Tools · Chapter 5
Encrypted Email Providers
Six providers by encryption model, jurisdiction and free tier.
| Provider | Encryption | Jurisdiction | Free tier | My verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton Mail | E2E between Proton users, at-rest encryption otherwise | Switzerland | Yes (1GB) | My recommendation. Swiss privacy law, zero-knowledge encryption, open source clients, bridge for desktop email clients. The gold standard. |
| Tutanota (Tuta) | E2E between Tuta users, at-rest otherwise | Germany | Yes (1GB) | Excellent alternative. Strong German privacy law, fully open source, competitive pricing. Calendar included. |
| Fastmail | At-rest encryption, no E2E | Australia | No | Privacy-respecting but not zero-knowledge. Good for those who need full email client compatibility without privacy compromise. Not for sensitive communications. |
| Mailfence | PGP-based, at-rest | Belgium | Yes (500MB) | Solid option, Belgian law. Less polished than Proton/Tuta but technically sound. |
| Gmail | In-transit only | USA (CLOUD Act) | Yes | Google scans your email automatically to power its 'Smart' features, and collects extensive data on how you use it. Do not use for anything you consider private. |
| Outlook/Hotmail | In-transit only | USA (CLOUD Act) | Yes | Microsoft reads your email. Marginally better than Gmail but not meaningfully private. |
Reproduced verbatim from The Privacy Diet, Chapter 5 — “Encrypted Email Providers”. The book explains the reasoning behind each verdict.