While looking to improve my digital hygiene, I looked at various privacy-oriented email clients. Proton Mail was my favorite, and it’s very close to competing with Gmail—though it sadly misses some key features that mean I’m not quite ready to make the switch.
Why I Love Proton Mail
Proton Mail has plenty of handy tools and a robust infrastructure, making it great for daily email management.
1. A Strong Emphasis on Security
One of the main reasons I was drawn to Proton Mail was for its emphasis on security. The app has self-destructing messages; while I still wouldn’t want to share sensitive information via this form of communication, knowing that anything potentially falling into this category can get deleted offers peace of mind. The tool has zero-access encryption, too; there are manyreasons to use an encrypted email service.
Proton Mail has numerous other features designed to keep me safe, too. For example, the PhishGuard tool can help me stay safe from phishing attacks. This, combined with knowingthe most common types of phishing attacks, means I’m less likely to fall victim to these kinds of threats.
The Proton Mail app has features you’ll find with other email services, too, such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and end-to-end encryption.
2. I Can Easily Create Folders and Labels
Achieving inbox zeroregularly involves proactivity, and one way I do this is by creating folders and labels. Proton Mail makes it incredibly easy to do both.
When using Proton Mail, I can create labels and folders via the left-hand toolbar. There’s a+ iconfor both; I can add folders to parent folders if needed.
For labels and folders, I get a decent range of customization. For example, I can change their colors if I feel like it’s necessary.
3. The User Interface Is Beautiful
When I use email apps, functionality is only one aspect. I’m really into aesthetics, and I find it difficult to use apps and services that don’t look good. Thankfully, Proton Mail has a beautiful user interface (UI).
The design is instantly eye-catching, and I like how everything is well spaced out. Moreover, the contrast makes navigation even easier. Everything feels sleek and modern, especially when compared to tools like Outlook (which I sometimes think looks archaic).
Another thing I like about Proton Mail is that the app’s design is consistent across desktop and mobile. So, I have a nice experience regardless of where I wish to browse my emails.
4. Lots of Customization Options
While Proton Mail works pretty well with its default settings, I like how I have access to a number of customization options if I wish to use them. For example, I can pick from a handful of font themes, giving my inbox and emails more of a personalized feel.
In addition to changing my font themes, I can use Proton Mail to decide if I wish to enable or disable animations. Moreover, the app allows me to change the font size and pick from various color palettes.
Proton Mail lets me edit the pick from multiple languages, in addition to changing my message layout and density. Moreover, I can decide whether to automatically view embedded messages or not.
5. Inbox Forwarding
Using my Gmail address is so embedded in my habits that it’s hard for me to switch to a different service sometimes. Unfortunately, though, I may miss some of my emails if I don’t check my inbox for a while. Inbox forwarding is the easiest way to tackle this in Proton Mail.
This feature allows me to set up inbox forwarding to ensure that my emails are automatically sent to another of my most commonly used addresses. This keeps me always in sync with what others have sent me. This tool is available in theForward and auto-replysection; it requires a paid plan, but the subscription is worthwhile.
6. The Auto-Unsubscribe Feature
If youstill receive emails after unsubscribing, you can do several things to stop the issue. For example, you can block the sender or change your email settings.
7. Getting Email Notifications Sent to Another Account
I try to check my emails twice per day at most, and I’d rather receive a summary than manually check my inbox. Proton Mail allows me to do precisely that by setting up notifications. With this tool, I can get email notifications sent to one of my other accounts.
If I see anything worth replying to, I can easily go into my Proton Mail account and respond. As a result, I sometimes don’t have to check my profile for days on end. Thanks to the better concentration stemming from this, I’ve noticed better productivity.
Why I Think Proton Mail Doesn’t Quite Beat Gmail
Despite all its advantages, I still don’t thinkProton Mail is on quite the same level as Gmail. It’s lacking a few key features that would make it my undisputed favorite email client.
1. Less Storage Space
Proton Mail only has 1GB of storage for emails with a free plan, which is very small. If you get lots of emails with large attachments, this can be a problem. This can be increased with Proton Unlimited, which includes 500GB of storage (which is shared across Drive and other Proton services). That’ll cost you $12.99 per month, dropping to $9.99 per month if you take a 12-month subscription ($119.88 total).
Considering that Google provides 15GB of storage without needing a paid subscription, Proton Mail feels very limiting.
2. Gmail Has Better Segmentation
Gmail’s segmentation is still my favorite in any email tool. The app is excellent at organizing important emails and segmenting everything else into social and other categories. Most of the time, I feel like Gmail is pretty accurate; I can count on one hand the number of times the tool has gotten this wrong.
Another advantage of Gmail is that it’s very good at determining what’s spam without much input from me. Proton Mail, on the other hand, doesn’t feel on the same level for me.
3. It Needs Better Integration With Third-Party Apps
Another big advantage of using Gmail is that it integrates with many third-party apps. For example, I can use the tool with Slack, Notion, Asana, and a number of tools I use daily. This makes it very easy for me to keep everything organized and to simplify how I work across multiple platforms.
In comparison, Proton Mail doesn’t have as many third-party app integrations. I hope that this changes in the future, as I think the tool is otherwise great, but until then, it’s hard for me to fully justify switching over.
Proton Mail has numerous fantastic features that make it worth using. I love the customization options and how the app focuses on privacy and security. However, it’s missing a handful of features—such as Gmail-level segmentation—that mean I’m not yet convinced to fully switch. Still, I’ve set up an account to receive Proton Mail notifications on Gmail, enabling me to check whenever I need.
