Hushmail Review 2024 – How does it stack up in reality? (October 2024)

I’ve been to many countries as a travel vlogger and you won’t believe how many times I’ve met a setback in terms of privacy restrictions and security issues. So if there’s one thing that I’ve learned in my experiences, it’s that you can never have too many online security solutions in your toolkit. For example, I’ve been using VPN for the last 10 years.

Secure email is another critical tool for me. You never know when prying eyes (read: hackers) are lurking nearby. Now there are so many secure email providers out there that it’s difficult to know the reliable ones from those that offer subpar service. Well, it’s a good thing then that I’ve done all the hard work for you. I’ve given several secure email services a spin and I’ll share with you the lowdown on them. This article covers the good and the not-so-good about HushMail.

My work as a content creator takes me to different countries and it’s awesome how I get to do that! …

Hushmail Review Rapid Rundown Rapid Rundown

Hushmail is famous for offering secure email to healthcare and business professionals. But how about personal users? They're already HIPAA compliant. That alone tells you they’s serious about security. Now combine that with other awesome features like e-signatures and web forms and you'll wish you were a healthcare pro . I wish I were if only for having a secure email service made just for my industry. But as I’m clearly not (and I do love my work as a content creator), I’m very curious about how Hushmail can suit me and other non-healthcare people. Well, nothing else to do but give it a try. Let’s all find out in this Hushmail review.

First off, I love how it allows you to send and receive an encrypted message even to users with no Hushmail account. This means you can carry out encrypted communication with more people. Not all my contacts Hushmail (or even secure email for that matter). This will reduce risk when sending sensitive data through email.

Sadly, Hushmail lacks robust Calendar and file storage features. It's also more pricy than competitors. Calendar is non-existent. I’ve been a traveler for over 10 years, and having a calendar lets me easily check my schedules for the day and stick to them. And its storage capacity can be disappointing too. Especially since you can find larger storage in other secure email providers. I suggest you check out ProtonMail or Tutanota if these features are important to you. 

Notable features

1. OpenPGP encryption: it’s the de facto standard for encrypted emails. You can easily send and receive emails with people who are serious about email security. 
2. Secure forms: A ridiculously simple way of getting rid of paper forms. Once you've built them, they simplify data collection. 
3. e-Signatures: Adds a layer of authenticity to your forms. Once you combine them with Hushmail forms, you'll never look back.

The Full Review

Let's get into the full Hushmail review. I've thoroughly tested the platform. I've assessed its functionalities, features, and capabilities. Hushmail excels in its highly targeted plans, e-signatures, and forms. However, it's not devoid of deficiencies.

My aim is to provide you with a balanced perspective. That way you can make an informed decision about whether Hushmail is the right fit for you. So, sit back, relax, and join me as I dive into Hushmail's brand of secure email service.

Quick Hushmail Review
Rating	4.8
Overall rank	3 out of 7
Starting Price	$3.30/month when billed annually
Money-Back Guarantee	60-day
End-to-end encryption
Encrypted email to non-subscribers
Storage limit for individuals	10 GB per user

Pros and Cons

Before we proceed, here’s a quick snapshot of the pros and cons of using Hushmail.

Hushmail Pricing Pricing

Hushmail has taken a different approach in its pricing offerings. Most service providers offer tiered individual, family, and business plans. Hushmail is unique in that it offers plans that target specific industries. For example, you have a plan named Healthcare and a plan named Law. The first is for healthcare workers and organizations. The second is for lawyers and law firms. That’s cool for them, but what about for me?

Hushmail does have a Personal Plan for individuals though, which appears relatively cheap. I compared this with individual plans offered by other similar providers. Hushmail's Personal Plan costs $49.98, paid annually. That translates to around $3.30/month. At the surface, that makes it one of the more affordable options out there. For reference, Proton Mail's paid individual plan translates to €3.99/month paid annually. 

