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Gmail vs Proton Mail: Which Shields Your Privacy Better?

Discover how Gmail's US-based services compare to Proton Mail's Swiss email tracking protection. Ensure your privacy is safeguarded today.

Last updated: February 19, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to Proton Mail?

What You Gain

Enhanced privacy, Swiss-based servers, no Cloud Act exposure

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Fewer features like smart compose and integrated services

Gmail has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is priority; stay if you need advanced features

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇨🇭CH

GDPR protected

Pricing

Gmail

Contact

Proton Mail

freemium

Migration
Medium difficulty~3-5 days

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaGmailProton Mail
Server Location
US, EUCH
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
Enterprise onlyAll plans
Data Portability
Full exportFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Gmail is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Proton Mail is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Gmail logo

Gmail

🇺🇸

Google

VS
Switching to
Proton Mail logo

Proton Mail

🇨🇭

5.0 (1)
US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-hosted
EU-Based
Open Source
GDPR Compliant
Swiss hosted

Reasons to Switch

  • Proton Mail offers end-to-end encryption by default.
  • Servers in Switzerland offer strong privacy laws.
  • Open source code allows for transparency and trust.
  • GDPR compliance ensures data protection in the EU.

Things to Consider

  • !Proton Mail's free plan offers only 500 MB storage.
  • !No integrated video call feature like Google Meet.
  • !Migration from Gmail may require manual data transfer.
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~3-5 days

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~3-5 days

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create Proton Mail account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Gmail

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Note: Switching may require adjusting to different privacy policies and features.

Other alternatives to Gmail

Ready to make the switch?

Start using Proton Mail today and take control of your data privacy.