Protecting my personal data is hugely important to me, but it’s not always an easy task. Everywhere you move online, you’re being tracked, and websites are constantly attempting to gather your data. It’s tiring, and doesn’t always feel like there is an easy solution.
It’s not just websites, mind. It’s your email inbox, too. Most free email providers use your inbox to scan for information, then serve you ads based on that. You know, your personal emails that could contain private information? Those ones. Unless, that is, you start using a private and encrypted email provider like Proton Mail, which basically bends over backwards to protect your personal data from scammers and hackers.
End-to-end encryption is important
No one but me can read my emails
Proton has a suite of apps that focus on security and protection above all else. These include Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, Proton VPN, Proton Pass, Proton Docs, Proton Wallet, and Lumo AI, all of which highlight encryption and security as their chief selling points. Proton Mail has end-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge encryption, meaning that only the person emailing and the person receiving the email can access it.
Proton doesn’t even have access to your email, meaning your info is just between you and the other person. Proton is based in Switzerland, which has strict zero-access protection. This means that Proton Mail doesn’t track your email or emails to provide any ad revenue for companies.
I don’t ever remember an email telling me blatantly how it was protecting my info.
If you’ve used Gmail before, you know how annoying the targeted ads in your inbox can be. I’ve accidentally clicked on an ad many times when I meant to click on an email, and then had to frustratingly exit out of it before I realized what it was. You’ll never see anything like that with Proton Mail.
Proton Mail’s security stands out above other email providers
The safety promise seems to mean more coming from Proton
What I loved right away about Proton Mail was that I noticed the security features as soon as I started using it. One of the first emails I received was from a mailing list for a clothing company. When I opened the email, I was met with a pop-up that stated the trackers it blocked. It went out of its way not only to stop those trackers from trying to take my information, but to alert me that it was happening. I don’t ever remember an email telling me blatantly how it was protecting my info.
You can use two-factor authentication to log in to Proton Mail, keeping your password safe and protected. But when you send emails, you can also easily encrypt your emails with a password. It requires the person receiving the email to enter a password to view it, which makes it extremely secure. For example, whenever I’ve had to provide tax documents to anyone, I use this method.
I was impressed that I didn’t even need to include any personal information when I signed up for a Proton Mail account. I just created an email address, and off I went. If you’re sharing information from any other Proton application, the same end-to-end encryption is included. So, if you’re adding an email as an attachment to a calendar entry, you can password-protect it, and it can only be seen by people who have access to the calendar and not even Proton itself.
You get more than just email with Proton Mail
It’s also all free
No matter which version of Proton Mail you use, you’ll get the same experience from it. The layout is customizable, and the interactive nature is easy to become accustomed to. I enjoy both the browser version and the mobile app, and there is also a desktop app. In 2025, Proton Mail upgraded its mobile versions to provide a cleaner experience. You get 500MB of mail storage for free from Proton Mail. If you’re diligent about managing your inbox’s health, you can keep it under control and stay within 500MB for quite a while.
With that 500MB comes a 2GB Proton Drive plan, letting you store files in the cloud. If you find yourself going over the limit and want to keep Proton Mail, you can upgrade to a paid plan for either $3.99 per month, which provides 15GB of storage, or $9.99 per month for 500GB of storage. These options also provide more email address choices, VPN connections, custom email domains, and additional features.
If you stick with the free version, you do get access to one Proton VPN connection, up to three calendars you can manage, and Proton Pass with ten hide-my-email aliases. Proton Pass is a password manager that can create passwords for you. It’s an added bonus on top of other safety features to keep your info protected.
Proton provides security and safety
It’s easy not to pay much attention to security when choosing an email provider. You may just think about the most popular brands and sign up for the convenience. But Proton Mail offers the same convenience with added security bonuses. It’s not hard to take a second and consider how valuable it is not to have your information spread around the internet. Proton Mail goes above and beyond to protect your data and stop anyone from tracking you.
