Hey Email or ProtonMail? Which is for you

If you’re choosing between HEY Email and Proton Mail, the better option depends on what you want from an email service. HEY is better for people who want a cleaner, more organized inbox and a different way to manage email, while Proton Mail is the stronger choice for privacy, encryption, and a free plan. HEY starts at $99 per year, while Proton Mail offers a free plan and paid options.

At first glance, the two services may seem similar because both focus on privacy and offer alternatives to mainstream email providers. But they solve different problems.

HEY, from 37signals, tries to rethink how you use email. Proton Mail puts much more emphasis on encrypted communication and privacy.

So which one should you choose? Let’s compare them based on the things that matter most.

HEY Email vs Proton Mail at a Glance

Feature	HEY Email	Proton Mail
Best for	Inbox organization and a fresh email workflow	Privacy and encrypted email
Free plan	30-day trial	Yes
Personal price	$99/year	Free plan available; paid options available
Personal address	@hey.com	@proton.me, @protonmail.com and others
Custom domain	Yes, with HEY for Domains	Yes, on eligible paid plans
Encryption focus	Privacy-focused	Strong encryption and zero-access architecture
Storage	100 GB	Up to 15 GB on Mail Plus; more with Proton bundles
Calendar	Included	Included
Hide-my-email aliases	Not a core feature	Available
Desktop apps	Web, Mac, Windows, Linux	Web plus desktop support through Proton Mail Bridge on paid plans
Email workflow	Strong focus on organizing incoming mail	More traditional email experience with privacy features
Best choice for privacy-focused users	Good	Excellent
Best choice for a redesigned inbox experience	Excellent	Good

HEY’s current personal plan includes a @hey.com address, calendar, 100 GB of storage, built-in email workflows, apps across major platforms, and spy-pixel blocking. Proton Mail offers encrypted email, a free plan, custom domains on paid plans, hide-my-email aliases, and additional privacy-focused services.

The Biggest Difference Between HEY and Proton Mail

The easiest way to understand the difference is this:

HEY changes how you manage email. Proton Mail changes how your email is protected.

HEY is designed around reducing inbox clutter and making incoming messages easier to handle. Instead of simply giving you another traditional inbox, it uses its own workflow for sorting and managing email.

Proton Mail takes a different approach. Its main selling point is privacy. Messages between Proton Mail users are automatically end-to-end encrypted, and messages stored in your Proton Mail mailbox use zero-access encryption.

That distinction matters because you may not actually be looking for the same thing as another person.

If your biggest complaint is “My inbox is overwhelming,” HEY may appeal to you.

If your biggest concern is “I don’t want my email provider to be able to read my stored messages,” Proton Mail is the more obvious choice.

What Makes HEY Email Different?

HEY is not simply another Gmail replacement with a different logo.

Its design is based on changing the way email enters and moves through your inbox.

One of its key ideas is separating incoming messages based on how you want to deal with them instead of treating every message as equally important.

HEY also includes features designed to reduce tracking and unwanted inbox noise. For example, HEY blocks spy pixels and does not use personal data to sell ads.

Another important difference is that a personal HEY account gives you a new @hey.com address. HEY is designed as a replacement for services such as Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple email rather than simply an app that connects to those accounts.

HEY’s Workflow Can Be Its Biggest Advantage

Imagine you receive 40 emails on a Monday morning.

Twenty are newsletters, five are receipts, several are messages from friends, and a few are things you actually need to respond to.

A traditional inbox can turn that into one long list.

HEY’s approach is built around giving different types of incoming messages different places and workflows.

For someone who receives a large amount of email every day, this can feel very different from using a conventional inbox.

But there is a trade-off: you have to like the HEY way of doing email.

If you prefer a familiar Gmail-style inbox with traditional folders, labels, and filters, HEY’s approach may take some adjustment.

What Makes Proton Mail Different?

Proton Mail is primarily built around privacy and security.

Proton Mail uses end-to-end encryption for messages exchanged between Proton Mail users. Messages stored in your mailbox are protected with zero-access encryption, meaning Proton says it cannot read the contents of those stored messages.

Proton also provides a free plan, which makes it much easier to try without committing to a subscription.

The free plan includes basic Proton Mail access, while paid plans add features such as additional addresses, more storage, custom domains, aliases, and other capabilities.

Proton Mail Is More Than an Encrypted Inbox

Another major difference is the broader Proton ecosystem.

Depending on your plan, Proton can combine Mail with services such as:

• Proton Calendar
• Proton Drive
• Proton VPN
• Proton Pass
• Proton Wallet

For example, Proton Unlimited includes Proton Mail plus several other privacy-focused services under one subscription.

That can make Proton more attractive if you want to build more of your online life around one privacy-focused provider.

Which Is More Private: HEY or Proton Mail?

If privacy and encryption are your top priorities, Proton Mail is the stronger choice.

Proton Mail uses end-to-end encryption for messages exchanged between Proton Mail users. It also protects messages stored in your mailbox with zero-access encryption.

There is an important detail, though.

Sending an email from Proton Mail to someone using Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or another provider does not automatically make the entire communication end-to-end encrypted.

Emails sent to non-Proton recipients are normally protected with TLS, but they are not end-to-end encrypted by default. You can instead use Proton’s password-protected email feature to send an end-to-end encrypted message to a non-Proton recipient.

This is an important distinction that is easy to miss when comparing private email services.

Which Has Better Email Organization?

For email organization and workflow, HEY has the more distinctive approach.

HEY was designed around the idea that your inbox should not simply become a chronological pile of messages.

Its built-in workflows are a central part of the service, and HEY is positioned as a redesigned approach to email rather than another traditional email client.

