Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenPGP VS ProtonMail

Compare OpenPGP VS ProtonMail and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

OpenPGP logo OpenPGP

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

ProtonMail logo ProtonMail

Secure email with absolutely no compromises. Get your free encrypted email account today.
  • OpenPGP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22
  • 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 features and specs

  • Interoperability
    OpenPGP is an open standard that's widely supported across various platforms and software, making it possible to work with many different clients and systems.
  • Security
    OpenPGP uses strong cryptographic algorithms to provide confidentiality, integrity, and authentication for communications, offering robust protection against data breaches and snooping.
  • Email Encryption
    OpenPGP is particularly well-known for its ability to encrypt emails, which is crucial for maintaining privacy in digital communication.
  • Authentication and Verification
    It provides a mechanism for signing messages, which can authenticate the sender and verify data integrity, reducing the risk of forgery and tampering.
  • Data Portability
    As an open standard, OpenPGP ensures that data encrypted or signed with one application can be decrypted or verified by another supporting application, preventing vendor lock-in.

Possible disadvantages of OpenPGP

  • Complexity
    The setup and usage of OpenPGP can be complex for non-technical users, involving key generation and management, which could lead to misuse or errors.
  • Key Management
    Maintaining and securing private keys can be cumbersome, and losing a private key can make encrypted data irretrievable.
  • Lack of Forward Secrecy
    OpenPGP does not inherently offer forward secrecy, meaning that if a private key is compromised, previous communications encrypted with the corresponding public key could be decrypted.
  • Integration Challenges
    Integrating OpenPGP into existing systems and workflows can be challenging, especially in environments that have not previously supported encryption.
  • User Adoption
    Even though OpenPGP is widely supported, its adoption among general users remains limited, which can lead to difficulties in communicating securely with others who do not use it.

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 videos

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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 and ProtonMail)
Security & Privacy
100 100%
0% 0
Email
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Storage
100 100%
0% 0
Email Clients
0 0%
100% 100

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 and ProtonMail

OpenPGP Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenPGP 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. While we know about 414 links to ProtonMail, we've tracked only 4 mentions of OpenPGP. 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 mentions (4)

  • WKD on custom domains
    You're trusting the service (openpgp.org seems to be the only server offering this?) to serve up your correct key. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Verification Key? OpenPGP and Keys, How to acquire Verification Code
    Hello, I used openpgp.org to create a set of pgp keys, and I tested them out and all is well. I went to a web site and uploaded my pub key fine, but now it asks for a Verification Code/Key? What is that, and how do I get that off my newly created PGP keys? Thanks. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Future of Key-Pools
    Not sure, but it looks like keys.openpgp.org is up. I found a keyserver still running where I could find my public key (this one: http://pgp.mit.edu/) and uploaded it to the openpgp.org one. This seems rather recent; there's a related post on r/GnuPG. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Keyservers are gone
    Anyways; it looks like openpgp.org is trying to get on the right side of these crowds ... Source: almost 4 years ago

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 and ProtonMail, you can also consider the following products

Skizzle Email - Skizzle is the most secure way to share end-to-end encrypted files through email, backed by blockchain

Tutanota - Get your encrypted mailbox for free.

OpenPGP Keyserver - Pool of places 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.

Virtru - Virtru is your data privacy force field, wrapping and protecting emails and files wherever they're shared. Easy-to-use data security software for business. People also askIs Virtru Hipaa compliant?

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