# mail.com vs Proton Mail

The clearest difference is ads: Proton Mail at none against mail.com's shown. Proton Mail also leads on chart position (#64 vs unranked). mail.com's advantage is review sentiment (76% vs 46%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. mail.com sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Proton Mail sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for mail.com against 4.8 for Proton Mail. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 105K and 48K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of mail.com's written reviews are positive against 46% of Proton Mail's.

mail.com ships an update fortnightly, Proton Mail every 11 days. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | mail.com | Proton Mail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (105K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mailcom-email-and-cloud/id461316429/reviews) | **[4.8 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-mail-encrypted-email/id979659905/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **105K** | 48K |
| Positive reviews | **76.2% of reviews** | 46.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#64** |
| Size | 353 MB | 272 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [1&1 Mail & Media Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/461316432) | [Proton AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/979659484) |

## What reviewers say

### mail.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mailcom-email-and-cloud/id461316429)

Manage your emails and cloud storage from a single app. Receive instant notifications for new messages and access your contacts and documents on the go. Secure your account with PIN or biometric authentication.

**Highlights:** Unified inbox for all email addresses, 2GB cloud storage, Push notifications, PIN or biometric authentication, Automatic photo backup, Contact synchronization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25 GB | $0.99 | per month |
| adfree App | $1.99 | per month |
| 150 GB | $2.99 | per month |
| 250 GB | $3.99 | per month |
| mail.com Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| mail.com Premium | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Simple and clean interface
- 🔒 Secure email service
- 💡 Variety of domain options
- 🚀 Quick email delivery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional login issues
- 🐛 Delayed email notifications
- 💡 Need for more advanced features
- 🔋 Slow performance on older devices
- 🔍 Lacking robust search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Emails not loading properly
- Inability to delete or move emails
- Sync issues between app and web version
- Frequent app crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Improved email organization and folder management
- Option to disable ads in free version
- Enhanced search capabilities
- Ability to attach various file types
- Customizable email signatures


### Proton Mail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-mail-encrypted-email/id979659905)

**Currently charting:** #64 Top Free · Productivity, #86 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This encrypted email service from Switzerland prioritizes user privacy with end-to-end encryption. It offers robust security features to protect your communications from phishing, spam, and tracking, allowing you to manage your inbox with ease.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Password-protected emails, Multiple account support, Inbox organization (folders, labels), Dark mode, Phishing and spam protection

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mail Plus 1 month | $5.99 | per month |
| Unlimited 1 month | $14.99 | per month |
| Mail Plus 12 months | $47.90 | per year |
| Unlimited 1 year | $119.00 | per year |
| Mail Plus (1 year) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Proton Unlimited | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 🔒 Excellent security and privacy
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 💡 Expanding ecosystem of Proton services

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- ⏱️ Slow email loading times
- 📝 Lacking advanced email management features
- 💰 Expensive paid plans

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and lost email data
- Unreliable push notifications
- Inconsistent user experience between app and web

**Requested features**

- Conversation threading and email previews
- Customizable notification sounds
- Offline email access
- Improved syncing across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is mail.com free?

mail.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Proton Mail free?

Proton Mail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, mail.com or Proton Mail?

Proton Mail is rated higher. mail.com averages 4.7 out of 5 from 105K ratings, while Proton Mail averages 4.8 from 48K ratings.

### Do mail.com or Proton Mail have ads?

mail.com shows ads; Proton Mail does not.

### Which is updated more often, mail.com or Proton Mail?

mail.com ships an update fortnightly, and Proton Mail every 11 days. Most recently, mail.com was updated on September 30, 2026 and Proton Mail on September 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*