[Compare · Email-First Hosting]

Posteo vs Proton Mail

PosteoIndie
8.5/ 10
Higher score
Proton MailIndie
9.0/ 10
Across 4 measured dimensions: Posteo wins 1, Proton Mail wins 1 (2 tie / n/a)
[01]

Side by side.

8 dimensions
MetricPosteoProton Mail
Score
Winner: right
8.59.0
Δ 90 days
— flat— flat
Parent & badge
IndependentIndie
IndependentIndie
Founded
20092014
Best for
Users on a @posteo.* address who don't need a custom domainPrivacy-first users who want zero-access encryption by default
Price per mo
Winner: left
$1.10/ mo$3.99/ mo
Renewal multiplier
Tagline
€1/month ethical mail — no custom domain, everSwiss end-to-end encrypted mail, free tier is real
[02]

What works, what doesn't.

Per provider
Posteo4 pros · 4 cons
+ Pros
  • Flat €1/month, includes 2GB and full IMAP/SMTP
  • Accepts anonymous cash payment
  • 100% renewable energy and transparent reporting
  • PGP-in-browser and full encryption at rest available
– Cons
  • No custom domain support, ever
  • Address must be @posteo.* only
  • Storage upgrades cost extra per GB
  • No mobile app — relies on standard IMAP clients
Proton Mail4 pros · 4 cons
+ Pros
  • Genuine end-to-end encryption, Swiss jurisdiction
  • Free tier with 1GB is actually usable
  • Custom domain support on Mail Plus
  • Independent ownership, non-profit foundation backed
– Cons
  • IMAP requires the Bridge desktop app
  • E2E only between Proton users
  • Search of encrypted mail is slow
  • Pricier than Migadu/Posteo for similar storage
Make the call

Pick one and go.

Both links are affiliate. Score doesn't move because of it.