Proton VPN vs Proton Mail
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Proton VPN is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.7. Proton VPN wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Proton Mail on 1.
People who care about privacy and want a trustworthy VPN, free or paid
People who want private, encrypted email without giving up a modern inbox
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Proton VPN | Proton Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Privacy & Security | Privacy & Security |
| Category rank | #3 of 8 | #6 of 8 |
| Developer | Proton AG | Proton AG |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Strengths and weaknesses
Proton VPN
- Free tier has no data cap or ads
- Strong privacy credentials and Swiss jurisdiction
- Stealth protocol helps on restrictive networks
- Free plan limits server choice and speed at peak times
- Streaming and advanced features need a paid plan
Proton VPN has the best free VPN plan you'll find: no data cap, no ads and no activity logs. Paid plans add servers in many more countries, streaming support, Secure Core multi-hop routing and the NetShield ad and tracker blocker. The apps are open source, independently audited and run by a Swiss company. Free-tier speeds can dip at busy times. Get it if you want a VPN you can trust.
Full Proton VPN review
Proton Mail
- Strong encryption with a privacy-first business model
- Free plan works well for a personal inbox
- Password-protected emails to non-Proton users
- Search and filters are weaker than Gmail's
- Free plan has tight storage and feature limits
Proton Mail is the easiest way to move your email somewhere private. Messages are stored with zero-access encryption, emails between Proton users are end-to-end encrypted, and there's no ad-driven scanning of your inbox. Paid plans add custom domains, more addresses and more storage. The trade-offs are weaker search and fewer integrations than Gmail. Get it if privacy matters more than convenience.
Full Proton Mail review
