We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
It's a split decision.
These are not close substitutes. Choose Proofpoint for organization-wide email, collaboration, data, and AI security; its Essentials email plans start at $2.75 per active user monthly, while Enterprise pricing is quote-based. Choose Hushmail for practices that need encrypted email, intake forms, and e-signatures; Small Business plans start at $9.89 per user monthly with annual billing, and Healthcare Basic is $10.99. Both lack a free plan; Hushmail offers a 14-day trial.
01Side by side
| Proofpoint | Hushmail | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $2.75 per active user/month; annual price not published | $9.89 per user/month with annual billing |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Best for | Business email, collaboration, data, and AI security | Healthcare and other practices needing secure email and forms |
| Core strength | Email threat protection and controls for data and AI | Encrypted email, e-signable forms, and secure replies |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations and data | AI discovery, runtime policies, and audit trails | Encrypted email and forms; integrations not published |
| Team and seat costs | Essentials priced per active user; Enterprise limits unpublished | Listed business plans require one user minimum |
| Support | Support details not published | Customer care listed for setup and migration questions |
Proofpoint Choose Proofpoint if
- Choose Proofpoint if you need email threat protection at a lower listed starting price.
- Choose Proofpoint if you need controls for data and AI use.
- Choose Proofpoint if you need security across collaboration channels.
Hushmail Choose Hushmail if
- Choose Hushmail if your practice needs encrypted email and HIPAA-compliant forms.
- Choose Hushmail if clients should reply through a private link without installing anything.
- Choose Hushmail if you need e-signatures and completed forms delivered to your inbox.
02Pricing compared
Proofpoint Essentials starts at $2.75 per active user per month for Business, rising to $3.75 for Advanced and $5.33 for Professional. Annual-billing prices are not published. Archive imports cost $3/GB above 2 GB per user, and imported data costs $3/GB per month above that allowance. Security Awareness is another $1 per active user monthly. Proofpoint Enterprise is quote-based, with seat and usage limits not published.
Hushmail’s lowest listed business price is $9.89 per user per month with annual billing for Small Business Basic; monthly billing is $10.79. Healthcare Basic is $10.99 annually billed or $11.99 monthly. Plans requiring forms start at $12.37 annually billed for Small Business Essentials, which includes three forms. Hushmail has a 14-day trial; neither product has a free plan. Compare like for like: the entry plans cover different needs.
03Features and depth
Proofpoint is the broader security platform. Its listed capabilities span email threat protection, collaboration security, data visibility and control, and controls for AI use. The AI features include discovery of apps, users, agents, MCP servers, and external services; context-aware runtime policies; and audit trails for prompts and agent workflows. Essentials plans are specifically presented as email-security options, so the published pricing details do not establish which broader platform features they include. Enterprise inclusions are not published.
Hushmail is more focused: encrypted email and e-signable forms for healthcare, small-business, and law practices. Clients can reply through a private link without installing anything. Healthcare plans include HIPAA-compliant email and a BAA; forms and signatures start with Healthcare Essentials, which lists three forms. Growth plans list 25 forms and custom branding. Hushmail’s fit is clearer when the job is secure client communication and intake. For organization-wide data, collaboration, or AI controls, the published product details point to Proofpoint instead.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The products ask users to work in different ways. Hushmail describes a direct workflow: send encrypted email, collect completed forms in the inbox, and let clients reply through a private link without installing software. Its forms use drag-and-drop, and customer care can help with custom domains or email migration.
Proofpoint covers more security areas, including email, collaboration, data, and AI interactions, so buyers should clarify which products and controls they need before choosing a plan. Our review scores rate ease of use at 5 for Proofpoint and 7 for Hushmail, but those scores do not document setup steps or training requirements. Proofpoint’s enterprise limits and inclusions are not published; get scope and exit terms in writing.
Questions people ask
Why would someone use Hushmail?
Hushmail is aimed at practices that need encrypted client email and intake forms with e-signatures. Healthcare plans include HIPAA-compliant email and a BAA, while clients can reply through a private link without installing anything. It also offers small-business and law-practice plans.
What is the most hacked email provider?
The published information does not identify a most-hacked email provider or provide comparative breach data, so we can’t name one. It describes Proofpoint’s email threat protection and Hushmail’s encrypted email, but those feature descriptions do not establish which provider has the fewest incidents.
Is Hushmail a good email service?
It may suit practices that want encrypted email, private-link replies, and forms with e-signatures. The fit depends on the use case: the published review says it is worth considering for healthcare email and intake forms, but not a first choice for maximum privacy. Plans start at $9.89 per user monthly with annual billing.
Is Hushmail still free?
The published pricing lists no free plan. Hushmail offers a 14-day trial, and its Personal Basic plan is listed at $5 per account per month with yearly billing. Personal Basic includes 15 GB of storage and email aliases, but no forms or custom domain.