Proton Mail, the end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) e mail service from Swiss firm Proton, is now formally obtainable by way of a devoted desktop app some three months after debuting in beta.
However, regardless of earlier claims that the consumer can be obtainable to all Proton Mail customers in early 2024, the corporate has determined to limit it to paying customers.
“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 defined to TechCrunch.
Proton Mail desktop app Image Credits: Proton
In associated information, Proton can be making its e mail service obtainable by way of a standalone Linux desktop app, launching at present in beta.
It’s price noting that whereas Proton Mail has been obtainable to desktop customers from the corporate’s inception, initially via the browser and extra just lately a “bridge” which opened up entry to Proton Mail via third-party desktop purchasers resembling Apple Mail and Outlook, at present’s information brings a devoted Windows and MacOS app to the fray. This signifies that emails may be cached and accessed when offline, whereas customers can funnel into Proton Mail instantly from the MacOS dock or Windows Start menu.
Moreover, the brand new app additionally bundles entry to Proton’s encrypted Calendar service.
Proton Mail for Desktop with Calendar Image Credits: Proton
Show me the cash
From Proton’s perspective, protecting the Proton Mail desktop app again behind a paywall might be a great way to incentivize premium signups, as it’s the form of product that many individuals worth of their day-to-day lives and can be keen to pay for.
However, the corporate beforehand stated that the consumer would “gradually be made available to all users, including free,” and it’s this backtrack which will trigger just a little consternation in its neighborhood.
Instead, everybody will have the ability to attempt the app out as a part of a 14-day free trial, after which they should signal as much as one of many firm’s premium plans that prices between €8 and €13 monthly, relying on how lengthy they’re keen to decide to. These plans additionally unlock all of the restrictions on Proton’s different merchandise, which incorporates cloud storage, a VPN, and password administration.
That’s to not say that Proton isn’t open to altering its thoughts, relying on the “feedback” it receives within the wake of at present’s announcement.
“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 stated. “We’re committed to continuously evaluating our offerings based on our users’ feedback and needs.”