ProtonMail Review: Why I Chose Privacy Over Convenience
Table of Contents
- Why I Left Google
- ProtonMail: The Easy Win
- What Makes It Special
- My Setup: Visionary Membership
- Pros and Cons
- ✅ What I Love
- ❌ Trade-offs
- SimpleLogin Integration: Email Aliases Done Right
- Migration Experience
- What Worked Perfectly
- Minor Adjustments
- Performance and Reliability
- Is ProtonMail Right for You?
- You Should Choose ProtonMail If:
- Stick with Gmail If:
- The Real Cost of "Free" Email
- Free Tier Available
- Get Started with ProtonMail
- My Referral Code
- Recommended Plan
- Final Thoughts
ProtonMail Review: Why I Chose Privacy Over Convenience
After years in Google's ecosystem, I made the decision to prioritize privacy over convenience. Of all the services I migrated away from Google, email was surprisingly the easiest transition. I've been using ProtonMail exclusively for personal email since 2017. Here's my honest review as a Visionary member who hasn't looked back.
Why I Left Google
The decision wasn't made lightly. Google's data collection practices, while providing undeniable convenience, came at a cost I was no longer comfortable with. Every email scanned, every attachment analyzed, every contact cataloged for advertising purposes. The breaking point was realizing how much of my digital life was concentrated in one company's hands.
ProtonMail: The Easy Win
What Makes It Special
ProtonMail isn't just another email provider, it's a privacy-first approach to digital communication. Built in Switzerland with end-to-end encryption as the foundation, not an afterthought.
Core Features:
- Zero-access encryption: Even Proton can't read your emails
- Open source: The code is auditable by security researchers
- No tracking: No ads, no data mining, no behavioral analysis
- Swiss privacy laws: Protected by some of the world's strongest privacy legislation
My Setup: Visionary Membership
I'm a ProtonMail Visionary member, which gives me access to the full Proton suite:
- ProtonMail (unlimited addresses, custom domains)
- ProtonVPN (high-speed servers worldwide)
- ProtonCalendar (encrypted calendar)
- ProtonDrive (encrypted cloud storage)
- Proton Pass (encrypted password manager)
- SimpleLogin (email aliasing service)
- Lumo (AI Assistant)
The Visionary plan costs more than basic email services, but the value proposition is clear in that it provides so many services.
Pros and Cons
✅ What I Love
Privacy First: Every email is encrypted end-to-end. Even if Proton wanted to read my mail (they don't), they technically can't.
Seamless Migration: Moving from Gmail was surprisingly smooth. ProtonMail's import tool handled years of email history without issues.
Professional Features: Custom domains, multiple addresses, and excellent spam filtering make it suitable for business use.
No Vendor Lock-in: Standard IMAP/SMTP support means I can always export my data.
Continuous Innovation: Regular updates with new features, always privacy-focused.
❌ Trade-offs
Learning Curve: The encryption model means some conveniences (like server-side search of old emails) work differently.
Cost: More expensive than "free" Gmail, but Gmail isn't actually free. You pay with your data, privacy, and attention to targeted ads.
Mobile App Limitations: Some features aren't quite as polished as Gmail's mobile experience, though they're rapidly improving.
Third-party Integration: Some services expect Gmail-style OAuth, requiring workarounds.
SimpleLogin Integration: Email Aliases Done Right
One of the biggest advantages of the Proton ecosystem is SimpleLogin integration. This service lets me create unlimited email aliases that forward to my main ProtonMail account. We understand why every site should have its own password, but why not its own username and email. This way I can easily shut down a sites email, understand where spam came from and its harder for services to aggregate data about me based on a matching email address.
How I Use It:
- Shopping: Every online store gets its own alias ([email protected], [email protected])
- Services: Each subscription gets a unique address
- Temporary accounts: Easily create and delete aliases for one-time signups
- Privacy protection: My real email stays private
The Benefits:
- Spam control: If an alias gets compromised, I just delete it
- Tracking prevention: I can see which companies sell my data
- Organization: Emails are automatically tagged by alias
- Security: Breach isolation—one compromised service doesn't expose my main email
- Data protection: Prevents services from aggregating information about you across platforms based on matching email addresses
- Easy management: Can disable or delete aliases instantly without affecting other services
Migration Experience
What Worked Perfectly
Email Import: ProtonMail's migration tool imported 15+ years of Gmail history flawlessly. Labels became folders, conversations stayed threaded, and nothing was lost.
