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Proton Mail vs Gmail for a small business: cost and limits

Proton's business plans start at $12.99 a user a month billed yearly; Google Workspace starts at $7. What the extra buys, and the cheaper routes for one person.

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For a team, Proton’s business plans cost more than Google’s: Proton Workspace Standard is $12.99 a user a month billed yearly ($155.88 a year), against $7 a user a month on a yearly plan for Google Workspace Business Starter. For 5 people that’s $779.40 a year on Proton against $420 on Google. Proton’s extra buys end-to-end encrypted mail storage, 1 TB per user and a Swiss provider that doesn’t run ads; Google’s buys the lower price and Docs, Sheets and Meet. A solo founder can put a custom domain on Proton Mail Plus for $47.88 a year. Prices in US dollars, as of October 2026.

We haven’t used either service ourselves. Proton’s prices and features come from its business plans page, personal pricing page and support pages, read October 29, 2026. Google’s plan details come from its Workspace pricing page and help center, read the same day. The Workspace pricing page didn’t show dollar amounts when we read it, so Google’s prices come from AskGPU’s data (checked October 18, 2026). This is a comparison of published plans and policies, not of deliverability or speed.

How much does each cost for a business?

Free Gmail and free Proton Mail don’t let you use your own domain (you@yourbusiness.com), so a business is choosing between paid plans:

Plan Price, billed yearly Storage per user Your own domains Addresses per user
Proton Mail Plus (personal, 1 user) $3.99/mo ($47.88/yr) 15 GB 1 Up to 10
Proton Unlimited (personal, 1 user) $9.99/mo ($119.88/yr) 500 GB 3 Up to 15
Proton Workspace Standard $12.99/user/mo ($155.88/yr) 1 TB 15 20
Proton Workspace Premium $19.99/user/mo ($239.88/yr) 3 TB 20 20
Google Workspace Business Starter $7/user/mo 30 GB (pooled) Yes Not in this comparison
Google Workspace Business Standard $14/user/mo 2 TB (pooled) Yes Not in this comparison
Google Workspace Business Plus $22/user/mo 5 TB (pooled) Yes Not in this comparison

Notes on the table:

  • Monthly billing costs more on both. Proton Mail Plus is $4.99 month to month and Unlimited $12.99. Proton’s business page shows only 12-month prices (marked 13% and 20% off) and doesn’t print the monthly rate. Google’s pricing page says “Save 16% with 1 year commitment” without showing the flexible price.
  • Google storage is pooled. Google’s footnote calls it “flexible pooled storage per user that is shared across the organization.”
  • Google’s intro discount. AskGPU’s deals data lists a limited-time offer for new customers on annual plans: Starter $5.60, Standard $11.20 and Plus $15.40 per user a month for 3 months, then $7, $14 and $22 (checked October 18, 2026).

What does it cost for 1, 5 and 10 people?

Yearly billing, 12 months, before tax:

Team size Proton Mail Plus Proton Workspace Standard Proton Workspace Premium Google Business Starter Google Business Standard
1 person $47.88 $155.88 $239.88 $84 $168
5 people n/a (1 user) $779.40 $1,199.40 $420 $840
10 people n/a (1 user) $1,558.80 $2,398.80 $840 $1,680

The arithmetic for 5 people: Proton Standard is 5 × $155.88 = $779.40; Google Starter is 5 × $7 × 12 = $420. The gap is $359.40 a year, or about $72 per person.

Google’s Business Standard ($840 for 5) is the closer match on storage, with 2 TB pooled per user against Proton Standard’s 1 TB per user. On that like-for-like basis Proton Standard is $60.60 a year cheaper for 5 people. Business Standard also adds Gemini in Docs, Sheets and other apps, which Google’s pricing page marks “not supported” on Starter.

What’s actually different about Proton Mail’s privacy?

This is the reason most people compare the two, so here is what each company says, in their words.

Proton says on its comparison page that “Proton Mail uses end-to-end encryption, so no one else can access your data — not even us,” and that “Gmail does not use end-to-end encryption. Instead, it keeps its own key to your inbox so it can scan your messages.” Proton lists “Zero ads” and blocking of third-party trackers, and notes it is based in Switzerland.

Proton’s own encryption help page adds limits that matter for business email:

  • Mail to people outside Proton isn’t end-to-end encrypted by default. Messages to non-Proton addresses are sent over TLS and, once delivered, the recipient’s provider may be able to read them. For end-to-end encryption to outside recipients, Proton points to password-protected emails.
  • Mail from outside Proton arrives over TLS and is then stored with zero-access encryption. The sender’s provider may keep its own copy.
  • Subject lines are not end-to-end encrypted. Proton says this is for standards compliance and interoperability.

Since most small-business mail goes to customers and suppliers on Gmail, Outlook and other providers, Proton’s protection mostly covers how your mail is stored, not the copy in your customer’s inbox.

Google doesn’t publish a matching end-to-end claim for Gmail. On its Workspace pricing page, S/MIME encryption appears only in the Enterprise tier (“Secure custom business email + S/MIME encryption”), not in Starter, Standard or Plus.

What else comes with each plan?

