Proton Mail, the end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) email service provided by Swiss company Proton, is now officially available through a dedicated desktop application, approximately three months after launching in beta.
However, despite previous claims that customers can all Available to Proton Mail users in early 2024, the company has decided to limit it to paid subscribers.
A spokesperson explained to TechCrunch: “After the highly positive response during the beta phase, we decided to reserve the desktop app for premium subscribers to ensure the best quality of service due to the huge infrastructure and maintenance requirements.”
Proton Mail desktop app Image Source: proton
In related news, Proton also offers email services through a standalone Linux desktop application, which launches in beta today.
It is worth noting that although Proton Mail has been open to desktop users since the company’s inception, initially through a browser and more recently as a “bridge” to access Proton Mail through third-party desktop clients such as Apple Mail and Outlook. Today’s news says a dedicated Windows and MacOS app has also joined the fray. This means emails can be cached and accessed offline, and users can access Proton Mail directly from the MacOS dock or Windows Start menu.
In addition, the new app also bundles access to Proton’s encrypted calendar service.
Proton Mail desktop version with calendar Image Source: proton
take out the money
From Proton’s perspective, keeping the Proton Mail desktop app behind a paywall could be a good way to incentivize premium signups, since it’s a product that many people value in their daily lives and are willing to pay for. .
However, the company previously said that the customer would be “gradually made available to all users, including free,” And it’s this kind of backtracking that might cause some consternation in its community.
Instead, everyone can try the app as part of a 14-day free trial, after which they must sign up for one of the company’s premium plans, which costs between 8 and 13 euros per month, depending on how they want to commit to the long-term At. These plans also remove all restrictions on Proton’s other products, including cloud storage, VPN and password management.
That’s not to say Proton won’t change its mind, it depends on the “feedback” it receives after today’s announcement.
“We are open to expanding access in the future, but do not have any concrete plans in the short term,” a Proton spokesperson said. “We are committed to continually evaluating our products based on user feedback and needs.”
