Proton Mail vs iCloud Mail

Proton Mail9.0Visit iCloud Mail8.8Visit

Higher score Proton Mail #3 in Personal Email Services 9.0/10 Free plan Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Proton Mail

vs

iCloud Mail #4 in Personal Email Services 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Apple

• Proton Mail fits best

  Privacy-focused users

• iCloud Mail fits best

  Apple device users

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Side by side

Feature	Proton Mail 9.0/10 Visit ↗	iCloud Mail 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.8
Ranking	#3 in Personal Email Services	#4 in Personal Email Services
Best for	Privacy-focused users	Apple device 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, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS
Integrations	4 integrations	2 integrations
Features Proton Mail 1/3 · iCloud Mail 2/3
Custom domain	✓	✓
Email aliases	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Ad-free inbox	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Mailbox storage	15 GB	50 GB (best)
Attachment limit	Not checked yet	5120 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	Synchronizes mail and settings across Apple devices, Windows, and iCloud.com Supports up to three @icloud.com aliases and custom domains with iCloud+ Mail Drop supports attachments up to 5 GB
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	Free mail shares its 5 GB storage allotment with other iCloud data Custom email domains require an iCloud+ plan Standard messages are limited to 20 MB
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 →	For people who use Apple devices, iCloud Mail provides an @icloud.com address and keeps mail changes and settings synchronized across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and iCloud.com. It also works with Apple Mail and Microsoft Outlook. The… Read the review →

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

• iCloud Mail — where it wins

  • Synchronizes mail and settings across Apple devices, Windows, and iCloud.com
  • Supports up to three @icloud.com aliases and custom domains with iCloud+
  • Mail Drop supports attachments up to 5 GB

  Where it doesn't

  • Free mail shares its 5 GB storage allotment with other iCloud data
  • Custom email domains require an iCloud+ plan
  • Standard messages are limited to 20 MB

• Proton Mail9.0/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit Proton MailFull verdict →
• iCloud Mail8.8/10 · Free plan

  A practical email service for Apple users, with aliases and larger attachments through Mail Drop.

  Visit AppleFull verdict →