Comparison

Proton Mail vs Mail App for Gmail

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

Mail App for Gmail

This app offers a streamlined experience for managing your Gmail inbox, focusing on quick triage and instant message sending/receiving. It boasts a fast, reliable performance, especially on VPNs, and a beautiful, animated interface.

Highlights
  • Fast email management tools
  • Multiple actions for inbox tasks
  • Reliable VPN performance
  • Instant sync via HTTPS
  • Beautiful custom animation engine
  • Real-time inbox monitoring
Features
Read full description

Mail App for Gmail is a brand new app for the next generation of Gmail. It’s perfect for quickly triaging your inbox and uses Gmail’s blazing fast new platform to instantly send and receive messages. Mail App for for Gmail features: - Fast tools for managing your email - Multiple Actions - A brand new, rock-solid codebase written entirely in Swift - Zero wait time for launch - Much more reliable performance on Virtual Private Networks (VPN) since it does not use IMAP or POP connections - A beautiful interface built on a custom new animation engine - Instant sync thanks to secure, all-HTTPS communications Note that Mail app for for Gmail a native Gmail app for triaging recent email, but not currently an archival utility for searching your entire history. We’d love to hear what you think about Mail app for Gmail. To reach us, use the in-app support option in settings. Mail app for Gmail is an auto renewable subscription: - Badge removal - Realtime Inbox Monitoring for Notifications - Themes ------- Price may vary by location and active promotion. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage your subscriptions in Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial peri​od, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. ------- Privacy Policy: https://mailappforgmail.com/privacypolicy.html Terms of Service: https://mailappforgmail.com/eula.html

Screenshots

Proton Mail4 screens
Mail App for Gmail3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Proton Mail at free with in-app purchases against Mail App for Gmail's subscription. Proton Mail also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 5 weeks) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). 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 Mail App for Gmail sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. 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 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Proton Mail has 47K ratings behind it against 9.3K, 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 39% of Mail App for Gmail's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Proton Mail ships an update every 11 days, Mail App for Gmail every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Proton Mail versus Mail App for Gmail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProton MailMail App for Gmail
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (47K ratings) — better4.6 (9.3K ratings)
Positive reviews46.2% of reviews — better38.8% of reviews
Number of ratings47K — better9.3K
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#73 — better#179
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.2 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size272 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperProton AGBloop LTD

Customer experience

Proton Mail

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

Mail App for Gmail

All ratings9,268 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral4.1%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews250 reviews
Positive38.8%
Neutral3.2%
Negative58.0%

User reviews

Proton Mail

From 47K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Mail App for Gmail

From 9.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and easy to use
  • 👍 Clear and intuitive interface
  • 💡 Helpful for managing multiple accounts
  • 🚀 Efficient email management

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Concerns about data privacy and security
  • 🙄 Annoying pop-ups and ads

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

Mail App for Gmail

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues and account authentication problems
  • Syncing and email loading delays
  • Inability to send emails in some cases

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved notification system
  • Better integration with other email services
  • Bulk email management tools

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
4 purchases

Mail App for Gmail

Subscriptions4
  • Premium$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Pro3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Yearly$79.991 Year

Questions

Is Proton Mail free?
Proton Mail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mail App for Gmail free?
Mail App for Gmail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Proton Mail or Mail App for Gmail?
Proton Mail is rated higher. Proton Mail averages 4.8 out of 5 from 47K ratings, while Mail App for Gmail averages 4.6 from 9.3K ratings.
Do Proton Mail or Mail App for Gmail have ads?
Neither Proton Mail nor Mail App for Gmail shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Proton Mail or Mail App for Gmail?
Proton Mail ships an update every 11 days, and Mail App for Gmail every 5 weeks. Most recently, Proton Mail was updated on September 25, 2026 and Mail App for Gmail on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Proton Mail or Mail App for Gmail?
Proton Mail currently peaks at #73 in the App Store charts, and Mail App for Gmail at #179. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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