However, once we take a closer look, we see a different picture. It only has 10 GB of storage compared to Proton Mail's 500 GB. It also lacks major features like a built-in calendar, which Proton has. Then there are other secure email services, like Tutanota, that offer more at a lower price. Tutanota's individual plan can only cost around €3.00/month per month. For that, you already get 20 GB of storage plus a calendar.

Do bear in mind that, when it comes to the other plans, Hushmail has no equal. For instance, I have yet to see a secure email provider that's as focused on HIPAA compliance. For these types of plans, I have to say that the benefits certainly justify the costs. 

Here's a matrix detailing the different Hushmail plans. You can compare each plan by viewing their prices and features. 

Hushmail Security and Privacy Security and Privacy

Hushmail knows what it takes to be a secure email provider. First off, they offer HIPAA compliant emails. That alone is a sign of their dedication to data security. HIPAA compliance is a security-focused business practice in the US Healthcare Industry. It involves following an extensive set of rules for protecting patient data. Businesses have to put in place strong security controls to adhere to those rules. So if a business or service is HIPAA compliant, it's got to be secure!

HIPAA-compliant emails can only be had through the Hushmail for Healthcare Plan. But that doesn't mean you can't get top-notch security with the other plans. Buckle up. I'm about to get you acquainted with some of the key security features of this email service.

Let’s start with the most basic feature of secure email services: Encrypted emails.

Encrypted email

Every secure email service worth its salt uses encryption to protect its emails. Hushmail uses it too. In fact, Hushmail supports encrypted emails in all its subscription plans. Hushmail encrypted emails keep your email conversations private. When your email is encrypted, other people can't view them. Not hackers, not your recipient's email provider, not even your ISPs.

Hushmail uses two kinds of encryption: Transport Layer Security (TLS) and OpenPGP. PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy. TLS encrypts data as it's sent through the Internet. You call this data-in-motion encryption.

OpenPGP also provides data-in-motion encryption. This can happen when a PGP-encrypted file is sent over the network. But in addition, it also provides data-at-rest encryption. This kind of encryption encrypts your data while it's stored. That means, while the data is on Hushmail servers or in your device.

TLS is pretty common. It’s the kind of encryption popular web browsers use when you connect to a secure web site. Some people call it SSL, which stands for Secure Sockets Layer. But SSL is really a predecessor of TLS and already an obsolete technology. 

You know you're using TLS when you see the lock icon on your web browser. Hushmail will always try to send your emails through TLS. If your recipient's email server supports TLS, your email will go through encrypted. If it doesn't support TLS, your email will still go through. But it won't be encrypted. This is where OpenPGP comes in.

OpenPGP encryption is even more secure. It can encrypt your email from your sending device all the way to your recipient's device. This diagram illustrates a scenario where both sender and recipient are Hushmail users. In this scenario, your data is protected by both TLS and OpenPGP. 

Hushmail allows you to send encrypted email to any recipient. That includes non-Hushmail users. That's a big deal to me and here’s why. Most encrypted email services can only provide encryption to their subscribers. That means if you're a subscriber but the recipient of your email isn't  (and many of my contacts may not be), your emails won't be encrypted. Hushmail gets around this limitation through its private message center. Let me explain how it works in the next section. 

Encrypted messages to non-subscribers

When I check out secure email services, I always look for one feature. Being able to send an encrypted message to other subscribers of the same service is already a given. I'm no longer surprised to see that. What isn't a given is the ability to send encrypted emails with non-subscribers. Hushmail has this feature. 

Hushmail's Message Center lets you send encrypted email messages to non-Hushmail users. Recipients receive a link, which when clicked directs them to a login page. Upon logging in, they can then view the encrypted message. They can likewise reply to that message from there. I think that’s pretty awesome. Hushmail really makes sure my emails are encrypted regardless of whether my recipients are too.

Whenever recipients view your message, they'll be forced to connect using TLS. Hushmail's Message Center requires it. That's great because TLS is secure, right? But what if your recipients' email providers don't support TLS? That won't be a problem. Your recipients will be connecting through their web browser. All popular web browsers support TLS. Problem solved.

