Updated September 29, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team
Proton Mail vs Surfshark Alert
Proton Mail
Higher score in this comparison
Surfshark Alert
What sets them apart
| Compare | Proton MailReviewVisitVisit | Surfshark AlertReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | YesHas it | No |
| Free plan limits | Unlimited logins, notes, credit cards and devices; 10 hide-my-email aliases; passkeys on all devices; no vault or item sharing | 7-day free trial, 3 devices |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web app, Command line interface, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave | Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Routers, Chromebook, Smart TVs, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation |
| Logging policy | 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 | No-logs policy, independently verified by Deloitte in 2023 and 2025; RAM-only server network |
| Jurisdiction | CH | NL |
| Price from | $4.99 | Not confirmed |
| Protocols | Not confirmed | Doh |
| Open source | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Privacy tool type | Not confirmed | Private dns, Ad blocker, Search |
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Key differences
- Free plan: only Proton Mail.
- Platforms: only Proton Mail offers Web app, Command line interface, Safari.
- Platforms: only Surfshark Alert offers Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV.
- Support channels: only Proton Mail offers Community.
- Support channels: only Surfshark Alert offers Chat.
- Founded is lower at Proton Mail: 2014 vs 2018.
- Pricing model: only Proton Mail offers Free.
Our verdict on each
Proton Mail
Proton Mail suits readers who want a password manager that is open source, free to start and end-to-end encrypted on every field, metadata included. Support runs on email, help centre and community, and the budget plan starts at $4.99, while the group median monthly price is €6.47.
Surfshark Alert
Surfshark Alert ranks 2 of 54 brands on monthly price, with entry costs of €2.49 a month. It suits readers who want identity alerts, private DNS and ad blocking inside a single budget account rather than a large insurance payout after fraud.
Score breakdown
| Area | Proton Mail | Surfshark Alert |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1 | 9.2HigherMonthly price of €2.49, ranked 2 of 54 brands, with a 7-day trial standing in for a free plan. |
| Offer | 9.1 | 9.2HigherInsurance of $1,000,000 sits 10 of 45 brands, held up by private dns, ad blocker and search extras and chat, email and help centre support. |
| Privacy | 8.9Higher | 8.2 |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Proton Mail | Surfshark Alert |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy tools | 11 of 281 | 8 of 281 |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Proton Mail | Surfshark Alert |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Switzerland | Netherlands |
What we checked
Proton Mail
- proton.me: 11 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- privacyjournal.net: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Surfshark Alert
- surfshark.com: 12 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Proton Mail | Surfshark Alert |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free, BudgetCovers more | Budget |
| Legal entity | Proton AG | Surfshark B.V. |
| Headquarters | Switzerland | Netherlands |
| Founded | 2014Lower | 2018 |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre, Community | Chat, Email, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Proton Mail | Surfshark Alert | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.99below the median | Not confirmed | $8 |
Median across 83 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Proton Mail
Pros
- End-to-end encryption covers passwords, usernames, web addresses, credit cards, note contents and metadata, and only the user can decrypt.
- The client is open source, and by its logging policy the company has no technical means to reach encrypted passwords or notes.
- Paid entry is light: the budget plan starts at $4.99, and custom domains are supported.
Cons
- Support runs on email, help centre and community, with no phone line and no live chat in that list.
- The free plan limits leave out vault and item sharing, so a free account suits one person rather than a household.
- By its logging policy, temporary IP logs are kept to combat abuse and fraud, and authentication logging is off by default.
Surfshark Alert
Pros
- Monthly price of €2.49 places Surfshark Alert 2 of 54 brands in our data, near the floor of the monthly prices we compare
- Deloitte has independently audited the no-logs policy, and the server network runs in RAM rather than writing anything to disk, which is the main privacy claim to weigh
- The same Surfshark subscription covers private dns, ad blocker and search alongside identity alerts, and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux from phones to routers and consoles, so a single vendor covers monitoring and browsing
Cons
- Phone support is not among its support channels (chat, email and help centre), which matters most when a fraud alert needs an answer the same day
- Insurance of $1,000,000 ranks 10 of 45 brands, so a bigger payout means a bigger bill, as at Norton or LifeLock
Who each suits
Proton Mail
Who it suits
- Readers who want open source, end-to-end encrypted storage with a free plan to start on.
- Single users on a budget: paid entry starts at $4.99 on the budget plan.
- Readers who want a named operator: Proton AG, founded in 2014 and under CH jurisdiction.
Who should look elsewhere
- Apple Hide My Email, which arrives inside iCloud+ rather than as a standalone vault and whose free plan limits leave it out of the entry iCloud plan.
- Apple Inc. for anyone shopping only inside the Apple ecosystem, since the free plan limits exclude Hide My Email from the entry iCloud plan.
- addy.io, whose free plan limits cap recipients, alias domains and monthly bandwidth, so it suits lighter alias use.
Surfshark Alert
Who it suits
- Readers who mainly want alerts on their personal details rather than a large insurance payout, and who weigh the entry price before anything else on the plan
- People already paying for Surfshark who want alerts, private DNS, ad blocking and private search in a single account instead of separate tools
- Households that treat an audited no-logs policy and a RAM server network as part of identity protection, and who are comfortable starting on a short trial
Who should look elsewhere
- LifeLock and Norton readers who rank the insurance payout first, since LifeLock runs $10.42 to $34.99 a month and Norton $34.99 a month
- Allstate Identity Protection readers who want identity monitoring sold on its own at $3 a month rather than bundled with DNS and search
- Readers who want a standing free tier, since the free plan is no and the trial is limited to 7-day free trial, 3 devices, so testing is short
Current offers
Proton Mail
Current offer
Free trial
30-day money-back guarantee on Pass Plus and Proton Unlimited: 30 days
Applies to premium Pass Plus and Proton Unlimited plans; cancel and request refund within 30 days
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
Pass Plus discount on yearly plans: 40% off
Pass Plus annual billing
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Surfshark Alert
Current offer
Bonus
3 extra months on 24-month plans: 27 months for the price of 24 (Starter €67.23, One €75.33, One+ €121.23)
24-month Starter, One or One+ subscription; sale price applies to the first 27 months; VAT may apply
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
7-day free trial: 7 days free, then automatic paid renewal
New users only, 12- and 24-month plans, payment details required (credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay), 3 devices during trial; plus 30-day money-back guarantee
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
Proton Mail
How much does Proton Mail cost?+
There is a free plan, and the budget plan starts at $4.99. For context, the median monthly price across secure email brands in this group is €6.47, and the median long-term rate is €4.67. Entry pricing sits below that group median.
Can Proton Mail read my passwords?+
No. End-to-end encryption covers passwords, usernames, web addresses, credit cards, note contents and metadata inside AES-GCM vaults, so only the user can decrypt. By its logging policy, Proton states it has no technical means to reach encrypted passwords or notes, and the client is open source under CH law.
Surfshark Alert
How much does Surfshark Alert cost each month?+
Surfshark Alert runs at €2.49 a month and ranks 2 of 54 brands on monthly price. A budget entry price draws most readers here, and the renewal figure is worth reading before you commit to a term.
Is there a free plan or a free trial?+
There is no free plan. The free trial lasts 7 days, and 7-day free trial, 3 devices sets the terms of that look. It is a short taste of the alerts rather than a free tier you can keep.
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