Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenPGP Keyserver VS ProtonMail

Compare OpenPGP Keyserver VS ProtonMail and see what are their differences

OpenPGP Keyserver logo OpenPGP Keyserver

Pool of places to publish and search OpenPGP public keys.

ProtonMail logo ProtonMail

Secure email with absolutely no compromises. Get your free encrypted email account today.
  • OpenPGP Keyserver Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-18
  • ProtonMail Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-15

ProtonMail

$ Details
freemium €5.0 / Monthly (user - 5 GB)
Startup details
Country
Switzerland
City
Geneva
Employees
50 - 99

OpenPGP Keyserver features and specs

  • Decentralized Architecture
    OpenPGP Keyservers use a decentralized network, meaning there is no single point of failure. This ensures redundancy and reliability in accessing public keys.
  • Public Key Accessibility
    The keyserver network provides a centralized repository for users to upload and search for public keys, simplifying the process of key distribution.
  • Historical Data
    Keyservers maintain records of older keys and their history, which can be useful for audits or verifying past communications.
  • Community-Driven
    The OpenPGP keyserver network is maintained by volunteers and is open source, promoting transparency and community collaboration.

Possible disadvantages of OpenPGP Keyserver

  • Lack of Key Removal
    Once a key is uploaded, it cannot be removed from the keyserver network, which can lead to issues with outdated or compromised keys remaining accessible.
  • Spam and Key Overload
    Keyservers can be flooded with spam keys or outdated information, making it difficult for users to find valid or relevant keys.
  • Vulnerability to Abuse
    The open nature of keyservers can make them targets for malicious actors who wish to upload fraudulent keys or link malicious identities to genuine ones.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Since the keyserver network can be openly queried, there are potential privacy issues regarding who is uploading or searching for certain keys.

ProtonMail features and specs

  • End-to-End Encryption
    ProtonMail uses robust end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the sender and the recipient can read the emails. This enhances the security and privacy of your communications.
  • Zero Access to User Data
    ProtonMail does not have access to user data or emails. This means that even ProtonMail cannot read your emails, providing an additional layer of privacy.
  • Swiss Privacy Laws
    Based in Switzerland, ProtonMail benefits from stringent Swiss privacy laws, which are some of the strongest in the world. This offers users greater legal protection against mass surveillance.
  • Open Source
    ProtonMail's encryption algorithms are open source, which means their code can be reviewed and audited by anyone, promoting transparency and trust.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    ProtonMail offers an intuitive and clean user interface, making it easy for users to manage their emails efficiently.

Possible disadvantages of ProtonMail

  • Limited Free Storage
    The free version of ProtonMail offers only 500 MB of storage, which might be insufficient for users who need to store a large number of emails.
  • Paid Plans
    Advanced features and additional storage require a paid subscription, which may be a hassle for users looking for a completely free service.
  • Search Limitations
    Due to end-to-end encryption, the search functionality in ProtonMail is limited compared to other email services, as the search can only be performed on email subjects, not the content.
  • Compatibility Issues
    ProtonMail's encryption might not be fully compatible with other email services, potentially causing issues with sending and receiving encrypted messages.
  • Learning Curve
    New users who are unfamiliar with encryption concepts might find it slightly challenging to understand and use all of ProtonMail’s security features effectively.

OpenPGP Keyserver videos

Lesson 6: Submit your public key to the OpenPGP Keyserver

ProtonMail videos

ProtonMail Review - Good or Not?

More videos:

  • Review - ProtonMail Review
  • Review - Top 4 Email Services BETTER than Protonmail!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenPGP Keyserver and ProtonMail)
Security & Privacy
100 100%
0% 0
Email
2 2%
98% 98
Email Clients
2 2%
98% 98
Cloud Storage
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare OpenPGP Keyserver and ProtonMail

OpenPGP Keyserver Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenPGP Keyserver yet.
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ProtonMail Reviews

  1. Dennis
    · Commercial Director at SpeechKit ·
    A great product made by a great team

    Protonmail is the best secure email solution period, other products in the suite such as ProtonVPN and hopefully soon Drive and Calendar will finally make it the perfect Gsuite alternative.

