From Proton to Posteo: Embracing the underdog - moonwriting
moonwriting
From Proton to Posteo: Embracing the underdog
Dear reader,<br>Discussions about private email providers center on two providers: Proton and Tuta. During the last five years that I used Proton Mail, I accepted the premise. However, Proton’s limitations on the free plan, the focus on AI and crypto, and the regular controversies had frustrated me enough that I began exploring alternatives.<br>My extensive use of Proton’s ecosystem had also made me question the feasibility of moving elsewhere if needed. In the end, I knew I had to diversify my digital life, and email was the first item on my list. Before coming across my current pick, I considered alternatives.<br>Mailbox<br>Mailbox Mail is one of those email providers I have seen people recommend, but that I hadn’t tried out before. My first impression left a lot to be desired.<br>When I was setting up third-party clients, Mailbox’s support documentation made my introduction to the topic a challenge. Together with the complex layout, finding things was tiring.<br>While Mailbox offers a 30-day trial, I couldn’t receive or send emails. How was I supposed to test the service? When I tried to subscribe to the standard monthly plan, the payment view forced me to accept the yearly plan. Since I couldn’t find a way around this, my testing period with Mailbox was short-lived. The modern inbox design was the only positive aspect of my experience.<br>Since using the web client is optional with Mailbox, I could just use those third-party clients and get my payment issues sorted out with support. But after browsing Mailbox’s subreddit, I was eager to move to the next service on my list.<br>Tuta<br>Tuta was an obvious contender for replacing Proton, but the thing is, I have tried it multiple times before without success. I just don’t enjoy using it. Tuta’s non-native mobile apps play a big role in my discomfort. Proton has an advantage with its new mobile apps that feel great to use.<br>While Tuta’s Revolutionary plan of 3 euros per month is cheaper than Proton’s Mail Plus plan that costs 3.99 euros, I didn’t want to pay that much for an email service.<br>Tuta was running a 50 percent promotion for both of their paid plans when I was considering switching, but those prices didn’t show up on my client. I couldn’t ask Tuta about this since they don’t provide support for free users. In the end, being forced to accept the regular pricing helped me to understand that I wasn’t content with it, and that allowed me to continue exploring my options.<br>Others<br>I didn’t consider StartMail or Fastmail because of their pricing and the lack of support for encrypting the email inbox. Fastmail is also an Australian company, and I wanted to find a provider based in Europe.<br>Discovering Posteo<br>After ruling out these options, I remembered that another privacy-focused and open-source provider named Posteo exists. After doing research and browsing their website, I knew this Germany-based email provider was exactly what I’m looking for. Besides mail, I opted to use Posteo’s calendar and contacts, and sync everything via Apple’s own clients.<br>Anonymous sign-up and affordable pricing<br>Setting up the account didn’t require personal information, and you can pay with cash. Posteo’s payment system separates payment information from user accounts, which is something that neither Proton nor Tuta does.
Posteo's sign-up page
I’m a fan of Posteo’s pricing, where a single plan that costs 1 euro per month covers everything. The user gets 4 GB of storage, 3 email aliases, and 3 calendars that are all upgradable. For example, an extra 1 GB of storage costs 0.25 euros and an alias 0.10 euros per month.<br>A deposit of at least 12 euros is required, but the payments are monthly. At any point, you can request that Posteo either refunds or donates the remaining amount on your account. Posteo doesn’t delete accounts without credit left, but after 10 weeks you would lose the ability to send emails.<br>Excellent support documentation and privacy policy<br>Posteo’s support documentation is extensive and easy to follow. The privacy policy is excellent and leaves Proton and Tuta playing catch-up. As an example of Posteo’s commitment to users’ privacy, it doesn’t log IP addresses.<br>Sustainability<br>Sustainability is one of the key values for Posteo besides privacy, and it makes them stand out from the competition. It’s also a topic close to my heart, so I was pleased to read about Posteo’s efforts in the area.
Posteo's green energy efforts
In comparison to Proton, there is no contest, since Proton doesn’t discuss sustainability. While Tuta is another provider that likes to talk about its sustainability efforts, Posteo’s approach is more comprehensive. We’re not only talking about 100 percent green energy. I encourage you to read the whole sustainability page because I can’t mention everything in this article, but here are a few examples.<br>Posteo doesn’t do business flights, and offers its...