Best Secure Email Apps and Services in 2026 (Compared)

Short answer: if you want a new, private address, Proton Mail is the best all-round secure email service, and Tuta encrypts the most (including subject lines) for the lowest price. If you'd rather keep your Gmail, Outlook or iCloud address, a secure email app can add encryption on top: Thunderbird does it free with OpenPGP, and Canary Mail (ours) adds PGP, tracker blocking and AI across Mac, iPhone, Windows and Android.

Disclosure: we make Canary Mail, one of the apps below. We've said where it falls short too. Prices and features were checked on each provider's own site in October 2026.

What makes email secure?

Almost all email is encrypted in transit with TLS, which stops people snooping on the way between servers. Gmail does this for every message. But once the email arrives, your provider can read it.

End-to-end encryption means a message is encrypted on your device and only the recipient can decrypt it. Not even your provider can read it. PGP and S/MIME are the standard ways to do this.
Zero-access encryption protects mail stored on the provider's servers, including mail that arrived unencrypted from someone on Gmail. Proton calls end-to-end encryption the stronger of the two.
Metadata usually stays readable. Even secure services leave sender and recipient addresses unencrypted; Proton also leaves subject lines out of end-to-end encryption, while Tuta encrypts them.

Security also depends on your account: a strong, unique password and two-step verification or a passkey matter as much as encryption.

Secure email apps and services compared

	Type	End-to-end encryption	Encrypted mail to anyone	Free plan	Paid from	Based in
Proton Mail	Service	Automatic between Proton users; zero-access storage	Password-protected emails	Yes (up to 1 GB)	$3.99/month yearly	Switzerland
Tuta	Service	Automatic, including subject lines	Password-protected emails	Yes (1 GB)	€3/month yearly	Germany
Mailfence	Service	OpenPGP, per message	Password-encrypted messages	Yes (500 MB of mail)	€2.50/month yearly	Belgium
mailbox.org	Service	PGP in webmail; encrypted inbox option	Not covered here	No (30-day trial)	€1/month	Germany
StartMail	Service	One-click PGP	Password-protected emails	No (7-day trial)	$4.99/month yearly	Netherlands
Canary Mail	App for your accounts	PGP (Pro+)	SecureSend link (Pro+)	Yes	$100/year for Pro+	N/A
Thunderbird	App for your accounts	OpenPGP and S/MIME	No	Free	Free	N/A
Apple Mail	App for your accounts	S/MIME	No	Free	Free	N/A

The best secure email services

These give you a new address hosted by a privacy-focused provider.

1. Proton Mail: Best overall secure email service

Proton Mail, based in Switzerland, encrypts mail end to end between Proton users automatically and stores everything else with zero-access encryption. You can send password-protected, end-to-end encrypted emails to people on other services, and all Proton apps are open source and independently audited. Post-quantum protection arrived in May 2026, though you have to turn it on. See our Proton Mail alternatives if it isn't quite right.

Price: free plan; Mail Plus $3.99 a month billed yearly or $4.99 monthly
Free plan: one address, up to 1 GB (new accounts start at 500 MB), 150 messages a day
Other apps: desktop apps connect through Proton Mail Bridge, on paid plans only
Downside: subject lines aren't end-to-end encrypted, and the free plan is small.

2. Tuta: Best for encrypting everything

Tuta, from Germany, encrypts your whole mailbox end to end, including subject lines, attachments, contacts and calendar; only sender and recipient addresses stay readable. It has used quantum-resistant encryption by default since 2024, its apps are open source, and you can send encrypted mail to anyone with a shared password.

Price: free plan; Revolutionary €3 a month billed yearly (20 GB)
Free plan: 1 GB, one address, private use only
Other apps: none: Tuta doesn't support IMAP, so it only works in its own apps
Downside: you can't use it in Apple Mail, Outlook or other apps. See our Tuta alternatives.

3. Mailfence: Best for OpenPGP with a full office suite

Mailfence app with OpenPGP and password-protected encryption options

Mailfence, based in Belgium, builds OpenPGP encryption into its webmail: encryption happens in your browser, it works with any other OpenPGP user, and you choose which messages to encrypt. You can also send password-encrypted messages to people without PGP, sign mail digitally, and use its calendar, contacts and documents.

Price: free plan; Base €2.50, Entry €3.50, Pro €9.50 a month, billed yearly
Free plan: 500 MB of mail and 500 MB of documents, 50 emails a day
Other apps: web, iPhone and Android apps; IMAP and custom domains from Entry
Downside: ordinary stored mail isn't zero-access encrypted, and Mailfence isn't open source yet.