    👍 Pros:    Encryption|Easy to use|Excellent features|Easy integration
    👎 Cons:    None

5 Of The Best Alternatives To Proton Mail
Email providers like Gmail and Yahoo offer lots of great features for free. However, all those freebies come at a cost, as these popular email services track your activity and target you with ads. In contrast, Protonmail uses end-to-end encryption and doesn't collect any data linked to a user's identity, and the basic version is free. But if you like it, you'll want to...
The Top 4 ProtonMail Alternatives
While ProtonMail is generally received in a positive light, it isn’t without its flaws. It’s been subjected to DDoS attacks that have made its services inaccessible to some users. ProtonMail is also not well suited to high-volume use and its subject lines are not encrypted. To some, these issues may be trivial and others may wish to see what else may be available to them.
Best ProtonMail Alternatives for Secure Communications
While ProtonMail has set a high standard in the realm of secure email services, there are several alternatives out there that offer unique features and capabilities. Whether you’re an individual looking for a secure email client or a business in need of a comprehensive security solution, there’s an alternative to ProtonMail that can meet your needs. Remember, the best secure...
Source: canarymail.io
10 Best Alternatives to Microsoft Outlook to Try in 2023
It's hard to find a more trustworthy email service provider than ProtonMail. It's built for people who want to be sure that no one is accessing their data, and that's where it clearly comes out ahead compared to Outlook, which is owned by Microsoft. But when choosing ProtonMail, you may miss some of the key features and integrations offered by Microsoft and its line of apps.
Source: mysignature.io
11 Top Outlook Alternatives to Try
With ProtonMail, your email is even protected from ProtonMail. Your data is stored using zero-access encryption, so ProtonMail itself doesn’t know your password and can’t decrypt your emails.
Source: kinsta.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ProtonMail seems to be a lot more popular than OpenPGP Keyserver. While we know about 414 links to ProtonMail, we've tracked only 6 mentions of OpenPGP Keyserver. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

OpenPGP Keyserver mentions (6)

  • Emacs 29 is nigh What can we expect?
    The signature works fine over HTTP/FTP because it needs to be combined with a public key you already have (e.g. a distro package manager will already have the public key for all the packages), or a public key you will go get from a different source, e.g. https://sks-keyservers.net, and it's hard for a middle-man to compromise both. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • keys.gnupg.net down, no longer resolves
    Yes, but I am asking if the reasons for shutting down https://sks-keyservers.net were valid. So far I have not seen any reasonable discussion. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Future of Key-Pools
    I noticed that I could not search on the server in Kleopatra. So I went to the page https://sks-keyservers.net/ and was struck by the header message:. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Keyservers are gone
    I can't find any reliable keyservers since sks-keyservers.net was taken down yesterday. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • PSA: you need to update your keyserver
    SKS keyservers has been shut down owing to GDPR filings. See https://sks-keyservers.net/. Source: almost 4 years ago
View more

ProtonMail mentions (414)

  • Email username
    You might want to consider getting a domain name of your own and then get email hosting which will allow you to set up your email in the way you want. If you don't want to have to manage and pay for domain name and email hosting, you may try premium email services like Space Email, Proton Mail etc. With then you'll definitely be able to get a username/email address of your choice. Source: over 1 year ago
  • How to Force Current Session Logout - Answered
    I closed all Proton Mail tabs and navigated to protonmail.com and a cleared out login area was shown. Without checking the "keep me logged in", I entered my credentials and was prompted for my 2FA info. I entered that and it worked. Source: over 1 year ago
  • help
    Can I add my gmail account to my proton mail account so I can send emails and choose betwen my gmail.com email or my protonmail.com email account? Im not talking about the easy switch feature btw. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Gmail Alternatives
    I hear ProtonMail[1] is good, especially for your needs. [1]: https://protonmail.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Which do you use? @protonmail.com, @proton.me or @pm.me?
    Protonmail.com for my primary, though really, simplelogin.com when I sign up at a site. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenPGP Keyserver and ProtonMail, you can also consider the following products

OpenPGP - The most widely used email encryption standard. Defined in RFC 4880.

Tutanota - Get your encrypted mailbox for free.

MIT PGP Public Key Server - The place to publish and search OpenPGP public keys.

Gmail - Gmail is available across all your devices Android, iOS, and desktop devices. Sort, collaborate or call a friend without leaving your inbox.

SKS OpenPGP Key server - The place to publish and search OpenPGP public keys.

Zoho Mail - Zoho Mail is a secure, encrypted, and enterprise-ready email solution, a suite of apps tailor-made for your organization's needs.