From e-mail and calendars to cloud storage and contacts, Google’s ecosystem is the default for hundreds of thousands, together with me.
Nevertheless, I made a decision to embark on a radical experiment: for 30 days, I’d utterly abandon Google and change its suite of providers with the privacy-centric options from Proton.
It was a full digital migration — a check to see if a viable, safe life exists outdoors Google.
My experiment had a number of ups and downs. Now let’s go over my expertise and reply a single query: Is breaking free from Google’s grip value it?
Proton has lined the fundamentals and extra
Proton has efficiently constructed a digital ecosystem that covers the core features most individuals depend on Google for. The corporate has not solely lined the fundamentals however usually surpassed them.
With Proton Mail, Calendar, and Contacts, I had a seamless transition from Google. Equally, Proton Drive offered a safe cloud storage resolution, and their native desktop apps made file entry a breeze.
In lots of circumstances, Proton even outshines Google with choices like Pockets, Move, and VPN. As an illustration, I discovered Proton Move to be feature-rich and efficient than Chrome Password Supervisor. The identical goes for its VPN service as effectively.
Nonetheless, no ecosystem is ideal, and I did really feel the absence of a devoted, encrypted note-taking app. Google Maintain was a small however helpful a part of my previous workflow. Nevertheless, Proton’s current acquisition of Customary Notes has made me optimistic concerning the future.
I can’t wait to see how they combine Customary Notes into the Proton suite.
Open supply and end-to-end encryption
Its open supply nature and end-to-end encryption are the core of Proton’s enterprise mannequin. Each single one in all their apps, together with Mail, Drive, Calendar, VPN, and Move, is open supply.
This implies anybody can examine their code to confirm that it does precisely what they are saying it does and that there are not any hidden backdoors.
Probably the most stunning discovery for me was how Proton handles collaboration securely.
As an illustration, once I ship an e-mail from my Proton Mail account to a different Proton consumer, it’s robotically E2EE.
However for folks outdoors the Proton ecosystem, I can ship a password-protected e-mail. This function generates a hyperlink to a safe web page on Proton’s servers the place the recipient can enter a password to view the message.
The identical precept applies to Proton Drive. I can share information and folders with anybody utilizing a hyperlink protected by a password and even set an expiration date.
Proton apps are feature-rich
After I began my month-long experiment, I anticipated to sacrifice options for privateness. Nevertheless, that’s not the case right here.
Proton apps aren’t simply barebones encrypted variations of Google’s merchandise; they’re thoughtfully designed and, in lots of circumstances, superior.
As an illustration, Proton Drive helps gallery view and the power to create albums.
Equally, Proton Move goes above and past a typical password supervisor. With a single click on, I can generate a novel e-mail alias for any new account I create, immediately hiding my actual e-mail handle from sketchy web sites.
The identical holds true for Proton VPN. It’s not only a fundamental VPN; it has hundreds of servers throughout 120 international locations.
Proton Mail has on-device AI and even a local app on the Linux platform.
These strong options, mixed with the open supply safety of the whole ecosystem, put Proton’s choices proper up there with Google’s.
Let’s go over the cons as effectively
As highly effective and complete because the Proton ecosystem is, my month-long check made it clear that it’s removed from an ideal, one-to-one substitute for Google.
The main hole was the entire absence of a devoted activity supervisor. I had to make use of a third-party activity supervisor like TickTick to remain on high of my to-do listing.
It’s a small however important piece of the productiveness puzzle that the Proton suite is presently lacking.
Whereas Proton Drive presents a Google Docs different for writing, it doesn’t have an equal for Google Slides. Since I not often must create shows, this wasn’t a dealbreaker for me.
The largest downside was collaboration. It falls in need of the easy, real-time collaboration that Google’s ecosystem has perfected.
When you’re attempting to work with individuals who aren’t invested within the Proton ecosystem, sharing and modifying media and information can really feel clunky.
I needed to consistently clarify the password-protected hyperlinks and stroll folks by way of the method.
For those who ceaselessly collaborate on information and media, I counsel sticking with Google’s choices. In any case, most individuals have a legitimate Google ID that you should utilize to share information very quickly.
Buying and selling comfort for privateness
My 30-day journey to switch the Google ecosystem with Proton was an eye-opening experiment. Whereas there have been a number of benefits, the trail was not with out its bumps.
For those who prioritize privateness over comfort, you may simply neglect these cons and proceed with Proton. As for me, I haven’t canceled my Proton subscription but, and I’ll preserve a detailed eye on how the corporate improves its services and products sooner or later.