Verdict
Proton Mail is a well-made private inbox with a usable free plan, good organisation tools and apps for every main platform. Proton Scribe is the compromise. It can draft, proofread and change the length or tone of an email without training on it, but it is not in the iPhone or Android apps, and recent users call its output generic. Its local mode is unusually private but needs a capable computer. Lumo is Proton's separate private AI chat app, not a Mail feature.
Best for
People moving away from Gmail who want private email and occasional AI help on a computer
Skip if
Anyone who wants an AI email assistant in the phone app, or needs it to write replies using the whole email thread
Key facts
- Category
- Writing, emails & letters
- Made by
- Proton AG
- Based in
- Switzerland
- Launched
- 2014
- Works on
- Web, iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- $3.99 a month
- Free plan
- Free plan with 1 GB storage, one encrypted email address, 150 messages a day, three folders and three labels. Proton Scribe is not included.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | month |
| Mail Plus (billed annually) | $3.99 | month |
| Unlimited (billed annually) | $9.99 | month |
What it does
- end-to-end encrypted messages between Proton users, with password-protected emails for other recipients
- folders, labels, filters, scheduling, aliases and a calendar
- iPhone, Android, web and desktop apps, with offline reading and composing on the rebuilt mobile apps
- Proton Scribe drafts, proofreads, shortens, expands and changes the tone of a draft
- Scribe can run locally on a compatible computer or on Proton's servers without keeping logs
- Lumo, a separate optional Proton AI chat app with encrypted saved chats
Ratings
What people say
Store ratings are high, but the separate Trustpilot score is 2.2 from 1,788 reviews and recent user discussion is mixed. People praise the privacy and a smoother recent app, while the most repeated objections are outages and missing app features. Scribe users particularly report generic drafts, no thread context and no mobile access.
“I personally haven't had any issues with Proton, and I'm suspecting that the majority of Proton users barely even visit this user forum.”
Individual user review, 30 August 2026 · source
“Scribe is not very good, Every time is use it, I end up undo it”
Individual user review, 18 August 2026 · source
“It doesn't seem to pick up any context from the email thread I'm replying to.”
Individual user review, 15 July 2026 · source
“Having the writing assistant there and ready in the iOS and Android apps instead of just the web would be way more convenient.”
Individual user review, 21 February 2026 · source
Press reviews
- The Independent 2026-07-09
Hands-on review: Scribe generated quickly, but its real-world usefulness was debatable and local mode excludes many laptops because it needs an M-series Mac or a dedicated GPU on Windows.
- WIRED 2025-10-16
Rated 8/10. The reviewer found the inbox familiar and the move from Google straightforward, praised local Scribe, and noted that its mobile app lacks the web app's newsletter tools.
- Dev Problems 2026-04-01
Hands-on Scribe review found it useful for short replies, proofreading and changing length, with fast server mode as the practical option for most people.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- no: Proton says Scribe does not use content data or any other user data to train its models
- Opt-out
- not needed for training; Scribe can be switched off in Mail settings, and local mode keeps Scribe data on the device. Sending prompt and response with feedback requires an optional checkbox
- Retention
- In server mode, Proton says no log, account data or content data is stored. Local mode stores a 3.8 GB model in browser or app data until the user removes it. Proton says permanent IP logs are off by default, though it may temporarily retain IP data for abuse and fraud.
- Incidents
- Proton reported a widespread outage on 27 August 2026 after a Frankfurt data-centre cooling failure. It said no email was lost, but delivery was delayed. No Scribe data breach or regulator action was found in the sources checked.
- Age limit
- the UK App Store rates the app 4+
FAQ
Is Proton Mail free?
Yes. The Free plan has one encrypted email address, 1 GB storage and 150 messages a day. It does not include Proton Scribe. Mail Plus starts at US$3.99 a month when billed yearly.
Is Proton Scribe free?
No. It is included with Duo, Family, Visionary and Lifetime plans, and is a paid business add-on. Other paid individual Mail plans get a 14-day trial. Proton does not state an individual add-on price on the support page.
Does Proton Scribe work on iPhone or Android?
No. Proton lists Scribe for the Mail web app and the macOS desktop app. The main Mail app works on iPhone and Android, but Proton's support team directs mobile users to the separate Lumo app for similar writing help.
Is Proton Scribe private?
Proton says it does not train on user content. It can run locally so data stays on the computer, or on Proton servers without logs, account data or content data being stored. Email subject lines are not end-to-end encrypted.
What is Lumo?
Lumo is Proton's separate AI chat assistant, available on the web and mobile apps. Proton says saved chats use zero-access encryption and are not used for model training. It is not built into the Proton Mail inbox.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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