Proton Meet

Proton Meet is a privacy-focused video conferencing service for teams, families, and friends across browsers, computers, and phones. It is best suited to security-conscious organisations and individuals who need confidential calls without forcing every guest to open an account. Choose it for strong encryption and meeting governance; look elsewhere if long free meetings or a broad, all-in-one collaboration workspace matters more.

Overview

Meet is built around private conversations rather than a large productivity bundle. Proton says audio, video, screen sharing, and chat are protected with Messaging Layer Security end to end, while its apps are fully open source for independent auditing. That combination gives buyers a clear security rationale, especially for sensitive work meetings.

Its privacy position extends beyond encryption. Proton says it does not retain meeting passwords, recordings of audio or video, chat messages, or metadata that links participants after a call ends. Recording is local, so organisations can keep control of files, but they must also manage storage and sharing themselves.

Key features

Hosts get controls that matter in real meetings: they can blur backgrounds, reduce noise, mute audio, stop video, lock a session, block additional people from joining, and remove attendees. These controls are useful for confidential briefings and for keeping larger calls orderly, though the free tier restricts how long and how often such meetings can run.

External participants can enter through a meeting link without a Proton account. That removes a common barrier when inviting clients, relatives, or contractors outside your organisation. Proton Calendar integration adds calls to schedules, and appointment scheduling is included from the Professional tier upward.

Professional also adds screen sharing, built-in chat, and meeting recording. Proton cites ISO 27001 certification, SOC 2 Type II attestation, and compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, CJIS, and PCI. Those claims will matter to regulated teams evaluating a vendor, while the published support centre provides setup, feature, and troubleshooting guidance.

Pricing

Meet has a free plan and paid service starting at $7.99 per user per month when billed annually, plus a 14-day trial. The entry plan, Meet Free, costs nothing per month and allows meetings of up to 60 minutes, 50 participants, and five meeting links per day. It is suitable for short personal calls or occasional small-team check-ins, but the daily-link quota and hour limit make it a poor fit for a full day of workshops or recurring customer sessions.

Meet Professional has custom pricing. It extends meetings to 24 hours, supports 100 participants, and removes the daily meeting limit. Screen sharing, built-in chat, appointment scheduling, and meeting recording are included, making this the sensible tier for teams that need a complete meeting workflow rather than a basic encrypted call.

Workspace Standard also uses custom pricing and includes Professional features, 1 TB of storage per user, and 15 custom email domains. Workspace Premium adds 3 TB per user, 20 custom domains, and meetings for up to 250 participants. Standard suits organisations combining conferencing with substantial mail and storage needs; Premium is for larger events and heavier storage requirements. The advertised 100-participant ceiling applies to Professional, while Premium raises that meeting capacity to 250.

Platforms

Meet runs in a web app and has applications for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. That breadth supports mixed-device teams and guests joining from a browser, without requiring a single desktop operating system.

Who it's for

Choose Proton Meet for confidential internal meetings, regulated work, or family conversations where end-to-end encryption and limited post-call data retention are priorities. Guest links make it practical when invitees are not Proton users. It is less compelling for groups that need generous free usage, cloud-based recording, or a single suite centred on broad collaboration tools.

Pros and cons

Pros

• End-to-end encryption: Messaging Layer Security covers calls, screen shares, and chats rather than only account sign-in.
• Strong host authority: Locking meetings, blocking newcomers, removing attendees, and controlling audio and video help manage sensitive sessions.
• Low-friction guest access: Participants can use a link without making Proton accounts.
• Open-source applications: Proton says every Meet app can be independently audited.
• Broad compliance claims: ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA, CJIS, and PCI coverage address formal procurement concerns.

Cons

• Restrictive free tier: 60-minute meetings, 50 participants, and five links per day exclude many long or frequent sessions.
• Paid pricing is not fully shown: Professional and Workspace plans require a custom quote, complicating direct budget comparisons.
• Local recording: Keeping recordings on your devices preserves control but leaves storage, backup, and distribution to you.

Alternatives

Secure Video Conferencing Software is a useful starting point when you want to compare privacy-oriented meeting products.

Microsoft Teams is the better pick when a free plan with 100 participants, 60-minute group meetings, and 5 GB of cloud storage fits your priorities.

VSee suits buyers who want a freemium service with a free trial and provider-based plans.

Apache OpenMeetings is preferable if free software and self-hosting are more important than Proton's managed service.

Jami is an alternative free communications project available across desktop, mobile, web, and extension platforms.

Jitsi Meet is another free option with web, mobile, desktop, and self-hosted availability.

OpenTalk is worth considering if auditable open-source code and free community use are central requirements.

TrueConf offers a freemium route with a free trial and self-hosted availability.

Webex App fits users who prefer a free service offering meetings up to 40 minutes for as many as 100 attendees.

Verdict

Proton Meet is a strong choice for privacy-first teams and individuals who value encrypted calls, controllable guest access, and credible security and compliance commitments. Its main reason to choose it is the combination of end-to-end protection and practical host controls. Look elsewhere if your budget depends on a generous free tier, transparent plan pricing, or cloud recording and wider collaboration features.