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Head-to-head · Personal Email Services

Outlook.com vs Proton Mail

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Outlook.com #2 in Personal Email Services 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Outlook.com
Proton Mail #3 in Personal Email Services 9.0/10 Free plan Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Proton Mail

Outlook.com leads on 1 check, Proton Mail on 1, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreOutlook.com · 9.2/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Proton Mail
  • Most featuresOutlook.com · 2 of 3

Outlook.com scores higher on our rubric for personal email services: 9.2 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.

Outlook.com leads on mailbox storage: 100 GB versus 15 GB. Proton Mail offers custom domain; Outlook.com doesn't.

Outlook.com is the better fit for people who use Microsoft services. Proton Mail is the better fit for privacy-focused users.

  • Outlook.com fits best

    People who use Microsoft services

  • Proton Mail fits best

    Privacy-focused users

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Side by side

Feature Outlook.com 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Proton Mail 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 9.0
Ranking #2 in Personal Email Services #3 in Personal Email Services
Best for People who use Microsoft services Privacy-focused users
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $3.99/user/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Integrations 3 integrations 4 integrations
Features Outlook.com 2/3 · Proton Mail 1/3
Custom domain — ✓ (best)
Email aliases ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Ad-free inbox ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Mailbox storage 100 GB (best) 15 GB
Attachment limit 25 MB Not checked yet
Platform access Web_mobile_desktop Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free accounts include 15 GB of mailbox storage.
  • Aliases, inbox rules, Focused Inbox, and Sweep help organize email.
  • Connects with OneDrive, Box, and Dropbox for file sharing.
  • End-to-end encryption between Proton Mail users
  • Tracker blocking, phishing protection, and suspicious-link confirmation
  • Web, desktop, and mobile apps with migration tools
Cons
  • Free accounts have less mailbox storage than the 100 GB paid tiers.
  • Ad-free email and calendar require a Microsoft 365 subscription.
  • Custom domains are not supported.
  • The free plan includes only 1 GB of storage
  • Only one encrypted email address is included on the free plan
  • Custom domains and expanded aliases require paid plans
Our verdict

Outlook.com is Microsoft's personal email service, available through a browser and Outlook apps. It brings email, calendar, and contacts together with spam filtering and 15 GB of mailbox storage on the free plan. Focused Inbox, inbox…

Read the review →

Proton Mail is an encrypted email service for individuals, organizations, journalists, activists, and businesses. It combines end-to-end encryption for messages between Proton Mail users with zero-access encryption for stored messages and…

Read the review →
  1. Outlook.comPersonal Email Services 9.2Free plan
  2. Proton MailPersonal Email Services 9.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Outlook.com — where it wins

    • Free accounts include 15 GB of mailbox storage.
    • Aliases, inbox rules, Focused Inbox, and Sweep help organize email.
    • Connects with OneDrive, Box, and Dropbox for file sharing.

    Where it doesn't

    • Free accounts have less mailbox storage than the 100 GB paid tiers.
    • Ad-free email and calendar require a Microsoft 365 subscription.
    • Custom domains are not supported.

  • Proton Mail — where it wins

    • End-to-end encryption between Proton Mail users
    • Tracker blocking, phishing protection, and suspicious-link confirmation
    • Web, desktop, and mobile apps with migration tools

    Where it doesn't

    • The free plan includes only 1 GB of storage
    • Only one encrypted email address is included on the free plan
    • Custom domains and expanded aliases require paid plans

More comparisons

All personal email services comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update