Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Secure Email Providers

Proton Mail vs Mailfence

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Proton Mail #1 in Secure Email Providers 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Proton Mail
Mailfence #4 in Secure Email Providers 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Mailfence

Proton Mail leads on 2 checks, Mailfence on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 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 · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresProton Mail · 3 of 3

Proton Mail scores higher on our rubric for secure email providers: 9.4 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #4.

Proton Mail offers custom domain; Mailfence doesn't. Proton Mail leads on mailbox storage: 15 GB versus 5 GB. On mail protocol support, Proton Mail gives you Bridge where Mailfence offers None.

Proton Mail is the better fit for most users seeking a complete secure email suite. Mailfence is the better fit for secure email plus collaboration tools.

  • Proton Mail fits best

    Most users seeking a complete secure email suite

  • Mailfence fits best

    Secure email plus collaboration tools

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 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Mailfence 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.6
Ranking #1 in Secure Email Providers #4 in Secure Email Providers
Best for Most users seeking a complete secure email suite Secure email plus collaboration tools
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — €2.50/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web, iOS, Android
Integrations 5 integrations 9 integrations
Features Proton Mail 3/3 · Mailfence 1/3
End-to-end encryption ✓ ✓
Custom domain ✓ (best) —
Encrypted calendar ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Mailbox storage 15 GB (best) 5 GB
Email aliases 10 aliases 10 aliases
Mail protocol support Bridge None
Our review
Pros
  • End-to-end encryption and zero-access storage protect messages and attachments
  • Free plan includes 1 GB storage and 1 encrypted email address
  • Bridge connects desktop clients including Outlook, Thunderbird, and Apple Mail
  • OpenPGP encryption, digital signatures, and key management
  • Shared calendars, documents, contacts, mailboxes, and groups
  • IMAP, POP, SMTP, CalDAV, CardDAV, and ActiveSync support
Cons
  • Custom domains and expanded storage require a paid plan
  • Some desktop-client features depend on Proton Mail Bridge
  • Advanced plans may offer more capacity than light email users need
  • Free plan provides only 1 GB of total storage
  • Base excludes custom domains and mail-client access
  • Larger storage tiers become substantially more expensive
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 →

Mailfence is a Belgium-based secure email service for privacy-conscious individuals, families, organizations, and universities. Its browser-based service combines email with OpenPGP end-to-end encryption, digital signatures, key…

Read the review →
  1. Proton MailSecure Email Providers 9.4Free plan
  2. MailfenceSecure Email Providers 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Proton Mail — where it wins

    • End-to-end encryption and zero-access storage protect messages and attachments
    • Free plan includes 1 GB storage and 1 encrypted email address
    • Bridge connects desktop clients including Outlook, Thunderbird, and Apple Mail

    Where it doesn't

    • Custom domains and expanded storage require a paid plan
    • Some desktop-client features depend on Proton Mail Bridge
    • Advanced plans may offer more capacity than light email users need

  • Mailfence — where it wins

    • OpenPGP encryption, digital signatures, and key management
    • Shared calendars, documents, contacts, mailboxes, and groups
    • IMAP, POP, SMTP, CalDAV, CardDAV, and ActiveSync support

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan provides only 1 GB of total storage
    • Base excludes custom domains and mail-client access
    • Larger storage tiers become substantially more expensive

More comparisons

All secure email providers comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update