A Quick Guide to the Best Encrypted Email in 2023

Chances are, your email isn’t as private as you think. Here’s how to change that.

Introduction: Your Data Privacy Matters

If you’re like most people, your email inbox lives on your smartphone and travels everywhere you do. It’s full of messages about family, shopping, doctor appointments, school, and work. While you’re not deeply concerned about people seeing it, you still wouldn’t let a stranger snoop around inside. But if you’re one of the billions of people who use popular free email providers, that’s exactly what happens.

To paraphrase an old saying, “if you don’t pay for the product, you are the product.” In the world of email, this is especially true. Companies like Google and Microsoft have full access to your inbox, scanning messages for purposes of advertising, saving your purchase history, pushing notifications, searching for malware, and generating A.I. responses. They profit from your data. Nothing is private.

The solution is encryption, which is a high-tech way to scramble data so that it’s unreadable to anyone without a key. With encrypted email, you hold the key to your inbox and your email provider can’t read its contents. You might have heard names like Proton Mail and Tutanota in passing; these are just two of a growing number of companies offering encrypted email service. In this guide, we’ll examine popular choices for the best encrypted email in 2023, touching on the pros and cons of each. By the end, you’ll be well-equipped to make smart choices about your inbox.

Why Use Encrypted Email?

First, it’s important to distinguish between privacy and security. Privacy means that your emails are only accessible to people you allow to see them. When you send a message to your friend, you know she will read it. However, you don’t expect her to share it with her friends and family. If your friend is passing around sensitive messages, she is violating your privacy. Meanwhile, security means that your inbox is safe from being accessed through nefarious means like hacking and malware. A secure email provider has safeguards in place to mitigate these threats.

Any email provider you consider should have high security standards. For this discussion, we’ll focus on privacy, since that’s a rarer feature. With that in mind, here are some reasons to use encrypted email:

• Privacy Concerns: Privacy is a luxury rather than a right. Emails hold sensitive data of all kinds, from your personal correspondence and photos to critical business documents and financial records. Using an encrypted email service keeps this data locked away from the prying eyes of hackers, corporate advertisers, and surveillance agencies.
• Data Breaches: Every year, millions of people are affected by data breaches. These events involve mass exposure of sensitive data, which leaves users vulnerable to hacking and identity theft. Encrypted emails act as your last line of defense in such scenarios, making your data unreadable to unauthorized users even if they access it.
• Legal Requirements: Certain industries, such as healthcare, legal services, and finance, have strict regulations that require secure data handling. These regulations, like the U.S.’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), impose severe penalties for non-compliance. Using encrypted email services is often a basic requirement to meet these standards.

What to Consider When Choosing an Encrypted Email Provider

There are dozens of features to consider in your search for the best encrypted email in 2023. No two providers are quite the same, nor are any two customers. However, the following features are important to most people, and therefore, a wise place to start.

• Encryption Techniques: It’s critical to understand the specific encryption used by the email provider. End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is the gold standard, ensuring that only the sender and recipient can decrypt and read the email. With E2EE, your messages are encrypted before they leave your device and remain so until they arrive at their destination. Some providers also offer additional features like two-factor authentication and digital signatures for enhanced security. Keep in mind that, unless the recipient uses an encrypted email provider, your sent emails will be stored un-encrypted in their inbox.
• User Experience: The ideal encrypted email service should offer a user-friendly interface that does not compromise on security features. An intuitive design allows for easy navigation, smooth operation, and a positive overall user experience. If the UX is friction-free, you’ll be more likely to continue using it, thus keeping you safer and private for longer.
• Storage Capacity: Every user has different needs when it comes to email storage, so this is up to preference. While personal users might need minimal storage, businesses and professionals may require extensive space for email archives. It’s essential to examine the storage options offered by providers, as this can be a deciding factor.
• Pricing: As with most services, email encryption services come with tiered pricing plans. While some providers offer robust free plans, most require a subscription for premium features like increased storage and custom domains. Always weigh the features against your budget to make an informed choice.

Popular Encrypted Email Providers in 2023

Encrypted Email Feature Comparison

This table offers a convenient overview of popular features offered by the encrypted email providers we discussed.

Feature	Proton Mail	Tutanota	Hushmail	Mailfence	Zoho Mail	Skiff Mail
End-to-end encryption	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Free plan	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Basic paid plan (monthly)	$4.99	$4.00	$4.17	$3.50	$1	$3
Storage	500 MB – 500 GB	1–500 GB	10 GB	1–225 GB	5–50 GB	10 GB – 1 TB
Calendar	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom domains	Yes (paid)	Yes (paid)	Yes (paid)	Yes (paid)	Yes	Yes
Business plan	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Location	Switzerland	Germany	Canada	Belgium	United States	United States
Best for	Personal	Personal	Business	Personal & Business	Personal & business	Personal

How to Switch to an Encrypted Email Provider

Transitioning to an encrypted email provider is easy enough, though it requires patience and forward thinking. The process can usually be completed in a few straightforward steps.

1. Assess your requirements: Take stock of your specific needs — be it storage capacity, multiple user accounts, or the country where your email is hosted. Ask yourself what’s most important. For example, are you willing to trade a modern interface for more features?
2. Choose providers: Use the information in this guide to shortlist and select the email service that meets your needs. If it’s a close call, there’s no harm in choosing two or three and making free accounts with each.
3. Sign up and configure: You’ll need to complete a simple sign-up process. Make sure to set strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication if available.
4. Migrate old emails: Most services offer easy ways to import your emails and contacts — sometimes with just a few clicks. Make sure to complete this step if keeping your old emails is important. (If you’re testing multiple services, consider waiting until you’ve made your final choice, as migrating can be time-consuming.)
5. Test thoroughly: Before making a complete transition, run tests to ensure the new service is user-friendly. Send emails to yourself and other people, create privacy aliases, set up filters, and test organization features like folders and labels.

If you want to future-proof your email, here’s a tip: register a custom domain to use instead of the domain assigned by your email provider. (For example, you could use john@smith.com instead of johnsmith@gmail.com.) While this process is complicated, it allows you to change email providers and keep the same address. That way, if you’re dissatisfied with one service, you can switch to another without interruption. Custom domains are a separate discussion, so search online for guides.

Conclusion: The Best Encrypted Email in 2023 is Up to You

Choosing the best encrypted email in 2023 is more than a simple technological decision; it’s a commitment to protecting your data privacy. We’ve discussed how and why you should walk the path of encryption, and we’ve explored several popular solutions. Will you opt for Swiss security or German simplicity? A wealth of features or a focused inbox? The choice is yours, and there’s no wrong answer. So take a deep breath and start clicking. A better future for your email awaits.