Proton Mail vs Tuta

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Proton Mail

End-to-end encrypted email from Switzerland, with a free plan and open-source apps.

Free plan + paidOpen source

Visit Proton Mail Proton Mail profile

Tuta

Open-source encrypted email and calendar from Germany, formerly called Tutanota.

Free plan + paidOpen source

Visit Tuta Tuta profile

The short answer

Pick Proton Mail if you want encrypted email that can still work with Outlook, Thunderbird or Apple Mail through its Bridge app, and a wider bundle including VPN, Drive and Pass. Pick Tuta if you want more of your mailbox encrypted, including subject lines and calendars, at a low price, and are happy to use only its own apps. Both are open-source, privacy-first services based in Europe.

Proton Mail or Tuta: our take

Proton Mail and Tuta are the two best-known encrypted email services. Proton is based in Switzerland: mail between Proton users is end-to-end encrypted, stored mail is encrypted so Proton cannot read it, and you can send password-protected messages to people on other providers. Tuta, renamed from Tutanota in 2023, runs from Germany and encrypts more of the mailbox than most rivals, including subject lines, contacts and calendar entries, using post-quantum cryptography for new accounts. Both publish their apps as open source under GPL-3.0, and Proton's are independently audited.

Both have free plans, and both are tight. Proton's free plan gives one address and a small amount of storage; Mail Plus costs $4.99/month, or $3.99/month billed yearly, and adds custom domains, more addresses and more storage, while the Proton Unlimited bundle adds its VPN, Drive and Pass. Tuta's storage runs from 1 GB on Free to 20 GB on Revolutionary and 500 GB on Legend, with family members added to Revolutionary at €3 per user/month. Tuta's free accounts must be used regularly to stay active.

The biggest practical difference is compatibility. Tuta deliberately does not support IMAP, so you must use its apps; Apple Mail, Outlook and Thunderbird are ruled out. Proton offers a Bridge app that lets paid users read mail in those desktop clients. Both have apps for the web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. Each has simpler, slower search than Gmail because of encryption, and Tuta's search, filtering and import tools are basic.

For people who want strong encryption plus the option of a desktop client and a broader privacy suite, Proton Mail is the more complete package. For those who want encryption to cover as much as possible, including calendars and subject lines, at a low cost, Tuta is a strong choice.

Choose Proton Mail if…

Privacy-minded people and teams who want encrypted email without running servers
End-to-end and zero-access encryption by default
Open-source, audited apps on every major platform

Choose Tuta if…

People who want the most encryption for the least money and accept using Tuta's own apps
Encrypts subjects, contacts and calendars, not just bodies
Open-source apps on desktop, mobile and web

What is Proton Mail?

Proton Mail is the best-known encrypted email service. Messages between Proton users are end-to-end encrypted, and mail stored in your account is encrypted so that Proton itself cannot read it. You can also send password-protected messages to people on other providers. The company is based in Switzerland, and its apps are open source and independently audited. A free plan gives one address and a small amount of storage; paid plans such as Mail Plus and the Proton Unlimited bundle add custom domains, more addresses, more storage and access to Proton's VPN, Drive and Pass. It runs on the web, iOS, Android and desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, and a Bridge app lets paid users read mail in Outlook, Thunderbird or Apple Mail. The trade-offs: search inside encrypted mail is slower and more limited, the free tier is tight, and features like third-party integrations lag behind Gmail.

What is Tuta?

Tuta (renamed from Tutanota in 2023) is an encrypted email and calendar service run from Germany. It encrypts more of your mailbox than most rivals, including subject lines, contacts and calendar entries, and it uses post-quantum cryptography for new accounts. Its apps are open source and available for the web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. A free plan gives a single address with limited storage; paid personal plans add custom domains, more storage and aliases, and there are business plans priced per user. Tuta deliberately does not support IMAP, because that would expose mail unencrypted to other clients, so you must use its own apps. That keeps the security model tight but rules out Apple Mail, Outlook or Thunderbird. Search, filtering and import tools are simpler than mainstream services, and free accounts must be used regularly to stay active. It is a good fit for people who want maximum encryption at a low price.

Side by side

Attribute	Proton Mail	Tuta
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	Yes	Yes
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Best for	Privacy-minded people and teams who want encrypted email without running servers	People who want the most encryption for the least money and accept using Tuta's own apps
Status	Active	Active