It’s been ten whole years since Proton Mail has seen the light of day. For those of you who are really serious about your privacy, you may already know all there is to know about Proton Mail, probably the best privacy-focused email service out there.
Finally, Proton Mail Desktop has been released. It’s a new and official desktop app/client for all major platforms out there including Windows, macOS, and Linux (but do note that the Linux version is currently in Beta).
The lack of a proper Proton Mail desktop app (up until now) has always stood out like a sore thumb, so to speak. Since I’m a Proton Mail user myself, I always found the idea of having to access emails via a browser a bit strange, at least when it comes to security.
Sure, we had Proton Mail Bridge which allows users to access their Proton Mail account through other desktop email apps, but once again, although very much viable, both methods have inherent security risks.
There’s no denying the fact that the launch of this new app is probably the most important thing that’s happened. Probably not for Proton AG as a company, but for us as users. As mentioned before, having a standalone, bespoke desktop app for Proton Mail has massive potential benefits, but it’s also a lot more convenient to use.
Proton Mail Desktop offers the same features and the same underlying privacy protections (advanced phishing protection, the Proton Sentinel program, protection from email trackers, etc.) as Proton Mail’s web versions.
Before I forget, I have to point out that the Proton Mail Desktop app also allows you to switch between the Proton Mail and the Proton Calendar effortlessly.
As for the app itself, I found it to be a joy to use. It looks very much like the Proton web app (which is good), but there are a lot of extra goodies and benefits.
These benefits are mostly how well the app integrates with your underlying OS. Even though the Linux app is currently in Beta, the native desktop notifications, the Light/Dark modes, and the optional ability to use the system’s font worked flawlessly. Other features include automatic updates and caching for offline use.
I cannot conclude this review without talking about the elephant in the room. This is not an open-source app, nor is it a free app. Yes, Linux users won’t be the happiest bunch out there, but at the end of the day Proton Mail provides a very specific service in the email space, and if you’re a fan of security and privacy, then it’s well worth the asking price.
As it stands, the app can tried out for free for 14 days by anyone having a Proton Mail account (including Proton Free).
