Proton Mail is an end-to-end encrypted email hosting service. It was launched in 2014 by Andy Yen, Jason Stockman and Wei Sun. Proton Mail is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is owned by the non-profit Proton Foundation through its subsidiary Proton AG, which also operates Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Calendar, Proton Pass, Proton Wallet, Proton Meet, and Lumo AI. Proton Mail uses client-side encryption to protect email content and user data before they are sent to company servers, unlike other common email providers such as Gmail and Outlook.com.
Proton Mail received its initial funding through a crowdfunding campaign, and initial access was by invitation only, but it opened to the public in 2016. There were two million users by 2017, almost 70 million by 2022, and 100 million users in 2024.
The source code for the back end of Proton Mail remains closed-source, but Proton Mail released the source code for the web interface, iOS and Android apps, and the Proton Mail Bridge app under an open-source licence.
What is Proton Mail?
Proton Mail is a proprietary email client program for Windows from Proton. It ranks 7th by popularity among email clients in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2013. It is written in PHP and JavaScript. Besides Windows, it is available for macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Its interface is available in 14 languages.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as EXE. The main installer is 139.1 MB. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.14.0, released on August 26, 2026. 10 versions are listed since March 25, 2025, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 7 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 7,096 times. Wikipedia has an article about it in 26 of our languages. Similar programs include Tuta Mail, Mailspring and eM Client.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Frequent updates (about 7 a year)
- Also runs on macOS, Linux and Android
- Mature project (since 2013)
- Interface in 14 languages
Cons
- Proprietary licence: check the terms and price
- No native ARM64 build
In short: Proton Mail is an email client tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- Create a @proton.me or @protonmail.com email address
- Send and receive encrypted emails and attachments with ease
- Switch between multiple Proton Mail accounts
- Easily manage your email with conversations
- Keep your inbox tidy and clean with folders, labels and simple swipe-gestures
- Receive new email notifications
- Send Password-protected Emails to anyone
- Enjoy your inbox in dark mode
- Proton Mail is free — We believe everyone deserves privacy. Upgrade to a paid plan to get more done and support our mission.
- Easy to use — Our all-new app has been redesigned to make it easier to read, organize, and write your emails.
- Your inbox is yours — We don't spy on your communications to show you targeted ads. Your inbox, your rules.
- Rigorous encryption — Your entire inbox is secured, on all your devices. No one can read your emails but you. Proton is privacy, guaranteed by end-to-end and zero-access encryption.
- Unmatched protection — We offer strong phishing, spam, and spying/tracking protection for all your communications.
AppStream · Flathub
Is Proton Mail safe to download?
- The file is served by proton.me, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
456ADBFE362FDF14EF0A189CDE1962316B46A8E277D139C12A99D39BCAC89BC3· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 10 versions ›10 versions over 1 year · about 7 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.14.0Latest | August 26, 2026 | 139.1 MB | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.13.4 | July 29, 2026 | 134.9 MB | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.13.3 | June 12, 2026 | 134.9 MB | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.12.1 | January 29, 2026 | 130.8 MB | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.11.0 | November 28, 2025 | 118.9 MB | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.10.1 | November 7, 2025 | 118.9 MB | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.9.1 | September 24, 2025 | 118.5 MB | 64-bit EXE |
| 1.9.0 | August 5, 2025 | 114.5 MB | 64-bit EXE |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Proton.ProtonMail -echoco install protonmail -yscoop install extras/proton-mailProtonMail-desktop.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask proton-mailflatpak install flathub me.proton.MailInformation
- Publisher
- Proton
- Category
- Email clients
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Price
- See the publisher’s site
- Source code
- github.com
- Written in
- PHP and JavaScript
- Interface languages
- English, French, Spanish, Russian, German, and Turkish +8 more
- Content rating
- 4+
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE
- Other platforms
- macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
- Version
- 1.14.0
- Released
- August 26, 2026
- First release
- 2013
- Added to the catalogue
- March 25, 2025
- Versions listed
- 10
- Updates / year
- 7
- Chocolatey downloads
- 7,096
- Website
- proton.me
- winget ID
- Proton.ProtonMail
- Chocolatey package
- protonmail
- Scoop package
- extras/proton-mail
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Proton Mail free?
Proton Mail is proprietary (closed-source) software (licence: Proprietary). Whether it costs money depends on the edition: check the publisher’s site for prices and free tiers.
Is Proton Mail safe to download?
The download comes from proton.me, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Proton Mail with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Proton Mail be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Proton Mail run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Proton Mail?
The versions page lists all 10 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 25, 2025.
Can I use Proton Mail without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Proton Mail?
Tuta Mail, Mailspring, eM Client, MFCMapi and Claws Mail. The alternatives page compares them.
