ProtonMail review (2021): what is this encrypted messaging service worth?

Powered by Proton Technologies AG, ProtonMail aims to protect the privacy of Internet users by offering a secure e-mail service. Often preferred by professionals, the ProtonMail tool is also designed for individuals wishing to maintain the confidentiality of their online exchanges, which is compromised with traditional mailboxes.

You hesitate to take ProtonMail despite the good feedback about this tool? Not sure if this solution is right for you? We tested this messaging service in 2021 to help you make your choice by examining its technical characteristics, the ergonomics of the interface or its prices. Here is our review of ProtonMail.

© Proton Mail

Introducing ProtonMail

ProtonMail is an open source software created in 2013. The founders realized that conventional mailboxes were insecure and subject to the risk of hacking. The objective of this service based in Switzerland is therefore to guarantee the security of Internet user communications thanks to an encrypted messaging tool accessible from a web browser.

A year after ProtonMail, Proton Technology is releasing its Virtual Private Network service ProtonVPN. This software complements its email system by protecting users' web traffic and all their data passing through the Internet.

The ProtonMail platform is intended to be complete but it is nonetheless simple to use. It is based on the principle of end-to-end encryption applied to all your sent and archived messages. No one can intercept or translate your communications, not even the company that saves the encrypted version of your messages on its servers. Emails received in your inbox are inaccessible by ProtonMail which does not have the encryption key. This is the advantage of client-side encrypted data.

Security also applies to users of another unencrypted mailbox such as Gmail. Just set a password so that only the recipient can open the email.

ProtonMail has continued to grow and improve over the years. Today, a free version is available. There is a compatible application on iOS and Android. The tool is also available in 23 languages ​​including French.

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ProtonMail Features

After a brief presentation of ProtonMail, let's continue this ProtonMail review by now focusing on the features of the service.

ProtonMail relies on end-to-end encryption to secure your exchanges, which means that only the recipient is able to read the message sent to them. While that sounds logical, traditional messaging doesn't.

Encryption is done automatically between ProtonMail software users. On the other hand, it will be necessary to define a password or encryption key for recipients who do not have ProtonMail. In this case, here is the message that your interlocutor will receive:

Mail received for non-users of ProtonMail © Presse-citron

Afterwards, it is up to him to indicate the password entered by you to decrypt the message. In this way, ProtonMail secures your exchanges no matter what.

Note however that an email sent by a non-user to your mailbox will not benefit from ProtonMail protection.

ProtonMail uses strong AES, RSA and OpenPGP encryption algorithms. All are open source which guarantees their reliability and transparency.

To make its solution more solid, the service provider has no access to its users' data. Indeed, only the encrypted format of archived emails ends up on ProtonMail servers. Thus, it is impossible for the brand to read the content. It is also for this reason that it is impossible for ProtonMail to recover your data in the event of a lost password.

Ephemeral messages are another feature of ProtonMail. In other words, they delete themselves automatically after a certain period of time. You will be able to set the expiration time. In our opinion, this is a big plus to guarantee the confidentiality and security of your online exchanges.

In addition to the features specific to this encrypted messaging, there are other frequent options of email services such as the classification of emails via labels, automatic replies, email signature, etc.

After taking a tour of the technical characteristics of the software, we have a very good opinion on ProtonMail so far.

How do I create a ProtonMail account?

Creating a ProtonMail account takes less than two minutes. You will need to start by choosing a username. The extension that follows will be @protonmail.com (for a free account). Next, you will need to set up a password and email address for possible account recovery. This is an optional option. In other words, you are not obliged to communicate your personal information. This is an advantage in our opinion.

Once your account is created, you can add contacts manually or import them from a CSV file. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail or Eudora are compatible.

You can also download the mobile application on iOS and Android to have access to your emails at any time.

Know that the subscription is free and that you can decide at any time to upgrade to a more complete package. It is also possible to subscribe directly to a paid plan. This is precisely what we advise you to do. We will come back to the characteristics of the Free version and those of the paid offers a little later in our ProtonMail review.

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Is the interface ergonomic?