Proton Mail, meanwhile, provides familiar email organization tools such as folders, labels, and filters. Paid Proton plans offer unlimited folders, labels, and custom filters.

So the choice is fairly simple:

• Want a completely different email workflow? HEY.
• Want traditional email organization plus strong privacy? Proton Mail.

Which Is Cheaper?

For most people, Proton Mail is the cheaper way to get started because it offers a free plan.

HEY does not have a permanent free personal plan. Its current HEY for You plan costs $99 per year and includes a 30-day trial without requiring a credit card for the trial.

HEY’s personal subscription includes 100 GB of storage and its calendar and email workflow features.

Proton’s pricing works differently. Proton Mail Free is available at no cost, while Mail Plus adds features such as 15 GB of storage, additional email addresses, one custom domain, and other advanced email features.

For someone who simply wants a private email address without paying, Proton Mail has a clear advantage.

What About Custom Domains?

Both services can work with custom domains, but their pricing models differ.

HEY offers HEY for Domains for people or companies that want to use their own domain. The current price is $12 per user per month, with the first user receiving a $2 monthly discount.

Proton Mail also supports custom domains on eligible paid plans. Mail Plus supports one custom email domain, while higher Proton plans support more.

For a small business, this means the decision should not be based only on the domain feature itself.

You should also consider whether your business values HEY’s workflow and collaboration features or Proton’s privacy and encryption model more.

HEY Email vs Proton Mail for Everyday Personal Use

For everyday personal email, either service can work well, but they suit different types of users.

Choose HEY if Your Inbox Is the Problem

HEY makes more sense if you:

• Receive lots of email every day
• Want less inbox clutter
• Like opinionated software design
• Want a new @hey.com address
• Prefer an email service with its own workflow
• Want calendar integration
• Care about privacy but don’t need encryption to be the main reason for choosing your provider

The biggest question is whether you enjoy HEY’s way of handling email.

Choose Proton Mail if Privacy Is the Priority

Proton Mail makes more sense if you:

• Want a free private email account
• Care strongly about encryption
• Want zero-access encrypted mailbox storage
• Want encrypted communication with other Proton users
• Want the ability to send password-protected encrypted messages externally
• Want hide-my-email aliases
• May want other privacy services such as VPN or encrypted cloud storage

Proton also makes it possible to import mail from providers such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook using Easy Switch.

Which Is Better for a Small Business?

For a small business, the answer depends heavily on what you need from email.

HEY for Domains includes custom-domain email, centralized billing, team management, thread sharing, private team comments, and email aliases.

That makes HEY interesting for a small team that wants a collaborative email workflow.

Proton also offers business email plans with custom domains and additional business features, while keeping its privacy-focused approach.

A privacy-sensitive business may prefer Proton, especially if encrypted communication is a major concern.

A small team that mainly wants a different way to handle shared email conversations may prefer HEY.

Which Is Better for Email Encryption?

Proton Mail wins clearly.

Emails between Proton Mail accounts are automatically end-to-end encrypted. Proton also supports password-protected emails for sending end-to-end encrypted messages to people who use other email providers.

Proton also integrates PGP into its service, although advanced PGP use is more relevant to people who specifically need that level of control.

If encryption is the main reason you’re replacing Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail, Proton Mail is the more natural fit.

Two Real-World Examples

Example 1: You Hate Your Inbox

Suppose you’re a freelancer who receives newsletters, client emails, receipts, notifications, and personal messages throughout the day.

Your main frustration isn’t necessarily security. It’s that everything arrives in the same place and you spend too much time deciding what deserves attention.

HEY may be the better choice.

Its email workflow is designed specifically to change how you process incoming mail.

Example 2: You Want Private Communication

Now imagine you regularly exchange sensitive personal information with family members, clients, or other contacts and want stronger protection for your stored email.

You also don’t want to pay just to start using a private email service.

Proton Mail is likely the better choice.

You can start with Proton Mail Free, and communication between Proton Mail users is automatically end-to-end encrypted.

HEY Email or Proton Mail: Which Should You Choose?

For most people, the decision comes down to one question:

Do you want a better way to manage email, or a more privacy-focused way to send and store email?

Choose HEY if your biggest priority is inbox organization, a redesigned email workflow, and the overall HEY experience.

Choose Proton Mail if your biggest priorities are privacy, encryption, a free plan, and secure communication.

If you’re still unsure, Proton Mail is the easier starting point because you can use its free plan without paying upfront. If you specifically want HEY’s unique approach to email, the 30-day trial gives you a chance to see whether its workflow fits your daily habits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HEY Email more secure than Proton Mail?

Proton Mail has the stronger encryption-focused security model, including end-to-end encryption between Proton users and zero-access encryption for stored messages. HEY also emphasizes privacy and blocks spy pixels, but its main advantage is its email workflow rather than end-to-end encrypted email.

Can I use Proton Mail for free?

Yes. Proton Mail has a free plan with basic email functionality and privacy protections. Paid plans add features such as more storage, additional addresses, custom domains, and other advanced features.

Is HEY worth $99 a year?

HEY can be worth the price if its email workflow solves a problem you regularly have with traditional inboxes. If you mainly want private email and don’t need HEY’s specialized workflow, Proton Mail’s free option makes it a more economical starting point.

The Bottom Line

HEY and Proton Mail are not really competing for exactly the same user.

HEY is the better fit for someone who wants to rethink how they handle email. Proton Mail is the better fit for someone who puts privacy and encryption first.

Before paying for either service, think about your biggest email frustration. If it’s inbox overload, try HEY. If it’s privacy, start with Proton Mail.