Both companies sell a bundle, not just a mailbox. What Proton’s business plans page lists for its two tiers, next to what Google’s pricing page lists:

Feature Proton Workspace Standard Proton Workspace Premium Google Business Starter Google Business Standard
Video meetings Proton Meet, 100 participants, up to 24 hours 250 participants Meet, 100 participants 150 participants
Calendar 25 calendars and 25 booking pages per user Same Not detailed on the pricing page we read Not detailed on the pricing page we read
File storage and sharing Proton Drive, no file-size limit on sharing Same Drive, 30 GB pooled Drive, 2 TB pooled
AI writing Proton Scribe as an add-on (free trial) Scribe included “Limited” Gemini in Workspace apps Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides and more
Extras Proton VPN (10 connections per user), Proton Pass, Proton Sentinel, catch-all address, auto-forwarding Adds data retention policies, unlimited Lumo AI prompts Not in this comparison Not in this comparison

Two takeaways. First, Proton’s business plans include a VPN and password manager that a Google customer would buy elsewhere, so if you already pay for those, part of the price gap closes. Second, Google’s office apps (Docs, Sheets, Slides) have no direct equivalent in Proton’s plan list; Proton’s bundle is mail, calendar, storage, meetings and security tools.

What are the downsides of each?

People searching this comparison often ask what the catch is. From the companies’ own pages:

  • Proton costs more per user for a team ($12.99 against $7 at the entry level, billed yearly), and its free plan is small: 500 MB to 1 GB and 150 messages a day.
  • Proton’s encryption has limits with outside contacts and subject lines, as Proton’s help page explains (above).
  • Proton has no office suite on its business plans page.
  • Gmail’s free plan stores mail Google can read. Proton says Gmail “keeps its own key to your inbox so it can scan your messages.” Google’s Workspace plans are business contracts rather than the free consumer service, but Google’s pricing page lists S/MIME encryption only on Enterprise.
  • Gmail’s entry storage is 30 GB per user, pooled, on Business Starter. Proton’s entry business plan gives 1 TB per user.

What do you get free on each?

Gmail (free Google account) Proton Free
Storage Up to 15 GB, shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos 500 MB, up to 1 GB
Sending limit 500 emails a day 150 messages a day
Your own domain No (Google sells custom business email through Workspace) No (starts at Mail Plus)
Addresses 1 Gmail address 1

Google’s storage help page says spam and trash count toward the 15 GB, and that when you’re full your “ability to send and receive email in Gmail can be impacted.” If you stay over quota for two years or more, Google says your content “may be removed,” with at least 3 months’ notice.

Neither free plan is a business mailbox. For the free routes that do work with your own domain, see our free business email guide.

Can you use Gmail with your own domain without Workspace?

Many small businesses tried to avoid a Workspace bill by having free Gmail fetch mail from a domain mailbox with POP. Google is ending that. Its help page says fetching email from third-party accounts with POP “will no longer be supported,” that “after the first quarter of 2026, this feature no longer supports new users,” and that “existing users can still use the feature until January 2027.”

Google’s suggested replacements are automatic forwarding set up at your other provider, or adding the account to the Gmail mobile app over IMAP. Either way you still need a mailbox somewhere else. For a team, that makes Workspace (or another paid mailbox) the realistic option if you want Gmail.

What to watch for

  • Sending limits. Google Workspace allows 2,000 messages per user a day, but trial accounts get 500 a day, and Google says limits rise only after the domain has paid at least $100 in total, which can take up to 75 days. Proton Free caps you at 150 a day; Proton’s paid pages list sending as unlimited on Mail Plus and Unlimited.
  • Desktop mail apps. Proton lists “Bridge/IMAP access” on Mail Plus; its free plan doesn’t include it. Workspace Standard and Premium list SMTP access. Check this if your team uses Outlook or Apple Mail.
  • Trial terms. Proton for Business offers a 14-day free trial and a “30-day money-back guarantee.” Google offers a 14-day Workspace trial.
  • Personal plans for business use. Mail Plus and Unlimited are listed among Proton’s personal plans and cover one user. A second person means moving to a business plan.
  • Plan names change. Proton’s business plans page listed only Workspace Standard and Premium (plus Enterprise) when we read it. If you’re quoted an older plan name, ask what it maps to.
  • Prices before tax. Proton notes taxes may apply. Google’s prices on our data are before tax too.
  • Migration. Proton’s Mail Plus lists Easy Switch for importing; Google has its own data migration service for Workspace admins. Moving later is possible on both, but plan DNS changes and a cut-over date.

Which should you choose?

  • Solo founder who cares most about privacy: Proton Mail Plus at $47.88 a year gives you one custom domain and 15 GB. It’s the cheapest paid option on this page.
  • Solo founder who lives in Google Docs and Calendar: Google Workspace Business Starter at $84 a year.
  • A team of 5 that wants the lowest bill: Google Business Starter, $420 a year, if 30 GB each is enough.
  • A team of 5 that handles sensitive client data, like a law, health or finance practice: Proton Workspace Standard, $779.40 a year, for encrypted storage and 1 TB each. Remember that mail to clients on other providers isn’t end-to-end encrypted unless you use password-protected messages. This isn’t legal or compliance advice; check your own obligations.
  • A team that wants AI in its documents: Google Business Standard ($840 for 5) or Plus.
  • Undecided, or comparing Microsoft too: see our Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 cost guide and our Google Workspace alternatives roundup, which also covers Zoho, Fastmail and cheaper mail-only hosts. More options are on the business email hub.

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