# Proton Mail vs Mail Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Proton Mail at 4.8 against Mail Notes's 4.3. Proton Mail also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (47K vs 106). Mail Notes's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 46%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Proton Mail sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Mail Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Proton Mail holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Proton Mail has 47K ratings behind it against 106, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Proton Mail's written reviews are positive against 75% of Mail Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Proton Mail ships an update every 11 days, Mail Notes every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Proton Mail | Mail Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (47K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-mail-encrypted-email/id979659905/reviews)** | [4.3 (106 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mail-notes/id1098293355/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **47K** | 106 |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#63** | — |
| Size | 272 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Proton AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/979659484) | [Tech Positive](https://appshunter.io/developer/580207852) |

## What reviewers say

### Proton Mail

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

**Currently charting:** #63 Top Free · Productivity, #89 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


### Mail Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mail-notes/id1098293355)

Quickly send emails to yourself for reminders and notes. This app streamlines the process to under a second, allowing for easy email address switching, direct sharing from browsers, and even sending notes via an Apple Watch app. It offers features like labeling, history, and subject prefixes for efficient organization.

**Highlights:** Email under 1 second, Share widget for browser links, Apple Watch app for on-the-go emails, Label emails with icons, Sent email history, Optional subject prefix, Paste clipboard contents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access | $2.99 | per month |
| All Access | $29.99 | per year |
| Unlock Pro Version | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Proton Mail free?

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

### Is Mail Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Proton Mail or Mail Notes?

Proton Mail is rated higher. Proton Mail averages 4.8 out of 5 from 47K ratings, while Mail Notes averages 4.3 from 106 ratings.

### Do Proton Mail or Mail Notes have ads?

Neither Proton Mail nor Mail Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Proton Mail or Mail Notes?

Proton Mail ships an update every 11 days, and Mail Notes every 4 months. Most recently, Proton Mail was updated on September 28, 2026 and Mail Notes on September 2, 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.*