plan is €0.99 a month, against $3.99 a month, yearly ($4.99 monthly) for Proton Mail's Mail Plus. mail.de and Proton Mail also have a free plan. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do Proton Mail and mail.de work with my own domain?
Only Proton Mail does (1 domain on its cheapest plan that allows one). With mail.de your address stays on its own domain.
Where do Proton Mail and mail.de keep my email?
Proton Mail keeps it in Switzerland. mail.de keeps it in Germany.
Do Proton Mail and mail.de work in other mail apps?
Proton Mail works in other mail apps through Proton Bridge on paid plans. mail.de works in any mail app over IMAP.
Recent price changes
- 22 October 2026 mail.de: €2.49 a month, when I checked
The latest headlines: Proton Mail news · mail.de news.
Alternatives to Proton Mail and mail.de
Proton Mail vs Posteo · mail.de vs Posteo · Proton Mail vs mailbox.org · mail.de vs mailbox.org · Proton Mail vs Tuta · mail.de vs Tuta
Switching between them
Moving to Proton Mail · Moving from Proton Mail. Or see all my switching guides.