- Proton has launched its own E2EE spreadsheet software
- Half of European companies still rely on cloud-based spreadsheets
- Other improvements to Proton Drive, Pass, VPN and Lumo are also coming
Following last year’s launch of Proton Docs, Swiss cloud productivity company Proton has announced the launch of Sheets, its end-to-end encrypted spreadsheet software.
As has been expected of the company, Proton emphasized that nobody (not even itself) can access spreadsheet content, making it perfect for secure budgeting and data tracking for individuals and businesses alike.
The not-so-insignificant launch comes as cloud-based spreadsheets continue to be used in the workplace, with more than half (54%) of European businesses relying on them for operations, CRM and data analysis.
Proton Sheets joins Docs in the Workspace suite
The timing is also of great importance – key hyperscaler rivals all have their own alternatives, but concerns have been raised about the integration of AI and the subsequent security of their data. Especially when spreadsheets can contain some of a company’s most confidential data.
When the company launched Docs in July 2024, it highlighted the mass data collection of other apps like Google Docs, the risk of data breaches associated with no end-to-end encryption, weak privacy laws that allow “bulk surveillance” and third-party access for “warrantless surveillance.” These principles also apply to Sheets.
Proton Sheets is free to use for all Proton Drive account holders, and because it’s built under Swiss privacy laws, it offers stronger legal protections than US data frames.
Even metadata like file names are encrypted – not just the contents of spreadsheets.
Despite being distinguished by improved encryption, it still supports import and export via CSV and XLS.
But it doesn’t stop there, as Proton is making further improvements across its Workspace suit and other apps to lure businesses and consumers away from Big Tech.
Duo and family plans will soon include a shared drive each to centralize documents, with business plans set to get “multiple” shared drives. Its Drive apps are also being rebuilt around a new SDK for better performance, including faster uploads and downloads.
Other improvements coming to Proton’s suite of apps include image generation for Lumo, the AI chatbot; upgraded autofill for Proton Pass; and five more free server countries for Proton VPN (Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Norway and Singapore), bringing the total to 10.
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