Comparison

Proton Mail vs SecureMyEmail

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Proton Mail

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
Read full description

Keep your conversations private. Proton Mail is encrypted email from Switzerland. Used by millions worldwide, our all-new email app protects your communications and has everything you need to easily manage your inbox. The Wall Street Journal says: “Proton Mail offers encrypted email, which makes it virtually impossible for anyone to read it except the sender and the recipient.” With the all-new Proton Mail app, you can: • Create a @proton.me or @protonmail.com email address • Send and receive encrypted emails and attachments with ease • Switch between multiple Proton Mail accounts • Easily manage your email with conversations • Keep your inbox tidy and clean with folders, labels and simple swipe-gestures • Receive new email notifications • Send Password-protected Emails to anyone • Keep important emails in focus with automatic, private categories • Enjoy your inbox in dark mode Why use Proton Mail? • Easy to use — Our all-new app has been redesigned to make it easier to read, organize, and write your emails. • Your inbox is yours — We don’t spy on your communications to show you targeted ads. Your inbox, your rules. • Rigorous encryption — Your entire inbox is secured, on all your devices. No one can read your emails but you. Proton is privacy, guaranteed by end-to-end and zero-access encryption. • Unmatched protection — We offer strong phishing, spam, and spying/tracking protection for all your communications. Industry Leading Security Features Messages are stored on Proton Mail servers using end-to-end encryption at all times and are transmitted securely between Proton servers and user devices. This largely eliminates the risk of message interception. Zero Access to Your Email Content Proton Mail's zero access architecture means that your data is encrypted in a way that makes it inaccessible to us. Data is encrypted on the client side using an encryption key that Proton does not have access to. This means we don't have the technical ability to decrypt your messages. Open-Source Cryptography Proton Mail's open-source software has been thoroughly vetted by security experts from around the world to ensure the highest levels of protection. Proton Mail only uses secure implementations of AES, RSA, along with OpenPGP, while all of the cryptographic libraries used are open source. By using open-source libraries, Proton Mail can guarantee that the encryption algorithms used do not have clandestinely built-in back doors. Proton Mail in the press: “Proton Mail is a Gmail-like email system which uses end-to-end encryption, making it impossible for outside parties to monitor.” Forbes “A new email service being developed by a group who met at MIT and CERN promises to bring secure, encrypted email to the masses and keep sensitive information away from prying eyes.” Huffington Post Follow Proton on social media for all the latest news and offers: Facebook: /proton Twitter: @protonprivacy Reddit: /protonmail Instagram: /protonprivacy Our open-source code base: https://github.com/ProtonMail EULA: http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula

About

SecureMyEmail

Easily encrypt any email address with military-grade, end-to-end encryption. Send secure messages and attachments to anyone, even if they don't use the app. Features include self-destructing messages and HIPAA/GDPR compliance.

Highlights
  • PGP email encryption for any address
  • End-to-end encrypted email and attachments
  • Self-destructing ephemeral messages
  • Zero-knowledge encryption
  • Manage multiple email addresses
  • HIPAA and GDPR compliant
  • Full PGP compatibility
Features
Read full description

