Proton Mail vs Riseup Mail
They are level on Privacy. Proton Mail has the higher Safety grade, 7.3 against 6.0.
Proton Mail
Swiss end-to-end encrypted email with a free tier; paid plans payable in Bitcoin or cash
Privacy
7.2/ 10
Strong
Safety
7.3/ 10
Strong
No ID mentioned KYC 1 Docs reviewed Full review →
Riseup Mail
Donation-funded activist email collective; accounts by invite code
Privacy
7.2/ 10
Strong
Safety
6.0/ 10
Fair
No ID mentioned KYC 1 Docs reviewed Full review →
Side by side
| Proton Mail | Riseup Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | ||
| KYC policy | No ID mentioned | No ID mentioned |
| Custody | N/A | N/A |
| Sign-up | Email optional | No account needed |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Tor onion address | Yes | Yes |
| Coins | BTC | Not published |
| Pay with | Crypto, Cash, Card, PayPal, Bank transfer | Not published |
| Fees | Not published | Free; donation-funded |
| Limits | Not published | Invite code required; 1 GB of mail storage |
| Founded | 2014 | 1999 |
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland | United States |
| Incidents on record | 0 | 0 |
| Published tests (180 days) | 0 | 0 |
Only Proton Mail
Accepts cashOpen sourceLegal entity disclosed
Both
Tor onion service5+ years operating
Only Riseup Mail
No email neededNo phone neededNo-logs policy
Where they sit among email
Questions
Is Proton Mail or Riseup Mail safer?
Proton Mail has the higher Safety grade: Proton Mail 7.3, Riseup Mail 6.0, out of 10.
Does Proton Mail or Riseup Mail require KYC?
Proton Mail is KYC level 1 (no ID mentioned). Riseup Mail is KYC level 1 (no ID mentioned).
Which has more incidents on record?
Proton Mail has 0 and Riseup Mail has 0 documented incidents in the registry.