4. mailbox.org: Best for PGP in any email app

mailbox.org, with servers in Berlin, works in any email app over IMAP and has PGP and S/MIME built into its webmail. You can also have incoming mail encrypted with your own PGP key, so it's stored encrypted even if the sender didn't encrypt it.

Price: Light €1 a month (yearly), Standard €3 a month yearly or €4 monthly; 30-day trial
Storage: 2 GB on Light, 20 GB on Standard
Other apps: any IMAP or POP app
Downside: encryption is PGP you set up yourself, and there's no free plan.

5. StartMail: Best for easy PGP and aliases

StartMail website with a PGP-encrypted email in its webmail

StartMail, based in the Netherlands, encrypts with PGP in one click and lets you send encrypted mail to anyone by setting a password the recipient uses to read and reply. It adds unlimited disposable aliases and works in other apps over IMAP.

Price: Personal $4.99 a month billed yearly ($59.88) or $6.99 monthly; 7-day trial
Storage: 20 GB
Other apps: any IMAP app
Downside: no free plan, and the trial needs a card or PayPal.

The best secure email apps

These add encryption and privacy to the email account you already have.

6. Canary Mail: Best for encryption and AI across devices

Canary Mail with several email accounts in one inbox

Canary Mail (ours) works with Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Exchange and IMAP accounts on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android. Its Pro+ plan adds PGP encryption, SecureSend (a secure link with identity verification, expiry and revoke, for recipients who don't use PGP) and phishing and impersonation detection. Tracker blocking is on by default, and Canary says your emails aren't used to train AI models.

Price: free plan; Growth $36 a year adds AI writing and summaries; Pro+ $100 a year adds PGP and SecureSend; 7-day free trial
Accounts: unlimited, including on the free plan
Extras: Face ID or Touch ID app lock on iPhone
Downside: PGP and phishing protection need Pro+, and your provider can still read mail that isn't encrypted.

7. Thunderbird: Best free secure email app

Thunderbird, from a Mozilla subsidiary, has had OpenPGP built in since 2020 and supports S/MIME too. It's free, open source, runs on Windows, Mac and Linux (with an Android app), and works with almost any email account.

Price: free
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android; iPhone app in beta
Downside: you manage your own keys, and both sides need PGP for an encrypted conversation.

8. Apple Mail: Best built-in option on Apple devices

Apple Mail supports S/MIME encryption with a personal certificate, and Mail Privacy Protection hides your IP address and stops senders seeing when you open a message. It doesn't have PGP built in. Note that iCloud Mail itself isn't end-to-end encrypted, even with Advanced Data Protection.

Price: free
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac
Downside: S/MIME needs certificates on both sides, so most everyday mail isn't end-to-end encrypted.

How to choose

Want a private address and don't mind a new one? Proton Mail or Tuta.
Need encryption that works with any OpenPGP user? Mailfence, mailbox.org or StartMail.
Want to keep your Gmail, Outlook or iCloud address? Use an app with PGP: Thunderbird for free, Canary Mail for PGP plus AI on every device.
Only on Apple devices? Apple Mail with S/MIME and Mail Privacy Protection is a reasonable start.

New to PGP? Read our guide to PGP encryption.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a safer email than Gmail?

For privacy, yes. Proton Mail and Tuta encrypt your mail so the provider can't read it, while Gmail encrypts mail in transit but can read it on its servers. For account security, Gmail is strong if you turn on two-step verification or passkeys; Google's free Advanced Protection Program adds more.

Is Gmail or Apple Mail safer?

Neither encrypts mail end to end by default. Apple Mail adds Mail Privacy Protection and S/MIME and shows no ads; Gmail adds strong account protection like passkeys and Advanced Protection, but personal accounts see ads in the Promotions and Social tabs.

What is the downside of Proton Mail?

The free plan has up to 1 GB and 150 messages a day, using desktop email apps needs Proton Mail Bridge on a paid plan, and subject lines aren't end-to-end encrypted.

Which email is least likely to be hacked?

No provider is immune. Use a unique password and turn on two-step verification or a passkey (Google says passkeys are more secure against phishing), and choose a provider that encrypts your stored mail, like Proton or Tuta, so a breach exposes less.

What is the difference between end-to-end and zero-access encryption?

End-to-end encryption scrambles a message on your device so only the recipient can read it. Zero-access encryption protects mail stored on the provider's servers, including mail that arrived unencrypted.

Can I encrypt my Gmail?

Yes, with an app that supports PGP, like Thunderbird or Canary Mail (Pro+). Gmail itself only offers S/MIME on work or school accounts.

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The Best Secure Email Apps and Services in 2026