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Fastmail vs Proton Mail

Two paid favourites with opposite trade-offs. Fastmail is standard IMAP email with own domains on every plan; Proton keeps stored mail unreadable to itself but needs a Bridge app for other mail clients.

Which one to pick

Fastmail logoPick Fastmail if

  • You want any mail app to just work over standard IMAP, with no bridge
  • You want own domains and Masked Email on the base plan ($60 a year)
  • You need a household plan with a stated price: Family is $132 a year for up to 6
All Fastmail facts

Proton Mail logoPick Proton Mail if

  • You want zero-access encryption: Proton can't read your stored mail
  • You want a free plan to try first
  • You want open-source apps
All Proton Mail facts

Where they differ most

Cheapest paid plan

Fastmail
$60/yr, Individual
Proton Mail
$47.88/yr, Mail Plus

Cheapest with your own domain

Fastmail
$60/yr, Individual
Proton Mail
$47.88/yr, Mail Plus

Provider can't read stored mail

Fastmail
NoNo
Proton Mail
YesYes

Works in Apple Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird

Fastmail
Yes, on every planYes, on every plan
Proton Mail
Only through the Bridge appOnly through the Bridge app

Free plan

Fastmail
No
Proton Mail
1 GB; 1 address; 150 messages a day; no IMAP/SMTP (Bridge is paid only); no ads; no phone number needed

Ads on the free plan

Fastmail
No free planNo free plan
Proton Mail
NoNo

Every fact, side by side

Open a row to see notes and sources. Highlighted rows differ.

Fastmail logoFastmail
Proton Mail logoProton Mail

Price

Who can read your mail

Who you're trusting

Apps and access

Addresses and features

Moving in and out

Sources (20)