Proton Mail

VS

Session

Cybersecurity Comparison

Proton Mail vs Session: Side-by-Side Comparison

Proton Mail
Session
Rating
★★★★★★★★★★
4.8/5
★★★★★★★★★★
4/5
Free Tier
Yes
Yes
Trial Days
30-day trial
None
Pricing
Free; Plus from $3.99/month
Completely free and open source
Company
Proton AG
Oxen Privacy Tech Foundation
Founded
2013
2020
Best For
Journalists and activists needing legally protected private email communications
High-risk activists needing fully decentralized untraceable encrypted messaging

Pros & Cons

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Proton Mail

End-to-end encryption means Proton cannot read your emails even if subpoenaed
Swiss legal jurisdiction provides some of strongest privacy protections globally
Zero-access encryption protects email subject lines and body at rest
ProtonMail Bridge lets you use Outlook and Apple Mail with encrypted backend
Onion site accessible via Tor for maximum anonymity even from Proton
Free tier limited to 500 MB storage and one email address only
Encrypted email only works between Proton users; external emails less protected

Session

Decentralized network with no central server that can be seized or subpoenaed
Account requires no phone number, email, or any personal identifier
Onion routing hides IP address from the Session network itself
Open-source code audited by community security researchers regularly
Completely free with no ads and no data collection of any kind
Smaller network means message delivery can be slower than centralized apps
Fewer features than Signal including no voice or video calling support

Use Case Analysis

Which is better for Privacy?

Both Proton Mail and Session support Privacy workflows. Proton Mail has a slight edge with a 4.8 rating and Swiss-jurisdiction zero-knowledge encryption protects emails from provider access entirely. If Privacy is your primary use case, Proton Mail is the safer pick.

Which is better for Encryption?

Both Proton Mail and Session support Encryption workflows. Proton Mail has a slight edge with a 4.8 rating and Swiss-jurisdiction zero-knowledge encryption protects emails from provider access entirely. If Encryption is your primary use case, Proton Mail is the safer pick.

Which is better for Two Factor Authentication?

Both Proton Mail and Session support Two Factor Authentication workflows. Proton Mail has a slight edge with a 4.8 rating and Swiss-jurisdiction zero-knowledge encryption protects emails from provider access entirely. If Two Factor Authentication is your primary use case, Proton Mail is the safer pick.

Which is better for Endpoint Security?

Both Proton Mail and Session support Endpoint Security workflows. Proton Mail has a slight edge with a 4.8 rating and Swiss-jurisdiction zero-knowledge encryption protects emails from provider access entirely. If Endpoint Security is your primary use case, Proton Mail is the safer pick.

Which is better for Password Management?

Both Proton Mail and Session support Password Management workflows. Proton Mail has a slight edge with a 4.8 rating and Swiss-jurisdiction zero-knowledge encryption protects emails from provider access entirely. If Password Management is your primary use case, Proton Mail is the safer pick.

Verdict

Proton Mail edges out Session with a 4.8 vs 4 rating. Proton Mail's main advantage: Swiss-jurisdiction zero-knowledge encryption protects emails from provider access entirely. That said, Session may still be the better choice if High-risk activists needing fully decentralized untraceable encrypted messaging.

Try Them Yourself

The best way to choose is to trial both. See full details on each:

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