Proton Mail vs StartMail
Proton Mail has the higher grade on both axes: Safety 7.3 against 6.5, and Privacy 7.2 against 6.2.
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 →
StartMail
Paid private email from the Startpage founders; annual plans payable in Bitcoin
Privacy
6.2/ 10
Fair
Safety
6.5/ 10
Fair
No ID mentioned KYC 1 Docs reviewed Full review →
Side by side
| Proton Mail | StartMail | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Coins | BTC | BTC |
| Pay with | Crypto, Cash, Card, PayPal, Bank transfer | Crypto, Card |
| Fees | Not published | $4.99/month billed annually when checked |
| Founded | 2014 | 2014 |
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland | Netherlands |
| Incidents on record | 0 | 0 |
| Published tests (180 days) | 0 | 0 |
Only Proton Mail
Tor onion serviceAccepts cashOpen source
Both
5+ years operatingLegal entity disclosed
Only StartMail
Nothing distinct
Where they sit among email
Questions
Is Proton Mail or StartMail safer?
Proton Mail has the higher Safety grade: Proton Mail 7.3, StartMail 6.5, out of 10.
Does Proton Mail or StartMail require KYC?
Proton Mail is KYC level 1 (no ID mentioned). StartMail is KYC level 1 (no ID mentioned).
Which has more incidents on record?
Proton Mail has 0 and StartMail has 0 documented incidents in the registry.