Encrypt all your **current** email addresses, business and personal, with SecureMyEmail. - Fast Company - "SecureMyEmail makes really private email surprisingly simple." - TechRepuiblic - "SecureMyEmail is email encryption for everyone." - techradar pro - "SecureMyEmail is an easy-to-use, advanced platform that applies military-grade encryption to your email correspondence." The SecureMyEmail™ secure email app for iOS (iPhone and iPad) provides easy PGP email encryption for any email address so everyone can enjoy the privacy of end-to-end encryption without having to switch their email provider. **Free Forever. Or, enjoy a 30-Day Free Trial** - Encrypt a Gmail, Yahoo, or Microsoft (Hotmail, Outlook.com, Live, MSN) email for free. - All other users receive a 30-day free trial and may encrypt up to 8 email addresses - Free encrypted email use will be confirmed to you at signup. **Send Encrypted Email and Attachments to Anyone** - Recipients don’t have to use SecureMyEmail. - Recipients can also reply and reply all, including to other non-users. - Email and attachments remain fully encrypted end-to-end for everyone. **Self-destructing ephemeral messages** Email sent to non-users can be set to self-delete from 1 hour up to 30 days. **Zero-Knowledge End-to-End Encrypted Email** Nobody but your recipient(s) — not your email provider, Internet company, identity thieves,  advertisers, snoopy governments, or even us — can ever read your encrypted email and attachments. **Super Easy to Set Up and Use** It’s like setting up any other email software. **Secure and Manage Multiple Email Addresses** Encrypt up to 8 personal and business email addresses. **Use for all your Email or in Conjunction with other Clients** You can use SecureMyEmail as your primary email software or just use for encryption. You can keep using your favorite email app or webmail. We keep everything synced. **HIPAA and GDPR Compliant Email** Our encrypted email is perfect for HIPAA and GDPR requirements. Surpasses all encryption standards to keep personal and patient data safe and private. **Swiss Privacy** SecureMyEmail systems and servers are housed in Switzerland data centers. **Full PGP Compatibility** - Creates genuine PGP keys that you can use with other PGP software and websites. - Invite other PGP users for free for direct communication. **Advanced Crypto Features** Although super simple to use, we do have some goodies for the cryptographically savvy. Encryption key management, on-demand key regeneration, import/export of PGP keys, etc. Read our terms of service at: https://www.securemyemail.com/legal/terms/ We’d love to hear your comments, questions, and concerns! Please email us at: info@securemyemail.com

Screenshots

Proton Mail4 screens
SecureMyEmail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Proton Mail at 4.8 against SecureMyEmail's 3.5. Proton Mail also leads on ratings volume (47K vs 37) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). SecureMyEmail's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.2). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Proton Mail sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and SecureMyEmail sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Proton Mail holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Proton Mail has 47K ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Proton Mail's written reviews are positive against 43% of SecureMyEmail's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Proton Mail ships an update every 11 days, SecureMyEmail every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Proton Mail versus SecureMyEmail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProton MailSecureMyEmail
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (47K ratings) — better3.5 (37 ratings)
Positive reviews46.2% of reviews — better43.3% of reviews
Number of ratings47K — better37
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#67 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.215.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size272 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperProton AGWiTopia

Customer experience

Proton Mail

All ratings47,046 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews1,621 reviews
Positive46.2%
Neutral13.6%
Negative40.2%

SecureMyEmail

All ratings37 ratings
Positive56.8%
Neutral5.4%
Negative37.8%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive43.3%
Neutral10.0%
Negative46.7%

Bugs and requests

Proton Mail

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • Conversation threading and email previews
  • Customizable notification sounds
  • Offline email access
  • Improved syncing across devices

SecureMyEmail

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Proton Mail

Subscriptions4
  • Mail Plus 1 month1 Month trial$5.991 Month
  • Unlimited 1 month$14.991 Month
  • Mail Plus 12 months$47.901 Year
Show 1 more
  • Unlimited 1 year$119.001 Year
One-time2
  • Mail Plus (1 year)$59.99
  • Proton Unlimited$149.99
3 purchases

SecureMyEmail

Subscriptions2
  • SecureMyEmail$3.991 Month
  • SecureMyEmail$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • SecureMyEmail Lifetime Plan$99.99

Questions

Is Proton Mail free?
Proton Mail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SecureMyEmail free?
SecureMyEmail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Proton Mail or SecureMyEmail?
Proton Mail is rated higher. Proton Mail averages 4.8 out of 5 from 47K ratings, while SecureMyEmail averages 3.5 from 37 ratings.
Do Proton Mail or SecureMyEmail have ads?
Neither Proton Mail nor SecureMyEmail shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Proton Mail or SecureMyEmail?
Proton Mail ships an update every 11 days, and SecureMyEmail every 2 months. Most recently, Proton Mail was updated on September 24, 2026 and SecureMyEmail on September 21, 2026.

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