Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team
addy.io vs Proton
Where addy.io and Proton differ
| Compare |  addy.io |  Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1Lower | $4.99 |
| Free plan limits | Unlimited standard aliases, 10 active shared domain aliases, 1 recipient, 2 alias domains, 10MB monthly bandwidth | Unlimited logins, notes, credit cards and devices; 10 hide-my-email aliases; passkeys and password health alerts; no 2FA authenticator, secure sharing, file attachments or dark web monitoring |
| End-to-end encryption | No end-to-end encryption of stored mail; optional GPG/OpenPGP encryption of forwarded messages to the recipient's own public key, including attachments and optional encrypted subject | All fields end-to-end encrypted: passwords, usernames, web addresses, credit cards, note contents and metadata; 256-bit AES-GCM vaults; only the user can decrypt, Proton cannot |
| Jurisdiction | GB | CH |
Same on both: Custom domains (Yes), Open source (Yes).
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Key differences
- addy.io scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.3.
- Price from is lower at addy.io: $1 vs $4.99.
- Support channels: only Proton offers Chat.
- Pricing model: only addy.io offers Budget.
Our verdict on each
addy.io
addy.io suits people who want a fresh address for every site without a new mailbox for each one, and it starts on a free plan. Paid tiers begin at $1, under the €4.38 secure email median, though stored mail is not end-to-end encrypted.
Proton
Proton bundles a password manager, VPN and encrypted storage in one account, with Pass starting at $4.99 and a free tier. It suits readers who want passwords, private files and a VPN in a single subscription, and who can live with free plan limits that leave out an authenticator, password sharing and file attachments.
Score breakdown
| Area | addy.io | Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.9HigherEntry is $1 against a €4.38 secure email median, and the free plan covers unlimited standard aliases. | 9.2Entry at $4.99 sits under the site median of €6.84, with storage at $95.88 per TB per year and a free plan. |
| Offer | 9.1 | 9.5Higher |
| Privacy | 9.5Higher | 9.1 |
Cost in a real example
A year on the entry plan
addy.io
$12
12 × $1
Proton
$59.88
12 × $4.99
addy.io costs $47.88 less.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
What we checked
addy.io
- addy.io: 9 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Proton
- proton.me: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- privacyjournal.net: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | addy.io | Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy tools | 63 of 280 | 10 of 280 |
| Secure email and messaging | 13 of 60 | 1 of 60 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | addy.io | Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free, BudgetCovers more | Free |
| Legal entity | Not confirmed | Proton AG |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Switzerland |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2014 |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre, Community | Email, Chat, Help centre, CommunityCovers more |
Privacy tools
| Fact | addy.io | Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Raycast | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web app, Command line interface, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave |
| Protocols | Not confirmed | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Logging policy | Self-hosted Umami analytics with no cookies or personal data, no Google Analytics; Nginx access and error logs record IP addresses, rotated daily and retained 3 days, used only to improve the service and prevent abuse | No permanent IP logs by default; temporary IP logs kept to combat abuse and fraud; authentication logging off by default; Proton states it has no technical means to access encrypted passwords or notes |
VPN
| Fact | addy.io | Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | Not confirmed | 10 |
| Server countries | Not confirmed | 140 |
| Features | Not confirmed | No logs, Streaming, Travel |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Business |
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 30 days |
| Features | Not confirmed | Kill switch |
| Streaming services | Not confirmed | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu |
| Owner | Not confirmed | Proton Foundation |
| Longest plan (months) | Not confirmed | 24 months |
Password managers
| Fact | addy.io | Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Family plan | Not confirmed | Pass Family: up to 6 users, includes 6 Pass Plus accounts and an admin panel |
| Passkeys | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Security audit | Not confirmed | Independently audited by third-party experts (Cure53 audit published July 2023), open source under GPLv3, public bug bounty |
| Encryption | Not confirmed | End-to-end encryption; 256-bit AES-GCM encrypted vaults; OpenPGP with ECC (Curve25519) for vault keys |
| Zero-knowledge encryption | Not confirmed | Yes |
Encrypted storage
| Fact | addy.io | Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Free storage | Not confirmed | 5 |
| Price per TB per year | Not confirmed | $95.88 |
| Compliance certifications | Not confirmed | ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | addy.io | Proton | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1lowest quarter | $4.99at the median | $4.99 |
Median across 29 listed providers.
