How is ProtonMail safer than Gmail?

The use of end-to-end encryption makes ProtonMail the most secure email service available. Since all of your emails will be encrypted, no one can access your data, not even ProtonMail. On the other hand, Gmail keeps logs of your IP address and can see the emails in your inbox.

What is the advantage of switching from the free version to the paid plans?

If you are on a budget, you can start with ProtonMail’s free version. Although some of the features are limited, end-to-end encryption will protect your communication. However, you'll get more features if you upgrade to the paid packages that include Plus, Professional, and Visionary.

Can I send encrypted emails to non-ProtonMail users?

One of the perks of using ProtonMail is that you can send secured messages to non-users. You will only need to create a password and send it to the recipient to open the email. This is a great feature to stop great giants from snooping on your online communication.

Can ProtonMail provide law agencies with my information?

No. First of all, your emails are encrypted, and even ProtonMail cannot decrypt them. Second, you don’t have to provide your personal information when creating an account. So, in any case, there is nothing that can be traced back to you.

Is it worth paying for ProtonMail?

There are so many free email services, and it might seem strange to pay so you can send and receive emails. Subscribing to ProtonMail gives you the peace of mind that your messages are completely anonymous with end-to-end encryption.

Will ProtonMail work in China?

According to the support, ProtonMail does not have contact with Chinese authorities. The company states that it is very insignificant to be on the government’s radar. However, it is impossible to speculate how the Chinese firewall works and can block ProtonMail at any time.

ProtonMail review: Is it really the most secure email service in 2023?

Ruheni Mathenge Last updated: December 31, 2022 Read time: 15 minutes

This is an estimated reading time to let you know how long it will take you to read all the content on this particular PrivacySavvy.com page. However, it has a sneak peek, easy guide steps, and/or a quick list providing quick in-page navigations and easily-found answers if desired.

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Facts checked by Ali Qamar

In our extensive ProtonMail review, we rigorously test the waters of this secure email provider claiming to encrypt emails from end to end.

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If you didn’t know, your email’s content is continually monitored. One way to secure your communication is by using an encrypted email service like ProtonMail. It employs end-to-end encryption together with other security features to protect the messages you send or receive.

The only people who can access the emails are you and your recipient. Even the provider itself cannot read them, which helps to maintain your anonymity.

Having said that, how safe is ProtonMail? Do you need a subscription to get started?

Fortunately, I have done extensive testing and present you with an honest review of ProtonMail. Read through to get everything you need to know about this secure email service.

ProtonMail background information and funding

Before I continue further with this ProtonMail extensive review, let’s look at its history. ProtonMail is a product of Proton Technologies AG, a Switzerland-based company. The founders are a group of scientists who met at CERN and shared a vision of safeguarding civil liberties online. So, they created ProtonMail, a user-friendly email service secured with end-to-end encryption.

The company receives funding from various sources. Apart from the regular customer subscriptions, ProtonMail got funds from the following ventures.

Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign brought in over half a million dollars in 2014
$2 million investment from Charles River Ventures (CRV) in 2015
Received €2 million from the EU to develop a suite of encrypted services

ProtonMail pros and cons

Pros:

It is based in Switzerland, a privacy-friendly jurisdiction
End-to-end and zero-access encryption
Provides apps for both iOS and Android mobile devices
Open-source web client and encryption algorithm
Support for custom domains

Cons:

Requires personal information to verify new accounts
Does not encrypt email subject lines
Unclear and expensive packages

How does ProtonMail work?

The one thing that sets ProtonMail apart from the rest is the end-to-end encryption. So, it will scramble your email content to make it unreadable. The recipient will have to use the correct encryption key to decrypt and read the message.

Besides, you can use ProtonMail to send messages to a recipient with other email clients securely. All you will have to do is to create a password that will act as the encryption key. The person on the other end will only need to input the password to open and read the content.

ProtonMail key features

Short domain address

If the protonmail.com domain is too long, you can shorten it. ProtonMail allows you to keep your mailbox name and change the domain name. For instance, if your email address reads ruheni.mathenge@protonmail.com, you can make it shorter to ruheni.mathenge@pm.me.