Quick answer: If your team handles confidential client information, Proton Workspace is the most private option here, because it encrypts email end to end between Proton users and keeps files, documents and meetings in the same privacy-first suite. Choose Google Workspace for the most mature collaboration tools, Microsoft 365 if your team lives in Office apps and needs device security, and Fastmail if all you want is reliable, affordable business email.
For a company, secure email is not only about one private inbox. It is about whether the whole team can work in it, whether you control the domain and the users, and how much access the provider has to your messages. This guide compares the business plans of four providers on those points: Proton Mail for Business and Proton Workspace, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 for business, and Fastmail Business. If you are choosing for yourself rather than a team, read our guide to the most secure email providers for personal use instead.
Business plans compared: price, privacy and what you get
| Plan | Price per user per month, billed yearly | Storage per user | Email privacy model | What is included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton Mail Essentials | $6.99 | 15 GB | End-to-end encryption between Proton users, zero-access storage, password-protected email to anyone | 3 custom domains, 10 addresses, secure email and calendar, cloud storage, document and spreadsheet editor |
| Proton Workspace Standard | $12.99 | 1 TB | Same model | 15 custom domains, 20 addresses, Meet for 100 people, VPN, password manager with team vaults |
| Proton Workspace Premium | $19.99 | 3 TB | Same model | 20 custom domains, Meet for 250 people, Lumo AI chat, email writing assistant, data retention policies |
| Google Workspace Business Starter | €6.80 | 30 GB, pooled | No end-to-end encryption listed on the pricing page | Custom business email, Gemini in Gmail, Meet for 100 people, security and management controls |
| Google Workspace Business Standard | €13.60 | 2 TB, pooled | Same | Adds Gemini in Docs and Meet, recording, Meet for 150 people, appointment booking, eSignature, migration tool |
| Google Workspace Business Plus | €21.10 | 5 TB, pooled | Same (S/MIME starts on Enterprise) | Adds Vault, eDiscovery, Meet for 500 people, secure LDAP, advanced endpoint management |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $7.00 | 1 TB cloud storage, 100 GB mailbox | No data loss prevention or information protection listed | Web and mobile Office apps, Teams, custom business email, Copilot Chat |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot | $23.50 | 1 TB cloud storage, 100 GB mailbox | Same | Adds desktop Office apps and Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot | $32.00 | 1 TB cloud storage, 100 GB mailbox plus 1.5 TB archive | Purview data loss prevention and information protection listed | Adds device management, Defender for Office 365, Windows 11 Pro upgrade |
| Fastmail Basic | $3 | 6 GB | Encrypted connections, not end-to-end; no ads or tracking | Shared calendars and address book; no custom domains |
| Fastmail Standard | $5 | 60 GB | Same | Adds custom domains, use with third-party mail apps, scheduled send |
| Fastmail Professional | $9 | 150 GB | Same | Adds an email retention archive for legal compliance |
Prices were checked on each provider’s own pricing page on November 6, 2026, before tax, on annual billing. Proton and Fastmail are in US dollars; Microsoft’s figures are the US rates. Google shows prices by country, and the page we read listed euros; on our earlier check on October 20, the US rates were $14.00 for Business Standard and $22.00 for Business Plus. Prices and promotions change, so confirm on the provider’s page before you buy: Proton, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Fastmail.
How we compared them
We looked at the same four things for each provider: what the business plans cost, how email is protected, what else the plan includes, and what you give up by choosing it. The facts come from each provider’s own pricing and documentation pages, read on the date above. The plans are not like for like, so compare the exact features your team would use rather than only the price.
Proton Mail for Business and Proton Workspace: best for confidential client data
Proton builds privacy into the product instead of offering it as an extra. Messages between Proton Mail for Business users are end-to-end encrypted, and stored mail uses zero-access encryption, which means Proton cannot simply read the contents. For recipients outside Proton, standard messages generally travel with TLS, so Proton offers password-protected emails and PGP when a message needs stronger protection.
The plans scale from email alone to a full suite. Mail Essentials ($6.99 per user per month) covers email, calendar, storage and documents. Proton Workspace Standard ($12.99) adds 1 TB of storage, 15 custom domains, video meetings for 100 people, a VPN and a password manager with team vaults. Premium ($19.99) raises storage to 3 TB and meetings to 250 people, and adds Lumo AI chat, an email writing assistant and data retention policies. Proton offers a 14-day free trial for Workspace and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Strengths
- End-to-end encryption between Proton users, with zero-access storage
- Email, calendar, files, documents, meetings, VPN and passwords in one suite
- Easy migration from Big Tech listed on every business plan
- Compliance support listed, including GDPR and HIPAA
Where it falls short
- Mail to people outside Proton is not end-to-end encrypted unless you use a password or PGP
- A smaller ecosystem of integrations than Google or Microsoft
- Data retention policies and unlimited Lumo AI are Premium only
- Premium is the most expensive plan on this list for email and collaboration
We also review the suite in detail in our Proton Workspace review.
