Proton launches its own version of Google Docs

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Scope of Proton Docs / Drive Announcement

  • New collaborative docs editor integrated into Proton Drive; supports .docx and .txt upload, export to several formats (.docx, .pdf, .txt, .md, HTML).
  • Aimed as a private, E2EE alternative to Google Docs within Proton’s ecosystem.
  • Non‑Proton recipients must create a (free or paid) Proton account to access shared docs, which some see as collaboration friction.
  • Built on acquired Standard Notes tech and Lexical editor; not written entirely from scratch.

Ecosystem Strategy & “Half‑Baked” Concerns

  • Many paying users say Proton keeps shipping new products (Docs, Drive, Pass, VPN) while core Mail/Calendar/Contacts/Drive remain incomplete or rough.
  • Common asks: CalDAV/CardDAV support, better calendar integration with other providers, richer sharing in Drive, more stable and capable mobile apps (especially Android).
  • Some fear Proton is chasing enterprise/GSuite‑style “full stack” at the cost of polish and reliability.

Comparisons with Alternatives

  • Fastmail frequently cited as more mature for mail/calendar/contacts (DAV support, solid apps, strong spam handling) but lacks Proton’s built‑in encryption/VPN.
  • Other alternatives mentioned: self‑hosted CalDAV/CardDAV (Radicale, Baïkal), CryptPad, Zoho, HedgeDoc, Nextcloud, Bitwarden, KeePassXC, OnlyOffice.
  • Several users prefer splitting services (email, VPN, password manager, notes, docs) across different vendors to avoid “all eggs in one basket.”

Privacy, Encryption, and Legal Reality

  • Debate over Proton’s “E2EE” marketing: many emails are not end‑to‑end encrypted unless both sides use PGP.
  • Some see the marketing as overselling; others note Proton’s docs explain limits and argue expectations should be realistic.
  • Proton has complied with lawful requests (e.g., handing over IP or recovery email); critics call this “snitching,” supporters reply that operating within the law is unavoidable.
  • VPN’s usefulness is debated: from “mostly pointless” to “critical for avoiding ISP tracking and geoblocks.”

Open Source & Trust

  • Clients (including Drive) are open source in a monorepo; server side is closed.
  • Some criticize delayed code pushes and “open‑source washing,” others say open clients are mainly for verifiability, not cloning competitors.

Overall Sentiment

  • Split between enthusiasm (“finally a private Docs alternative, good enough for daily use”) and skepticism (“80%‑baked clones; fix email/calendar/mobile first; hard to rival Google’s network effects”).