# Proton Mail vs Pi Epsilon

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pi Epsilon at none against Proton Mail's 6. Pi Epsilon also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.2). Proton Mail's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (47K vs 4). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Proton Mail sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Pi Epsilon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pi Epsilon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Proton Mail has 47K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Proton Mail ships an update every 11 days, Pi Epsilon every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Proton Mail | Pi Epsilon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (47K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-mail-encrypted-email/id979659905/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pi-epsilon/id1594236510/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **47K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#60** | — |
| Size | 272 MB | 147 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Proton AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/979659484) | [Chesapeake International Consulting, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1589725776) |

## What reviewers say

### Proton Mail

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

**Currently charting:** #60 Top Free · Productivity, #79 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


### Pi Epsilon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pi-epsilon/id1594236510)

A decentralized, anonymous, and end-to-end encrypted communication platform offering voice, text, video, and group calls. It provides robust security features and full user control over the server environment, bypassing third-party providers.

**Highlights:** Decentralized and anonymous communication, End-to-end encryption, Voice, text, and video calls, Group video conferencing, User-controlled server hosting, Decoy obfuscation tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Proton Mail free?

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

### Is Pi Epsilon free?

Pi Epsilon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Proton Mail or Pi Epsilon?

Pi Epsilon is rated higher. Proton Mail averages 4.8 out of 5 from 47K ratings, while Pi Epsilon averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Proton Mail or Pi Epsilon have ads?

Neither Proton Mail nor Pi Epsilon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Proton Mail or Pi Epsilon?

Proton Mail ships an update every 11 days, and Pi Epsilon every 6 months. Most recently, Proton Mail was updated on September 27, 2026 and Pi Epsilon on September 17, 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.*