Email archiving

Email archiving automatically keeps a copy of every email you sent and received. This helps you apply data retention policies, which some laws and regulations require. It also happens to be a key requirement for HIPAA compliance. You'll be happy to know this feature is available in all healthcare plans. You can also find it in the Small Business Plus and Law plans.

Other top secure email service providers don't have this feature yet. Proton Mail only has an archive folder. You have to manually move emails to that. And in Tutanota, automatic archiving is still in the pipeline. I do hope both of them include that feature soon.

Unfortunately, not all Hushmail accounts have access to this feature.  I didn’t find it in my Personal Plan. Not all Business accounts have it either, as it's not in the Small Business Plan. So if you want to keep archives of your emails or if you're obligated to do so, you'll have to upgrade to a plan that has it.

HIPAA compliant emails

Hushmail for Healthcare is not for everyone, but it's perfect for healthcare professionals. That includes dentists, therapists, optometrists, and so on. It's a HIPAA-compliant subscription plan. HIPAA is a set of standards that promotes data privacy and security.

Hushmail for Healthcare has all the security features of the other plans. But it also comes with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and email archiving. I already explained the email archive feature earlier. Let's talk about the BAA now. 

A BAA is a legal document between a healthcare provider and Hushmail. It guarantees that Hushmail will handle patient data securely. It also guarantees that Hushmail will adhere to HIPAA rules. How does this help Hushmail subscribers? Well, it legally establishes Hushmail's commitment to data privacy. If a data breach happens, Hushmail can be held accountable. And I mean legally and financially. As a subscriber, this should give you peace of mind. 

Electronic signature

Electronic signatures is another Hushmail feature that’s not available in all plans. You can only find it in the Healthcare Recommended and Custom Plans. Electronic signatures let users sign Hushmail forms they've filled out. Remember how we used to sign paper forms to validate their authenticity? e-Signatures work the same way. But they're more convenient. You can simply drag-and-drop an e-signature on a form on your device. 

Hushmail for Healthcare subscribers have been using this feature in data collection. They just attach the Hush secure forms they want signed to an email. After adding instructions to the email body, they send it to the recipient.

After filling out the form, the recipient can just as easily use their e-signature to sign it. No printing needed. All signed forms are then sent back to the sender's inbox. What's more, the sender can easily track pending and signed forms from Hushmail. It’s really convenient if you ask me, and I wish the feature was available in all plans.

Features and Capabilities

Although security and privacy are a big part of Hushmail, they're not the only reasons it's a great tool. Hushmail also offers other features and capabilities that make it worth exploring. Hushmail forms, for instance, are a great way to collect data and information. They let you easily create forms that can be embedded into your website or shared via email. You can even add an electronic signature to the form so it's legally binding! 

Let’s talk about those now.

Secure web forms

One of the biggest advantages of a Hushmail Healthcare Plan is the number of forms it supports. For example, in the Law and Small Business Plans, you can create two secure web forms. But in the Healthcare Recommended Plan, you can build up to 5. And in the Healthcare Custom Plan, you can build up to 10 secure forms! Scroll back up to the table above for reference.

You probably won't need this capability if you're not in healthcare. But if you are, then secure forms can be a game changer, especially when you combine them with e-signatures. This will enable you to collect and manage patient information in a fast and secure manner. You can simply add Hush secure forms to an email and send to your patient. 

Upon receiving your email, your patient can click a link to load your form. Your patient can then fill out the form with the same device they used to receive it. If an e-signature is required, they can sign from the same device as well. 

You can create a form from scratch or from Hushmail’s built-in templates. Here are some of the forms you can use from the built-in templates:

• Secure contact forms
• COVID-19 screening questionnaires
• Chiropractic intake forms
• Client experience survey forms
• Dental intake forms
• General anxiety disorder forms
• And many others

Unlimited email aliases

Email aliases can be used for various purposes. First, you can use them as temporary or throwaway email addresses. In my case, it’s a great way for me to avoid spam emails from services I signed up for. Second, you can assign them to different projects. This will allow you to direct specific emails to specific addresses. Third, you can create alias emails as a way to preserve your privacy. And so on and so forth.

