Proton, the privacy-focused company, has launched a native Proton Mail app on Windows and Mac in a limited beta, with plans to expand access to more users in early 2024.

According to the company, the Proton Mail desktop app is currently in beta and doesn’t support all the features available on the web app yet. The beta version of the Proton Mail desktop app is restricted to anyone with a Visionary plan [which costs $29.99 per month] due to capacity constraints and the company’s desire to be agile and responsive to the feedback they receive.

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Proton Mail, which also includes Calendar, has long been available on the web and mobile. The introduction of a native desktop client is welcome news, but for now, the app lacks many features from the web version for now, including offline support, account switching, notification badges for unread messages, mailto: link support, ICS support, and Easy Switch. Proton plans to add those features over time.

Proton Mail dates back to 2014 and is known for its core product as the world’s largest secure email service. The company has since renamed itself to Proton and added other secure and private products, including Proton Calendar, Drive, VPN, and Pass (a password manager). It’s known as a key alternative for those who want more security and privacy than is offered by Big Tech firms like Google and Microsoft. The added phone-based photo backup capabilities make Proton Drive even more appealing.

Proton Drive is open source, offers end-to-end encryption, and provides some of the strictest privacy protections available, costing $9.99 per month with a one-year commitment. This offers access to Proton VPN and Pass, while Google and Microsoft offer comparable plans with more storage at the same price.

In any event, Proton Mail and its other products are worth checking out. Visit the Proton website to learn more.