Contact Migration: My entire contact list transferred over without issues.
Mobile Setup: The iOS and Android apps work exactly as you'd expect.
Minor Adjustments
Search: Server-side search only works on newer emails due to encryption. Local search handles older emails fine, but requires downloading them first.
Filters: Had to recreate Gmail filters, though ProtonMail's filter system is actually more powerful.
Integrations: Some services needed updating to use app passwords instead of OAuth.
Performance and Reliability
Speed: Email delivery is fast—often faster than Gmail in my experience.
Uptime: In over 7 years as a user, I can count service interruptions on one hand.
Storage: Generous storage limits, so generous I doubt it will ever become an issue. Every anniversary of my account I get additional storage also.
Sync: Perfect synchronization across devices—desktop, mobile, and web clients all stay in sync.
Is ProtonMail Right for You?
You Should Choose ProtonMail If:
- Privacy is a priority over convenience features
- You want to reduce dependence on big tech
- You need truly secure email for sensitive communications
- You value supporting privacy-focused companies
- You're comfortable with a slight learning curve for better security
Stick with Gmail If:
- You rely heavily on Google Workspace integrations
- Cost is the primary factor
- You need the most advanced AI features
- Privacy isn't a significant concern
The Real Cost of "Free" Email
Let's be honest about Gmail's true cost. While you don't pay with money, you pay with:
- Your data: Every email scanned and catalogued for advertising profiles
- Your privacy: Personal communications analyzed to serve targeted ads
- Your attention: Constant exposure to advertising and promotional content
- Your autonomy: Algorithm-driven inbox prioritization and content suggestions
ProtonMail's transparent pricing model means you're the customer, not the product. This fundamental difference changes the entire relationship.
Free Tier Available
ProtonMail offers generous free plans across their entire suite:
- ProtonMail Free: 1GB storage, 1 email address
- ProtonVPN Free: Unlimited bandwidth, 1 VPN connection
- ProtonCalendar Free: 1 calendar, basic functionality
- ProtonDrive Free: 1GB encrypted cloud storage
The free tiers let you experience the privacy-first approach without commitment, though paid plans unlock the full potential.
Get Started with ProtonMail
My Referral Code
I'm happy to share my ProtonMail referral code with readers. Using this link gives you one month free on any paid plan and helps support my privacy advocacy.
How to Use:
- Click the referral link above
- Choose your plan (I recommend Mail Plus to start)
- Create your account
- The free month will be automatically applied
What You Get:
- 1 month free on any paid plan
- Full access to encrypted email
- Custom domain support (on Plus plans)
- Priority customer support
- 15GB storage (Mail Plus)
Recommended Plan
For most users, I recommend starting with Mail Plus ($4/month):
- 15GB storage
- 10 email addresses
- Custom domain support
- Email filters and auto-reply
- Priority support
If you want the full privacy suite including VPN and SimpleLogin, Unlimited ($10/month) is excellent value.
Final Thoughts
Leaving Google's email ecosystem felt daunting, but ProtonMail made it painless. The combination of strong privacy protections, professional features, and excellent user experience convinced me that email privacy doesn't require sacrificing functionality.
Seven years in, I'm not just satisfied, I'm evangelical about privacy-focused email. When friends ask about leaving Google services, I tell them what I wish someone had told me: start with email, because it's the easiest win in your privacy journey.
The Visionary membership gives me everything I need: secure email, encrypted calendar, reliable VPN, and unlimited email aliases through SimpleLogin. It's become the foundation of my privacy-first digital life.
Bottom line: ProtonMail delivers on its promise of private, secure email without compromising on the features that matter. If you're considering the switch, the free month through my referral link makes it risk-free to try.
Disclaimer: This review reflects my genuine experience as a paying ProtonMail customer. The referral link provides a benefit to both new users and helps support my privacy advocacy content.