3 mailboxes
SHIPMAIL
$4/mo
Proton Mail Business
$20.97/mo
Proton costs over 5x more. The premium buys encryption.
Proton Mail Business vs SHIPMAIL: encryption versus shared inbox
If your team needs end-to-end encryption, Proton Mail Business is the right choice. If your team needs shared inboxes and lower cost, SHIPMAIL is the better fit. These products lead with different strengths and the right answer depends on which problem matters more.
Proton Mail Business: end-to-end encryption by default, $6.99/user/mo
SHIPMAIL Pro: shared inbox and flat pricing, $9/mo for 10 mailboxes
The gap: Proton has no shared inbox. SHIPMAIL does not offer end-to-end encryption.
When SHIPMAIL is the better choice
SHIPMAIL is the better choice when the team's primary need is custom-domain email with shared inbox collaboration at a low cost. SHIPMAIL uses TLS encryption in transit and offers optional encryption at rest with user-held keys, which is sufficient for the vast majority of business email.
Flat pricing means the cost stays predictable as the team grows. Shared inbox support means no second product for support@ or hello@ collaboration.
When Proton Mail Business is still the better choice
Proton Mail Business is the better choice when end-to-end encryption is a hard requirement: regulated industries, law firms, healthcare, journalism, or organizations with specific threat models.
Proton's zero-access architecture means even Proton cannot read stored email. For teams where that level of privacy is non-negotiable, there are few alternatives.
Verdict
Different products for different priorities. If the team needs encryption, Proton. If the team needs shared inboxes and lower cost, SHIPMAIL. There is not much overlap between these two buyer profiles.
| Factor | SHIPMAIL | Proton Mail Business |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat plan pricing | Per-user pricing |
| Entry cost | $4/mo for 3 mailboxes | $6.99/user/mo |
| Shared inbox | Built in | Not available |
| End-to-end encryption | No (TLS in transit, optional encryption at rest) | Yes (default) |
| Custom domains | Included | Included |
| Best fit | Small teams needing shared inbox and flat pricing | Teams where encryption is non-negotiable |
Pricing breakdown
Last verified March 2026
5-person team
SHIPMAIL
$9/mo
Proton Mail Business
$34.95/mo
SHIPMAIL includes shared inbox. Proton does not.
10 mailboxes
SHIPMAIL
$9/mo
Proton Mail Business
$69.90/mo
The gap widens at scale due to per-user vs flat pricing.
FAQ
Questions worth answering.
Common questions about choosing between SHIPMAIL and Proton Mail Business.
- Is SHIPMAIL competing with Proton on privacy?
- Not directly. SHIPMAIL uses TLS encryption in transit and offers optional encryption at rest with user-held keys. Proton uses end-to-end encryption where messages are encrypted on the sender's device. These serve different threat models. SHIPMAIL prioritizes usability and open protocols. Proton prioritizes maximum encryption.
- When should a business choose Proton Mail Business?
- When encryption is a requirement, not a nice-to-have. This typically applies to legal, healthcare, or privacy-sensitive organizations.
- Can I use SHIPMAIL for sensitive business email?
- Yes. SHIPMAIL uses TLS encryption for all email in transit, and you can enable encryption at rest with your own OpenPGP or S/MIME key so stored messages cannot be read by anyone without the key. For communications that require full end-to-end encryption (encrypted on the sender's device), Proton Mail is the better tool.
Internal links
Related
More on SHIPMAIL pricing, use cases, and how it handles shared inboxes.