HEY Email vs Proton Mail

What HEY Email is

HEY is a revolutionary email service from the creators of Basecamp that aims to fix everything wrong with modern email. It replaces the traditional inbox with the 'Imbox'—a place for things that actually matter. With its unique 'Screening' feature, YOU decide who is allowed to email you. HEY blocks all spy trackers, protects your privacy, and offers innovative features like 'The Feed' for newsletters and 'The Paper Trail' for receipts. It's a premium, opinionated take on email for people who want to reclaim their focus and sanity.

What Proton Mail is

Proton Mail is an encrypted email service based in Switzerland, built so that the provider cannot read message contents. End-to-end encryption and Swiss jurisdiction are the reasons to choose it, and both are real rather than marketing. The consequence is that server-side features other providers take for granted — full-text search on the server, easy third-party client access — work differently or need a bridge.

What HEY Email is built to do

The Screener

Thumbs up or down on every new sender before they ever enter your inbox.

The Feed

Read your newsletters like a social media feed instead of individual emails.

The Paper Trail

Keep all your receipts and confirmations in one quiet place out of the way.

Spy Tracker Blocking

Stops companies from knowing when or where you opened their emails.

What Proton Mail is built to do

End-to-end encryption

Encrypts messages so the provider cannot read stored content.

Swiss jurisdiction

Stores data under Swiss privacy law rather than US or EU rules.

Custom domains

Runs business mail on your own domain with multiple addresses.

Choose HEY Email if

• Privacy Seekers and Busy Professionals who hate email.

Choose Proton Mail if

• People and teams for whom mail confidentiality is a requirement rather than a preference.

HEY Email: pros & cons

• Total Privacy: Automatically blocks all tracking pixels used by marketers.
• Screening: No more spam or unwanted emails ever—you approve every new sender.
• Aesthetic UI: A completely fresh, modern take on what an email app looks like.
• Productivity: Features like 'Reply Later' and 'Set Aside' keep your inbox clean.
• Subscription Only: There is no free version of HEY; it is a premium service.
• No Folders: It uses a specific organization system that might be jarring at first.
• Locked Domain: Requires using an @hey.com address (unless you use the more expensive custom domain plan).

Proton Mail: pros & cons

• End-to-end encryption by default between Proton users
• Swiss jurisdiction and a clear privacy stance
• Free tier available
• Encryption breaks the usual IMAP workflow
• Search inside encrypted mail is limited
• Costs more than mainstream mail providers