The trend of privacy providers offering full software suites continues as Swiss brand Proton – developer of Proton VPN and Proton Mail – announces the launch of its all-in-one package. Its VPN, Mail, Drive and Calendar will now be available on a single Proton subscription, accompanied by a dramatic change in its aesthetic and even a new URL, proton.me.
This appears to be much more than a rebrand. "By unifying Proton’s products, both technically and aesthetically," said Varun Kabra, CMO of Proton, "we are making privacy more accessible and enjoyable than ever before for everyone."
With its various products previously available individually on a wide range of paid and free plans, finding the best deal for what you needed was something of a challenge.
This consolidation certainly simplifies Proton’s offerings, and appears to be a step in the right direction in terms of delivering a cohesive and accessible suite of privacy software under one roof.
What's changed?
At the heart of the rebrand is the new URL, proton.me. It serves as a hub to bring together Mail, VPN, Calendar and Drive, and those who choose to sign up will be able to purchase a complete Proton bundle which includes unlimited access to all four services.
Subscribers will be able to access all their products with a single Proton login, which is a positive in terms of usability.
Proton’s aesthetic has also changed, from the striking but arguably dated black and green color scheme to a more subtle lilac and blue. Less has changed in terms of the applications themselves, but we’ve noticed the latest update of the Proton VPN interface has flashes of blue, not green.
The functionality of all Proton’s services remains the same, and you’ll still be able to use the free VPN and free email service like before.
Are Proton VPN and Proton Mail available separately?
In short, yes. While comprehensive privacy and security suites are generally useful and promote good internet hygiene, many people will still only want either the VPN or private email client.
Proton VPN’s pricing has been simplified, and gone is the cheap yet toothless Basic plan. Now, any subscription to Proton VPN will get you the full-fat version with access to every server, Secure Core tech, and Proton’s excellent streaming VPN performance.
There has also been a slight reduction in overall cost – a 1-month plan is $9.99, a 1-year plan is $5.99 a month, and a 2-year plan is $4.99 a month. This brings Proton further in line with the competition, and addresses one of our biggest complaints we had with the service.
Proton Mail is also available separately, but it’s worth noting that to get all of its premium features, you’ll need to sign up to the full Proton bundle. That’s not bad if you want both VPN and Mail, but for some it could seem a little pricy for just an email client.
Are other brands doing the same?
In the past year or so we’ve seen a number of top-flight privacy providers branch out and start offering more comprehensive packages. For example, NordVPN offers a wide range of products, including its NordLayer business VPN and NordLocker cloud storage.
Surfshark also recently launched its Surfshark One bundle, which includes antivirus, private search, and Alert, which informs users if their data has been included in a breach.
ExpressVPN, which we rate as the best on the market, recently launched an in-house password manager called ExpressVPN Keys, which comes bundled for free with every subscription.
Comparing Proton’s suite to these, it’s clear the Swiss provider’s full package is more comprehensive, with cloud storage, VPN, secure mail and a secure calendar. However, it’s also more expensive too. Whether that extra outlay is worth it will be entirely down to the individual.
