Comparison

Encrypted Email vs Vault Desk

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

Head to head
About

Encrypted Email

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

Proton Mail is the encrypted email app trusted by over 100 million people. Get a secure, private email address protected by end-to-end encryption, with no ads, no AI training and no inbox scanning. Based in Switzerland and protected by some of the world's strictest privacy laws. Your inbox, your rules. Why choose Proton Mail for secure email • Free encrypted email: create a free @proton.me or @protonmail.com email address • Password-protected emails: send encrypted emails to anyone, even people who don't use Proton • Spam, phishing and tracker protection: with built-in spam filters, phishing alerts and email tracker blocking • Organize your inbox: with folders, labels and simple swipe gestures • Offline mode: read, write and organize emails offline, and everything syncs when you're back online • Private categories: keep important emails in focus with automatic, private categories • Multiple accounts: switch between multiple Proton Mail accounts in one secure email app • Get up to 1 GB of free email storage, or up to 15 GB with Mail Plus Secure email with encryption Everything in your inbox is stored with zero-access and end-to-end encryption, emails between Proton users can only be read by you and your recipient. Proton Mail can't read or scan your messages. Our open-source apps use OpenPGP encryption and are independently audited. A private alternative to temp mail Need a temp mail address for a sign-up? Create up to 10 free hide-my-email aliases on the web. They forward to your inbox, keep your real email address private, and can be disabled or deleted at any time. Switch to secure email Easy Switch moves your email to your new secure inbox with no manual exporting or importing. Connect Gmail to use your Gmail address alongside your Proton email in one secure inbox, or set up auto-forwarding from as many Gmail accounts as you like. The Wall Street Journal: "Proton Mail offers encrypted email, which makes it virtually impossible for anyone to read it except the sender and the recipient." How can Proton Mail be free? We believe everyone deserves private email. Free accounts are funded by our community of paid subscribers. Upgrade for more email storage, more addresses and custom domains. Follow Proton for the latest news and offers: Facebook: /proton X: @protonprivacy Reddit: /protonmail Instagram: /protonprivacy Learn more: https://proton.me/mail Our open-source code: https://github.com/ProtonMail

About

Vault Desk

Features
Read full description

VaultDesk keeps your private files truly private. Photos, documents, IDs, recovery codes, contracts — the things you'd never want exposed. VaultDesk encrypts them on your device before they ever leave it, so only you can unlock them. Not us. Not your cloud provider. No one. End-to-end encryption, by design Every file is encrypted on your iPhone with battle-tested cryptography (libsodium) before it's stored or synced. Your encryption keys live in the Secure Enclave and never touch our servers. This is zero-knowledge security: even we can't see what you store. Your password never leaves your device VaultDesk uses the OPAQUE protocol, so your password is never sent over the network — not even hashed. Sign in across devices with confidence that there's nothing on the server for an attacker to steal. Locked behind Face ID & Touch ID The vault stays sealed until you unlock it with biometrics. One look, and you're in. Step away, and it locks itself. Organize without the clutter Browse with folders and breadcrumbs, star what matters, rename and move files, and recover anything from Trash before it's gone for good. Share securely Send files to others with encryption that travels with them — no plaintext exposed in transit. Works with VaultDesk on the web Upload on your phone, open on the web — and vice versa. Same vault, same security, everywhere. Why VaultDesk - End-to-end encrypted — encrypted on-device, before upload - Zero-knowledge — we never hold your keys or password - Secure Enclave key storage + Face ID / Touch ID lock - Open, audited cryptography - Folders, starring, trash & restore - Encrypted sharing - Cross-platform with the VaultDesk web app Download VaultDesk and take back control of your private files. Website: https://www.vaultdesk.io/ Privacy: https://www.vaultdesk.io/privacy.html Terms: https://www.vaultdesk.io/terms.html

Screenshots

Encrypted Email4 screens
Vault Desk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Vault Desk at none against Encrypted Email's 6. Encrypted Email's advantage is chart position (#68 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Encrypted Email sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Vault Desk asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Encrypted Email ships an update every 11 days, Vault Desk every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Encrypted Email versus Vault Desk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEncrypted EmailVault Desk
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (50K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews46.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings50K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#68 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.216.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size272 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperProton AGOrestis Alexandros Pantazos

Bugs and requests

Encrypted Email

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

Vault Desk

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Encrypted Email

Subscriptions4
  • Mail Plus 1 month$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
None

Vault Desk

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Encrypted Email free?
Encrypted Email is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Vault Desk free?
Vault Desk is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Encrypted Email or Vault Desk have ads?
Neither Encrypted Email nor Vault Desk shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Encrypted Email or Vault Desk?
Encrypted Email ships an update every 11 days, and Vault Desk every 2 weeks. Most recently, Encrypted Email was updated on October 28, 2026 and Vault Desk on October 9, 2026.

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