The Proton Mail alternative
you actually own.
Proton keeps your mail on Proton's servers, in Switzerland, under Proton's plans. Vectis Mail puts it on yours — a standard mail server on your own VPS, your domain, standard IMAP/SMTP, no provider in the loop. Same instinct for privacy, without renting it back from anyone.
Why teams move to Vectis Mail
Four reasons operators leave hosted mailboxes behind.
You own the infrastructure
Your server, your keys, your domain. There's no third party that could be breached, served a warrant, change its pricing, or shut the service down. The provider isn't more trustworthy — it's simply gone.
Any client, no bridge
Vectis speaks plain IMAP and SMTP, so Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Outlook, mobile and mutt connect directly. No local daemon to run on every device just to read your own mail.
Flat, unmetered pricing
Unlimited domains and mailboxes on one $39/mo Pro plan — no per-address brackets, no per-email metering. Starter is $0 for the software; you pay only for a ~$20/mo VPS.
Built to run in production
Declarative YAML config, a Go REST API, a React admin UI, and atomic updates with health-gated rollback. Not a hobby stack — a mail server you can operate and trust.
At a glance
Side-by-side, current as of July 2026.
| Vectis Mail | Proton Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | A mail server you own | Hosted mailbox service |
| Where your mail lives | Your VPS, your disk | Proton's servers in Switzerland |
| Email clients | Any — direct IMAP/SMTP | Proton apps; others need Proton Bridge (paid) |
| Custom domains | Unlimited on Pro | Paid only (1 on Plus, 3 on Unlimited) |
| Mailboxes | 25/domain (Starter) · unlimited (Pro) | 1 (Free) · up to 10–15 addresses (paid) |
| REST sending API + webhooks | Yes | No |
| Jurisdiction | Wherever you deploy | Switzerland (Swiss law applies) |
| Lock-in | None — standard maildir, export anytime | Encrypted store; export via Bridge/tools |
| Encryption model | Standard TLS in transit; you hold the store | Client-side E2E + zero-access at rest |
| Pricing | $0 software + VPS · $39/mo Pro, unlimited | ~$3.99–$9.99/mo per mailbox (annual) |
Proton facts per Proton's published pricing and Bridge documentation, retrieved 2026-06-21.
Privacy you own, not rent
Both products start from the same discomfort: you don't want a stranger's servers holding your email. They answer it differently. Proton's answer is encryption — your mail stays on Proton's infrastructure, encrypted so Proton can't read the bodies. Vectis Mail's answer is ownership — there's no provider at all. It's a standard Postfix/Dovecot server on a VPS you control, with your domain and standard protocols, so the question "can I trust the host?" simply doesn't arise.
That ownership is the whole product. Mail sits in a plain maildir on your disk — back it up, imapsync it anywhere, or walk away whenever you like, with nothing held hostage. Domains and mailboxes are just configuration, not plan tiers. And one $39/mo Pro subscription covers unlimited domains, unlimited mailboxes, the REST API, analytics and OIDC SSO across every install your organisation runs.
One honest note for the technically-minded: Vectis Mail is a standard mail server, not a client-side-encrypted one — as the operator you hold your mail and can read it, because you hold it rather than a provider. That's the design, and it's the point of owning the server.
Moving over is straightforward
Standard protocols on the Vectis side make the switch a normal migration, not an export-fight:
- Stand up Vectis Mail on a fresh VPS with the installation guide, and configure your domain(s) with DKIM/SPF/DMARC.
- Enable Proton Bridge (paid Proton plan) to expose your Proton mailbox over local IMAP/SMTP.
- Sync mail with
imapsyncfrom Bridge's localhost endpoint straight into your Vectis mailboxes. - Recreate addresses and Sieve filters, and point your custom-domain DNS (MX/DKIM/SPF/DMARC) at the Vectis server.
- Cut DNS over once mail is flowing, warm the IP (see the IP warmup guide), then decommission Proton after a clean verification window.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Vectis Mail with my own domain and any email client?
Yes. Vectis speaks standard IMAP and SMTP, so Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Outlook, mobile apps and mutt connect directly — no bridge software. Custom domains are first-class: point MX/DKIM/SPF/DMARC at your server and host unlimited addresses on Pro, with no per-plan domain cap.
What does Vectis Mail cost compared to Proton Mail?
Vectis Starter is $0 for the software — self-hosted, up to 3 domains and 25 mailboxes per domain — you pay only for a ~$20/month VPS. Pro is a flat $39 USD per tenant per month for unlimited domains and mailboxes, plus the REST API, analytics and OIDC SSO, and one subscription covers every install you run. Where hosted mail charges per address bracket, Vectis charges per organisation and never per mailbox or per email.
Is Vectis Mail end-to-end encrypted?
No — and that's deliberate. Vectis Mail is a standard Postfix/Dovecot server, so as the operator you hold and can read your own mail at rest. Its privacy model is ownership: no third party holds your mail, sees your social graph, or can be compelled to hand it over. Mail in transit is protected by TLS. If your specific requirement is client-side encryption the host can't read, that's a hosted-encryption product — a different category from a mail server you run.
How do I migrate from Proton Mail to a self-hosted server?
On a paid Proton plan, run Proton Bridge to expose your mailbox over local IMAP, then imapsync it into Vectis. Move your custom domain's MX/DKIM/SPF/DMARC to point at the Vectis server, recreate addresses and Sieve filters, and cut DNS over once mail is flowing. Export contacts and calendar from Proton separately (CalDAV/CardDAV is on the Phase 4 roadmap).
Own your email
Your server, your domain, standard protocols. Privacy you own, not rent.
Free Starter tier · No credit card required · Source-available
Other Vectis Mail alternatives
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