Pros and cons
addy.io
Pros
- The free plan allows unlimited standard aliases, plus shared domain aliases and alias domains, so building a large set of addresses costs nothing.
- Custom domains are supported, so aliases can sit on a domain you already own instead of a shared one.
- Open source, so the alias and forwarding logic can be read and checked by anyone.
Cons
- Support runs on email, help centre and community, so anything urgent waits for a written reply or a community thread.
- The free plan's recipient limit and monthly bandwidth allowance are tight, so more than light forwarding means paying.
- Jurisdiction is GB, which puts the contract and any dispute under a single country's rules.
Proton
Pros
- A single account covers a password manager, a VPN and end-to-end encrypted storage, with a free plan to start.
- Passkeys, custom domains and a Family plan with an admin panel suit single-user and shared use.
- Vaults use AES-GCM encryption with OpenPGP and ECC keys, and only the account holder can decrypt.
Cons
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre with no phone line.
- Free plan limits leave out the authenticator app, password sharing, attachments and dark web monitoring.
- Extra storage costs $95.88 per TB per year beyond 5 GB free.
Who each suits
addy.io
Who it suits
- People signing up to lots of sites who want a new alias for each and can begin on the free plan.
- Readers who want custom domains on an address they own, with apps across browsers rather than a system-level setting.
- Users happy to forward mail onward and who judge the service on open source and price rather than on encrypted storage.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who needs end-to-end encrypted mail storage: addy.io encrypts only forwarded messages, and Posteo at €1 is the other option here at a close entry price.
- Apple users already set up inside that ecosystem, where Apple's alias generator at $0.99 is the shorter path, while addy.io's $1 buys open source aliases across iOS, Android and Web.
Proton
Who it suits
- Readers who want a password manager, a VPN and private files under a single subscription rather than separate products.
- Households and small teams that need shared accounts, since the Family plan bundles several Pass Plus accounts and an admin panel.
- Buyers who care about open source under a copyleft licence, outside security audits and a public bug bounty.
Who should look elsewhere
- Apple Hide My Email at $0.99 if email aliasing is the whole job, since Proton adds a VPN, storage and a password manager.
- Apple Inc. at $0.99 when aliasing is the priority; Proton's $4.99 entry brings a VPN, storage and password manager in the same account.
- EasyOptOuts at $19.99 for a single higher priced subscription, against Proton's $4.99 entry and a free plan.
Current offers
addy.io
Current offer
Discount code
Notesnook 25% off first year: 25% off first year
addy.io paid subscribers (Lite, Pro, Duo or Family) only; no commission received by addy.io
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
Windscribe 3 month Pro trial then annual Pro plan: 3 month Pro trial, then 49 USD per year
addy.io paid subscribers only
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
Kagi 3 months of Professional plan free: 3 months free
addy.io paid subscribers only
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
Tuta 25% off first year: 25% off first year
addy.io paid subscribers only
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
EasyOptOuts 25% off for life: 25% off for life, 5 sign-ups per coupon
US customers only; addy.io paid subscribers only
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Proton
Current offer
Discount code
40% off Pass Plus: 40% off
Shown on the Proton Pass pricing page alongside a 30-day money-back guarantee; applies to the Pass Plus paid plan
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
addy.io
Is there a free plan, and what comes with it?+
Yes. The free plan allows unlimited standard aliases, and adds shared domain aliases, alias domains, a recipient limit and a monthly bandwidth allowance. That is enough for light use without paying anything. Beyond that, paid plans in the free and budget range start at $1.
How much does addy.io cost at the entry point?+
Entry is $1, which sits under the €4.38 median for secure email brands and below the €8.94 upper marker. You can also stay on the free plan as long as the allowance suits, which is the practical way to judge the service first.
Proton
How much is Proton Pass at the entry price?+
Proton Pass starts at $4.99, and there is a free plan beside it. The paid tiers widen the set of features, so the entry price only pays off if you want more hide my email aliases, passkeys and password health alerts.
What does the free plan leave out?+
The free plan covers as many logins, notes, cards and devices as you like, but it leaves out the authenticator app, sharing with other people, file attachments and dark web monitoring. Those sit on paid Pass plans, where entry starts at $4.99.
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