# Proton Mail vs Standard Notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: Proton Mail at every 10 days against Standard Notes's every 5 weeks. Proton Mail also leads on ratings volume (48K vs 3.8K) and chart position (#62 vs unranked). Standard Notes's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 47%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Proton Mail sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Standard Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $119.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Proton Mail against 4.7 for Standard Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Proton Mail has 48K ratings behind it against 3.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 47% of Proton Mail's written reviews are positive against 64% of Standard Notes's.

Proton Mail ships an update every 10 days, Standard Notes every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Proton Mail | Standard Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-mail-encrypted-email/id979659905/reviews)** | [4.7 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 3.8K |
| Positive reviews | 46.5% of reviews | **64.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#62** | — |
| Size | 272 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Proton AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/979659484) | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) |

## What reviewers say

### Proton Mail

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

**Currently charting:** #62 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


### Standard Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450)

Securely capture and sync your thoughts across all devices with end-to-end encryption. This app offers a simple, lasting place for all your notes, from personal thoughts to sensitive information, with robust privacy features.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Cross-device syncing, Offline access, Passcode and biometric lock, Tagging system, Open-source code, Optional productivity editors and themes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Plan | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable sync
- 🔒 Excellent privacy and security
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 📚 Great for organizing notes
- 💻 Cross-platform availability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔑 Frustrating login/authentication issues
- 💰 Expensive premium subscription
- 📱 Limited features in free version
- 🖍️ Lack of formatting options

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting deleted unexpectedly
- Sync issues between devices
- Keyboard and UI bugs on mobile
- Compatibility problems with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add support for images and attachments
- Implement a more robust search function
- Introduce a dark mode option
- Allow for better note organization (folders, nested tags)
- Add undo/redo functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Proton Mail free?

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

### Is Standard Notes free?

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

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

Proton Mail is rated higher. Proton Mail averages 4.8 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Standard Notes averages 4.7 from 3.8K ratings.

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

Neither Proton Mail nor Standard Notes shows ads.

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

Proton Mail ships an update every 10 days, and Standard Notes every 5 weeks. Most recently, Proton Mail was updated on October 16, 2026 and Standard Notes on October 14, 2026.

---

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