You can create alias emails in any Hushmail plan. In fact, there's no limit to the number of email aliases you're allowed to create  and I like that. I can really just alias away! Now when you delete an email alias, all emails intended for it will stop. That's actually how you can use it to stop spam. You can sign up to a group or service using an email alias. Once the number of emails from that service become unbearable, just delete the alias.

Ease of Use and Setup

The Hushmail user interface isn't exactly the most visually appealing. But I find it intuitive enough. which, for me, is more important. Of course it helps that email is one of the most, if not the most, familiar web apps in the world. Let me walk you through some of the basic operations users perform on Hushmail. If you ask me, they're all quite simple and straightforward. See if you agree. 

Hushmail account creation

Creating a secure Hushmail account is quick and easy. I wanted to see most of the features, so I signed up for a Hushmail for Healthcare Plan. Even with that, I managed to complete the process AND send a test email in less than 7 minutes. Here are the general steps for creating an account. 

1. Go to the Hushmail Plans & Pricing page.
2. Select a plan. 
3. Choose a billing frequency (e.g. Pay monthly or Pay annually). I chose Pay monthly. That’s why the amount you see on the screenshot below is slightly higher than the $22.92 shown on the table above. 
4. Click the Sign up button.
5. Enter your desired email address and create a passphrase. Actually, a complex password will work as well. To be more secure, I suggest you use a password manager to generate and save that passphrase or password. 

6. Enter payment information and billing address, and then complete your order. You should then get a receipt.
7. That’s it! You’ll then be asked to login to your newly created Hushmail email account.

Since I was already inside, I decided to try things out. Remember the feature I said I always check out whenever I give a secure email service a test run? I always see if I can send to non-subscribers of that service. We'll talk about that next. 

Sending secure messages

Whenever you're logged-in to your Hushmail email account, sending encrypted messages is easy. The Compose button will be right at the top of your screen, so you won't miss it. Once you click that, you should see a standard email composition user interface. 

Fill out the fields as you would a regular email, but with one additional step. Since you want this to be completely encrypted, make sure the Encrypted toggle switch is on. As soon as you click Send, that message will be stored encrypted in Hushmail's servers. Hushmail will then notify your recipient about the encrypted message through email.

You didn't expect sending messages to users of other email providers to be that simple, did you? It really is! If you want to know how the recipient can view the message, check out our FAQ. 

Working with secure forms

Creating a Hushmail secure web form is incredibly easy. You don't need any coding or web development experience to do it. You can build a form with just a few mouse clicks. If you're already logged in, you can access the Form Builder on the right corner of the screen. 

In the next screen, click the button that says ‘Create my first form’. You'll then be brought to a page where you can build a form from scratch or choose from the templates provided. This is how a blank form originally looks like. To build your form, you would just drag and drop form elements from the panel on the left. Notice the Signature field near the bottom of that panel. You'll want to add that field if you want the recipient to attach an electronic signature. 

Once you’ve built a form either from scratch or a template, it will be added to your form collection. You can then add that form to an email. For example, if you want a client to fill out a form, you can create an email and add the appropriate form to it. I don’t know if I’d need something like this in the future but I just dig that it’s really easy for something that’s very useful to many professionals.

Customer Support

Hushmail support still has room for improvement. I like how they offer live chat. However, I think limiting its coverage to 7AM-5PM Pacific Time shortchanges non-US subscribers.  I’m in a different time zone every so often so this could affect me—as probably thousands of other users too. Also, there's no coverage on weekends. Many people now communicate even on weekends I do. So If a technical issue arises and no one's there to help you, you're toast. 

In addition to live chat, you can also seek assistance through other channels. There's email, phone support, social media, and a knowledgebase. If you want to reach them through social media, they're most active on X (formerly Twitter). 

We’re nearing the end of our Hushmail review. But before we part ways, I'd like to invite you to check out the FAQ section. You might find answers to some of the questions you've been meaning to ask. 

FAQ