Proton Mail named top email encryption pick in ZDNet's 2026 roundup

ZDNet's reviewer tested leading email encryption solutions and selected Proton Mail as the top pick for 2026, citing end-to-end encryption and usability for high-stakes business communications. The reviewer highlighted Proton Mail's AES-256 equivalent symmetric encryption combined with RSA asymmetric cryptography, a zero-access architecture, PGP compatibility and password-protected external messages.

The service is based in Switzerland and the review noted its 1GB free tier and occasional performance lag with large message volumes. Other finalists included Tuta (formerly Tutanota), praised for automatic encryption of emails, calendars and contacts and quantum-resistant Kyber-1024 algorithms but described as having a smaller ecosystem; Virtru, which layers enterprise-grade encryption onto Gmail and Outlook with features like access revocation, expiration dates and DLP-based compliance but requires an existing email provider; Hushmail, positioned for HIPAA-regulated health and legal use with secure forms and ESIGN/UETA-compliant e-signatures though subjects remain unencrypted and mobile access is iOS-only; and Mailbox.org, noted for PGP flexibility, transport-security indicators and green-energy servers but with sent mail not encrypted by default and a steeper setup process.

Key Topics

Tech, Proton Mail, Switzerland, Pgp, Tuta, Virtru