Impossible to write a review on ProtonMail without mentioning its interface and its functional side since the simplicity of use takes precedence for this kind of everyday tool.

When you are connected to your mailbox, you will have access to a simple interface that is not complex. There is an inbox, drafts, sent messages, archives, spam and trash.

ProtonMail interface © Lemon squeezer

A dashboard with key information (storage, number of user addresses, offers) is available from the Settings tab. It is also in the settings that you can modify the appearance of your messaging system (editor size, column or row display mode, toolbar visible or not, etc.).

You should know that the default interface is in English but you can change the language in the Settings section and choose French.

Since there are many similarities in terms of commands with traditional mailboxes, ProtonMail is very easy to learn. In our opinion, sending and managing emails is very intuitive. Although there is nothing to complain about the ergonomics and the speed of the platform, whether on desktop or mobile, the interface lacks a bit of modernity for our taste.

How much does ProtonMail cost?

Now let's move on to ProtonMail pricing. The provider offers a free version and three paid plans. Here are the possibilities available to you when subscribing to the ProtonMail service:

Free package at 0€

Plus plan at 4€ / month

Visionary package at 24€ / month

Professional package at €6.25 / month / user

The prices displayed here are valid for an annual contract period. You can also go on a two-year or monthly subscription if you do not want to commit.

© Proton Mail

The free version Free is rather a discovery of the service because its functionalities are limited. For example, it gives access to 500 MB of storage, a maximum of 150 messages sent per day and 3 folders. Also, the domain name will not be personal (@protonmail.com) and you will not be able to deactivate the ProtonMail signature at the end of the message. That said, this trial version remains an alternative need to test the service and get familiar with the tool.

The entry-level Plus formula is very accessible. It includes a single user account, 5 GB of default storage, 5 addresses that can be associated with your account and a personal domain. It has a limit of 1,000 messages sent per day and 200 folders. Custom filters and autoresponder options are included. If you have a small budget and specific needs, this offer is ideal.

The more comprehensive Visionary offering is considered the most premium. It includes 6 users, 20 GB of storage, 50 addresses and 10 different personal domains. E-mail sends are unlimited as well as the number of folders and labels. Support is priority. The price may seem high because it also includes ProtonVPN protection. In our opinion, the price-performance ratio is there.

Finally, the Professional package is aimed at professional profiles. The advantage is that it is possible to build a tailor-made offer adapted to the needs of each company with a base price per user set at €6.25 per month. You will be able to add more than 100 users and up to 100 personal domains. The sending of messages is unlimited as is the number of files. If needed, you will be given priority when contacting ProtonMail Support.

Is ProtonMail support effective?

Before ending our review of ProtonMail, we want to tell you about its customer support because this counts a lot in the final appreciation. Indeed, in case of technical problems or questions about the use of the service, it is important to know if you can rely on customer support or manage yourself.

Fortunately, ProtonMail won't leave you in the lurch. Its professional customer service will respond to your query as quickly as possible – within 24 hours on average. To contact them, you will need to send an email to support@protonmail.com and explain your problem in English.

In addition to this live assistance, an online contact form is available to users. Note that it will not necessarily be suitable for complex complaints since the response is automated by a robot.

If you master the language of Shakespeare, you can take a look at its very complete Help section. The articles are in English but are sometimes illustrated with screenshots and tutorial videos. And surprisingly, the articles are open to comments. ProtonMail technical teams even respond to user comments. An additional element that testifies to the transparency of the company.

Finally, ProtonMail support is available and responsive. Although the exchanges are in English, the advisers are attentive and very attentive to the comments of the users.

Conclusion: ProtonMail, one of the best alternatives to traditional messaging

If you're tired of having your personal and work records spied on and want to secure your communications, ProtonMail is ideal. This simple to use and very effective service will protect all your exchanges with end-to-end encryption. Messages in your inbox will also be backed up anonymously on ProtonMail servers since only the encrypted format is saved there.

As you can see, our opinion on ProtonMail is very positive. This is a serious speaker who delivers very good services at affordable prices. There is no doubt that in the years to come, this software will establish itself as an alternative to traditional messaging.

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ProtonMail

9

Global mark

9.0/10

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