Proton Mail
Timing
| Feature | Proton Mail | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $3.99/mo | From $8/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | privacy-conscious-users, journalists, activists, security-professionals | mac-users, freelancers, consultants, lawyers |
| Founded | 2014 | 2013 |
| Encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zero Access Architecture | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Destructing Emails | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Domains | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bridge For Desktop | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automatic Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ai Categorization | ✗ | ✓ |
| Timeline View | ✗ | ✓ |
| Project Rules | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calendar Sync | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reporting | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Proton Mail Pros
- End-to-end encryption
- No ads
- Swiss privacy laws
- Open source
✗ Proton Mail Cons
- Limited free storage
- Fewer integrations
- Search limited to metadata
✓ Timing Pros
- Completely automatic tracking on Mac
- AI-powered activity categorization
- Beautiful timeline visualization
- Syncs with calendar events
✗ Timing Cons
- Mac only - no Windows or Linux
- Requires initial rule setup
- No team/collaboration features in lower plans
The Verdict
Proton Mail is built for privacy conscious users and journalists, with a focus on encryption and zero-access-architecture. Timing targets mac users and freelancers and leads with automatic-tracking and ai-categorization.
Pricing is close: Proton Mail starts at $3.99/mo versus $8/mo for Timing — not a deciding factor on its own.
Proton Mail has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Timing requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.