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Head-to-head · Personal Email Services

Proton Mail vs Fastmail Email

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Proton Mail #3 in Personal Email Services 9.0/10 Free plan Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Proton Mail
Fastmail Email #7 in Personal Email Services 8.5/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Fastmail

Proton Mail leads on 3 checks, Fastmail Email on 0, and 2 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 scoreProton Mail · 9.0/10
  • Free planonly Proton Mail
  • Free trialboth
  • Most featuresFastmail Email · 2 of 3

Proton Mail scores higher on our rubric for personal email services: 9.0 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #7.

Proton Mail offers free plan; Fastmail Email doesn't. Proton Mail leads on mailbox storage: 15 GB versus 5 GB. Proton Mail offers custom domain; Fastmail Email doesn't.

Proton Mail is the better fit for privacy-focused users. Fastmail Email is the better fit for ad-free paid email with broad clients.

  • Proton Mail fits best

    Privacy-focused users

  • Fastmail Email fits best

    Ad-free paid email with broad clients

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Proton Mail 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Fastmail Email 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.5
Ranking #3 in Personal Email Services #7 in Personal Email Services
Best for Privacy-focused users Ad-free paid email with broad clients
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $3.99/user/mo 30-day trial
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial 14 days 30 days
Free trial length 14 days · no card needed 30 days · no card needed
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support Email, Live chat, Tickets, Docs Email, Tickets, Docs · 24/7
Compliance GDPR, 2FA 2FA
Integrations 4 integrations 5 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Proton Mail 1/3 · Fastmail Email 2/3
Custom domain ✓ (best) —
Email aliases Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Ad-free inbox Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Mailbox storage 15 GB (best) 5 GB
Attachment limit Not checked yet 50 MB
Platform access Not checked yet Web_mobile_desktop
Our review
Pros
  • End-to-end encryption between Proton Mail users
  • Tracker blocking, phishing protection, and suspicious-link confirmation
  • Web, desktop, and mobile apps with migration tools
  • Ad-free mail with aliases, masked addresses, and custom domains on eligible plans
  • Works across web, desktop, mobile, and supported third-party email clients
  • Includes calendar, contacts, file storage, migration, and offline access
Cons
  • 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
  • There is no free plan
  • Custom domains and third-party client support depend on the plan
  • Attachment handling is approximately 50 MB per attachment
Our verdict

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 →

Fastmail Email is a paid email service for individuals, families, and businesses that want ad-free mail alongside calendar, contacts, and file storage. It supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android access, with deployment across…

Read the review →
  1. Proton MailPersonal Email Services 9.0Free plan
  2. Fastmail EmailPersonal Email Services 8.530-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • 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

  • Fastmail Email — where it wins

    • Ad-free mail with aliases, masked addresses, and custom domains on eligible plans
    • Works across web, desktop, mobile, and supported third-party email clients
    • Includes calendar, contacts, file storage, migration, and offline access

    Where it doesn't

    • There is no free plan
    • Custom domains and third-party client support depend on the plan
    • Attachment handling is approximately 50 MB per attachment
  • Proton Mail9.0/10 · Free plan

    A privacy-focused email service with strong encryption, migration tools, and broad platform coverage.

    Visit Proton MailFull verdict →
  • Fastmail Email8.5/10 · 30-day trial

    A paid, ad-free email service with aliases, migration tools, and broad device support.

    Visit FastmailFull verdict →

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