Proton Mail vs Tuta
Proton Mail and Tuta are the best-known encrypted mailboxes in Europe, and they differ most in where they are based and how they handle the rest of the inbox. Proton is incorporated in Switzerland and offers Bridge for desktop mail apps. Tuta is made in Hanover, Germany, says all its clients are open source and advertises quantum-resistant encryption. Both have a free plan of about 1 GB.
Choose Proton Mail if
you want IMAP access through a desktop client (Proton offers Bridge), 10 addresses on the first paid plan, or the wider Proton suite with VPN, Pass and Drive on one login.
Read the Proton Mail reviewChoose Tuta if
you prefer a German company with data centres in Germany, want quantum-resistant encryption and an encrypted calendar and contacts as standard, or want the first paid plan to include 3 custom domains.
Read the Tuta reviewProton Mail and Tuta side by side
| Proton Mail | Tuta | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Proton AG | Tuta GmbH |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland | Hanover, Germany |
| Founded | 2014 | 2011 |
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) | EU (Germany) |
| Where the data sits | Switzerland, Germany | Germany |
| Pricing | Free (500MB) / from about €4.99/month | Free (1GB) / from about €3/month |
| Entry-level list price (vendor site, checked 8 October 2026) | Free plan (1 GB); paid Mail Plus price not shown on the page when checked | Free plan (1 GB); Revolutionary EUR 3 and Legend EUR 8 per user a month for multi-user mailboxes (personal prices not shown on the page when checked) |
| Free tier or trial | Free tier | Free tier |
| Certifications and checks | Independently audited, open source | Open source |
| Source code | Open source | Open source |
| Usually replaces | Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail | Gmail, Outlook |
| Position in our Email Providers guide | #3 of 17 | #1 of 17 |
Both are listed in our European Email Providers guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries, except the list price, which is quoted from each vendor's own pricing page (see Sources below); how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where Proton Mail and Tuta differ
Across the five points below, Proton Mail has the edge on 1 point, Tuta on 2 points and 2 are a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Free plan
Proton Free gives 1 GB storage (expandable to 1.5 GB) and 1 address. Tuta Free gives 1 GB, 1 calendar and 3 labels. Both are encrypted end to end, and neither page lists a time limit on the free plan.
No clear winner on this point.
First paid plan
Proton Mail Plus lists 15 GB, 10 encrypted addresses, 1 custom domain, unlimited folders and labels and 10 hide-my-email aliases. Tuta Revolutionary lists 20 GB, unlimited calendars and labels, 15 aliases and 3 custom domains. Tuta is ahead on storage and domains, Proton on number of addresses; we give the round to Tuta on the specs shown. Prices were not rendered on Proton's page when checked.
Edge: Tuta
Encryption and openness
Tuta's home page says all its clients are fully open source and advertises quantum-safe encryption. Proton's site says all Proton services are open source and independently audited, and that its zero-access encryption means they never see your inbox. Both make strong claims; Tuta's post-quantum claim is the only one of that kind we found on a vendor page.
Edge: Tuta
Using your existing mail app
Proton Mail offers Bridge, a desktop add-on that lets standard mail clients work with your encrypted mailbox. We found no IMAP statement on Tuta's pages, so whether Tuta supports third-party clients is not verified here.
Edge: Proton Mail
Company, location and ecosystem
Proton says it is incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland and reports over 100 million users, with VPN, password manager and storage in the Unlimited plan. Tuta says it is made in Hanover, runs in German ISO 27001 certified data centres, uses 100% renewable energy and also offers Calendar and Drive.
No clear winner on this point.
When neither Proton Mail nor Tuta fits
If neither suits you, our European email guide also lists Mailbox.org and StartMail, which are further private mail providers with different pricing and features.
Proton Mail vs Tuta: questions
Neither wins everywhere. Tuta lists more storage and custom domains on its first paid plan, advertises post-quantum encryption and is German. Proton offers Bridge for desktop clients and a larger suite of connected products.
Proton Mail offers a desktop add-on called Bridge for exactly that. We found no statement about third-party client support on Tuta's pages, so check Tuta's help section.
Both have a free plan: Proton Free with 1 GB (expandable to 1.5 GB) and 1 address, Tuta Free with 1 GB, 1 calendar and 3 labels.
Proton is incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland. Tuta says it is made in Hanover and hosted in German ISO 27001 certified data centres.
Sources
Facts, prices and plan details on this page were checked on the vendors' own websites on . Prices and plans change; the vendor's current page is authoritative.
- Proton Mail pricing: Free, Mail Plus and Unlimited specs, 30-day money-back guarantee, 100M+ accounts claim; prices were placeholders when checked (checked 8 October 2026)
- Proton Mail home page: Zero-access encryption, open source claim, Bridge, Swiss incorporation (checked 8 October 2026)
- Tuta pricing: Free, Revolutionary and Legend specs, EUR 3 and EUR 8 per user a month multi-user prices, German ISO 27001 data centres, renewable energy (checked 8 October 2026)
- Tuta home page: Open-source clients, quantum-safe encryption claim, made in Hanover, encrypted calendar and contacts (checked 8 October 2026)