Paul O'Brieneverything email Subscribe

Switch from Proton Mail to Tuta: step by step

How to move your mail, contacts and address from Proton Mail to Tuta without losing anything. Most moves take an evening to set up, then a few weeks of forwarding.

Compare them side by side

Watch out for

  • Proton mail is encrypted, so other providers' importers can't connect to it. Use Proton's free Export Tool (any plan), or Proton Bridge on a paid plan, to get your mail out.
  • Tuta has no IMAP either, so mail has to go in as files through its desktop app, on the Legend and Unlimited plans.
  1. Before you start

    • Check where your address lives. If it ends in @proton.me, it belongs to Proton Mail and stays there: you'll forward your mail and tell people your new address. If it's on your own domain, like you@yourname.co.uk, it comes with you: you'll change a few DNS settings.
    • Check the space you need. See how much mail you have in Proton Mail, and compare it with Tuta's plans (the cheapest is Revolutionary, About €3 a month, yearly, with 20 GB).
    • Read the small print. Tuta's page covers exporting, cancelling and refunds under "Before you sign up".
  2. Open your Tuta account

    Sign up on Tuta's website (Free plan), and turn on two-step sign-in straight away. You'll find the link on Tuta's page: Tuta.

  3. Bring your mail across

    Export, then import. First save your mail as files: Free Proton Mail Export Tool for Windows, macOS and Linux saves every email as EML files, for any plan. Proton Mail's guide ↗

    Then bring them in: Tuta imports .eml and .mbox files in its desktop app (Settings, then Email import), on the Legend and Unlimited plans.

    Your old mail stays where it is while it's copied, so nothing is lost if you need to start again.

  4. Move your contacts and calendar

    Export your contacts as a .vcf file and each calendar as an .ics file from Proton Mail, then import them into Tuta. Most providers have both options in their contacts and calendar settings.

  5. Keep your @proton.me address working

    1. Forward new mail. Look in Proton Mail's settings for automatic forwarding, and add your new address.
    2. Tell people. Send your new address to the people who matter, and add it to your email signature.
    3. Update your sign-ins. Change the email address on your bank, shopping, social and work accounts. A password manager's list of saved sign-ins is the quickest checklist.
    4. Keep the old account open for a while. Mail will keep arriving there for months. Sign in now and then so it isn't closed for not being used.
  6. If you use your own domain

    Your address moves with you. Do this after your mail has been copied:

    1. Add your domain in Tuta's settings, and create the same addresses there.
    2. A day before, lower the TTL on your domain's MX records (to 300 seconds, say), so the change takes effect quickly.
    3. Replace the MX records with Tuta's, and swap Proton Mail's entry in your SPF record for Tuta's.
    4. Add Tuta's DKIM record, and keep your DMARC record.
    5. Check the result with a free DNS checker before you rely on it.

    Not sure what these mean? See my email glossary.

  7. Check everything arrived

    • Compare the number of emails in each folder on both sides.
    • Send a test email to your new address from another account, and reply to it.
    • Check that mail forwarded from Proton Mail is arriving, and isn't going to spam.
  8. Close Proton Mail, when you're ready

    Wait at least a month, until nothing new arrives there. On a free account you can leave it open with forwarding on instead. Before you close a paid account, download a last copy of your mail.

    • Cancelling: Cancel in your account dashboard before the renewal date.
    • Refunds: Full refund if you cancel and ask within 30 days of your first purchase, once per person; not for cash or bank transfer payments.
    • Renewal: Renews automatically at the price at the time of renewal, which can differ from what you first paid.

    From Proton Mail's page: Proton Mail.

I checked the providers' help pages on 24 October 2026. Menus move, so if a step doesn't match what you see, tell me and I'll update it.

Moving to Tuta from somewhere else? Gmail to Tuta · Outlook.com to Tuta · iCloud Mail to Tuta · Fastmail to Tuta · mailbox.org to Tuta · Posteo to Tuta · All switching guides

Get new posts and become a member

You're subscribing to Paul O'Brien - Insights, my newsletter. When I publish a new review, guide or explainer, it comes straight to your inbox. It's free, and you also become a member.

See everything members get

I'll send one email first so you can confirm it's you. Already subscribed? Sign in to manage your details