Zoho Mail vs. ProtonMail

Unfortunately, email addresses can get hacked if a cybercriminal is determined enough, letting them invade your privacy. While many email service providers have security measures in place, some have better protection than the rest. Zoho Mail and ProtonMail are two big names in this arena. But which one is the better choice?

Below, we’ll cover the standard features of both Zoho Mail and ProtonMail. We’ll also focus on security because this is a serious matter in any workplace. Read on for all the details.

What Is Zoho Mail?

Zoho Mail is part of the Zoho Workplace suite of productivity tools, which includes online word processors, presentation software, and more. It’s designed for collaboration, as teams can all work on a project without interruption. Many teams choose Zoho Mail when they want to keep everything within a platform.

What Is ProtonMail?

ProtonMail is a highly secure email service founded in Switzerland, a country with strict privacy laws. It’s a young company, launched in 2014, but still ranks highly in security and privacy, where many other email clients fail. People who want to send secure emails often choose ProtonMail.

Features

Here are some unique features Zoho Mail and ProtonMail offer.

Zoho Mail

Zoho Mail offers many advanced features for collaboration and communication, some ranging beyond emails. Check out the list below.

• Offline mode
  
• Active syncing
  
• Notes
  
• Domain aliases
  
• Custom login
  
• Access to Zoho Workplace
  

While many email clients don’t work without an internet connection, Zoho Mail lets you view emails while you’re offline. You need to be connected to the internet before going dark, but checking all currently available emails is a huge advantage for people who lose their internet connection.

Zoho Mail lets team members create notes, which are handy methods for communicating instantly. Instead of a full email, it’s like handing everyone a sticky note online.

There’s support for domain aliasing, letting emails go from a new domain to an old one. That way, you can receive all emails even after swapping domains.

Unlike some services, you can create a custom login URL for Zoho Mail. This URL can be hidden from others to prevent unauthorized access.

Of course, if you pay for the business plans, you can use Zoho Workplace and all its productivity tools.

ProtonMail

Below is a list of unique ProtonMail features that you’ll find nowhere else.

• No logs policy
• Self-destructing emails
• Shortened domain addresses
• Free Proton VPN account
• Proton Calendar

By default, ProtonMail doesn’t keep logs of whenever you log in. Therefore, you can send and receive emails without anyone knowing the contents. Not even ProtonMail is aware of what’s in your inbox.

If you’ve wondered if emails can be deleted once sent, ProtonMail has the answer. You can send self-destructing emails that delete themselves after a certain period passes. It works with any email provider too, and it’s almost straight out of a spy movie.

Typing out a whole domain can be too troublesome for users, but ProtonMail has a function that lets you change domain names to shorter ones. You can receive messages from shorter domains, but replying as these domains is a premium feature.

ProtonMail users who register also get a free Proton VPN account to keep their internet activity private. It’s an excellent way to keep yourself anonymous on the web, where cybercriminals and even hostile countries record your every move.

Proton Calendar is a calendar that’s protected by end-to-end encryption, similar to ProtonMail and Proton VPN. It’s another tool that you get that comes with all ProtonMail accounts. Like all calendar apps, it lets you structure your agenda ahead of time.

Though ProtonMail’s features are incredible, it’s important to note that it’s not designed to be a collaboration platform.

Security

Here are the security ratings of Zoho Mail and ProtonMail. Obviously, the latter has several natural advantages, but Zoho Mail’s security isn’t ineffective either. You can trust it for business emails.

Zoho Mail

Here are Zoho Mail’s security features:

• Encryption at rest
• Encryption when sending
• Password protection for emails
• S/MIME encryption
• TLS encryption

These are rather standard features for secure emails, though S/MIME is less common. With Zoho Mail, you can rest assured it takes extra effort to crack the security barriers, and you still get to collaborate with your teammates.

ProtonMail

ProtonMail’s security includes all the above except the S/MIME encryption. Instead, it has PGP encryption, TLS encryption, and zero-access protection. In short, besides being protected, no one can read the contents at all.

If someone wants to access the ProtonMail servers physically, they must travel all the way to Switzerland and infiltrate a bunker 1,000 meters underground. That’s not an easy task, and few people are brave enough, or crazy enough, to attempt that.

Because ProtonMail’s servers are all in Switzerland, the U.K. and U.S. can’t ask the provider to reveal the email contents. While the Swiss authorities have made it happen, the information is still limited.

Naturally, ProtonMail’s security solutions are pretty much overkill for standard office workers. However, they’re suited to people who desire secretive communication.

Pricing

Here are the pricing plans for Zoho Mail and ProtonMail.

Zoho Mail

All prices are for one user. The plans are:

• Free Plan
• Mail Lite: $1 a month
• Mail Premium: $4 a month
• Workplace: $3 a month

Workplace lets you use all the tools instantly. Your team will appreciate having everything within a single platform.

ProtonMail

These are ProtonMail’s pricing plans:

• Proton Free
• Mail Essentials: $6.99 a month
• Business: $10.99 a month
• Enterprise: Contact ProtonMail to discuss

Paying extra lets you gain access to some collaborative tools, but they’re not up to Zoho Workplace’s standards. Most of the benefits are for security and convenience.

Zoho Mail Wins

Zoho Mail is the definitive winner regarding collaboration and teamwork, as it offers tools for this exact purpose. On the other hand, ProtonMail’s security is unmatched, and some users want this instead of word processing. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose the email provider that best fulfills your needs.