Google Workspace: best for collaboration
Google Workspace remains one of the most connected working environments: Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet and Gemini work together with very little friction, and most teams already know the tools. Every plan includes custom business email, and Gemini AI is built into Gmail from Business Starter.
The step up to Business Standard adds Gemini in Docs and Meet, meeting recording, appointment booking pages, eSignature and a data migration tool. Business Plus adds Vault for retaining and searching data, eDiscovery, secure LDAP and advanced endpoint management. Google lists S/MIME encryption starting on Enterprise, and lists no end-to-end or client-side encryption for Starter, Standard or Plus. Starter and Standard also show a 10% introductory discount for the first 12 months, limited to the first 20 users of new customers.
- Best for: teams that want mature collaboration and already work in Google tools.
- Keep in mind: privacy is access control and encryption in transit and at rest, not end-to-end encryption by default. Starter, Standard and Plus are limited to 300 users.
Microsoft 365: best for Office apps and device security
Microsoft 365 is strongest when your team depends on advanced Excel, complex Word documents, Teams and the wider Microsoft ecosystem. Business Basic ($7.00) gives you web and mobile Office apps, Teams, custom email and 1 TB of cloud storage. Business Standard with Copilot ($23.50) adds the desktop apps and Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.
Business Premium with Copilot ($32.00) is where the security and data protection features appear: device management with Intune, Defender for Office 365, Purview data loss prevention and information protection, and a Windows 11 Pro upgrade. Like Google, Microsoft does not describe end-to-end email encryption as a default feature on these plans.
- Best for: organizations that rely on Office applications and need to manage devices and protect sensitive data centrally.
- Keep in mind: the price jumps from $7.00 to $23.50 as soon as you need desktop apps, because Copilot is bundled in. Some AI features use usage-based billing on top of the license fee, and the one-month free trial needs a credit card and converts to a paid subscription automatically.
Fastmail Business: best for simple, affordable email
Fastmail is a focused email, calendar and contacts service. Standard ($5) and Professional ($9) support custom domains, shared addresses and calendars, a shared company address book and use with third-party apps such as Outlook and iPhone Mail. Professional adds an email retention archive for legal compliance. Fastmail promises no ads or tracking, lets you choose EU or US data residency, and offers a free trial of up to 30 days.
- Best for: small teams that only need dependable business email and calendars.
- Keep in mind: it is not end-to-end encrypted, it has no document editor or video meetings, and Basic ($3) does not support custom domains.
Which one should you choose?
- You handle confidential client information, contracts or financial data: Proton Workspace Standard, or Premium if you need retention policies, 3 TB or larger meetings.
- You want the smoothest team collaboration and your people already use Google tools: Google Workspace Business Standard.
- Your team works in Excel, Word and Teams and needs to manage devices: Microsoft 365 Business Premium, or Standard if you do not need device management.
- You only need affordable email with your own domain: Fastmail Standard, or Proton Mail Essentials if you want end-to-end encryption between users.
No provider wins every category. Proton leads on privacy by design, Google on collaboration maturity, Microsoft on Office and enterprise management, and Fastmail on simplicity and price.
Try Proton Workspace with your own files
Proton offers a 14-day free trial for Workspace and a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test it with real files before you commit.
Start the free trialSecure business email FAQ
Is Proton Mail for Business end-to-end encrypted?
Between Proton users, yes, and stored mail uses zero-access encryption. For recipients outside Proton, standard messages generally use TLS rather than end-to-end encryption. For stronger protection you can send a password-protected email or use PGP.
Is Google Workspace end-to-end encrypted?
Google’s pricing page lists no end-to-end or client-side encryption for Business Starter, Standard or Plus. It lists S/MIME encryption starting on the Enterprise plan.
What does a team of 10 pay per year?
On annual billing before tax: Fastmail Standard $600; Proton Mail Essentials $838.80; Microsoft 365 Business Basic $840; Proton Workspace Standard $1,558.80; Proton Workspace Premium $2,398.80; Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot $2,820; Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot $3,840. Google Workspace Business Standard is €1,632 at the euro price we read. Add-ons and usage-based AI charges are extra.
Can I move my team from Gmail or Outlook?
Yes. Proton lists easy migration from Big Tech on its business plans, and Google Workspace Business Standard includes a data migration tool. Email, files and calendars usually move separately, so plan the migration in stages and keep your old accounts until the new ones are working.
Which providers offer a free trial?
Proton Workspace and Google Workspace each offer a 14-day trial. Microsoft 365 offers a one-month trial that needs a credit card. Fastmail offers a free trial of up to 30 days, and Proton adds a 30-day money-back guarantee.
