Proton Mail Launches Official Desktop App for Premium Users

Proton Mail Launches Dedicated Desktop App, But There’s a Catch

Premium Users Only

Proton Mail, the end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) email service from Swiss company Proton, has officially launched its dedicated desktop app, three months after its beta debut. However, despite initial plans to make the app available to all users in early 2024, Proton has decided to limit access to paying subscribers only.

“After a highly positive response during the beta phase, we’ve decided to keep the desktop app exclusive to premium subscribers to ensure the best service quality, given the significant infrastructure and maintenance demands,” a spokesperson explained to The Zero Byte.

Linux Beta Launch

Alongside the desktop app release, Proton is also introducing a standalone Linux desktop app, currently in beta.

Proton Mail desktop app. Image Credits: Proton

Enhanced Desktop Experience

While Proton Mail has been accessible on desktop through web browsers and a “bridge” for third-party clients like Apple Mail and Outlook, the new dedicated app for Windows and MacOS offers offline email access and direct integration with the operating system. The app also includes Proton’s encrypted Calendar service.

Proton Mail for Desktop with Calendar. Image Credits: Proton

Incentivizing Premium Subscriptions

By restricting the desktop app to paying users, Proton aims to encourage premium signups, as the app is a valuable tool for daily use. However, this decision contradicts the company’s previous statement that the app would gradually become available to all users, including those on the free plan.

Free Trial and Pricing

Users can try the desktop app with a 14-day free trial, after which they must subscribe to one of Proton’s premium plans, ranging from €8 to €13 per month. These plans also unlock features for Proton’s other products, such as cloud storage, VPN, and password management. A separate “Mail Plus” plan, starting at €3.49 per month, is available for users interested in email and VPN only.

Future Access Possibilities

Proton remains open to expanding access to the desktop app in the future based on user feedback, although there are no immediate plans to do so.

“We remain open to broadening access in the future, though we do not have any specific plans to do so in the short term,” the Proton spokesperson said. “We’re committed to continuously evaluating our offerings based on our users’ feedback and needs.”