Proton just fired another shot at Big Tech's productivity empire. The privacy company launched Proton Sheets today, an end-to-end encrypted spreadsheet app designed to pull users away from Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. With real-time collaboration and zero-knowledge architecture, it's the latest salvo in the battle for your business data.
Proton isn't waiting for the privacy backlash to build momentum - it's creating the alternative right now. The Swiss company just launched Proton Sheets, an encrypted spreadsheet application that promises all the functionality of Google Sheets without the data collection that comes with it.
The timing couldn't be more strategic. Google recently integrated its Gemini AI directly into Sheets, raising fresh concerns about how the search giant mines productivity data to train its models. Proton's answer is simple: end-to-end encryption that ensures "no one else, not even Proton, can access your spreadsheet and the information it contains," according to the company's announcement.
Proton Drive product lead Anant Vijay didn't mince words about the competitive landscape. "No one should need to expose their data to use a service," he told The Verge. "After Proton Docs, a spreadsheet tool was the next piece of the puzzle for a secure workspace."
The interface deliberately mirrors what users already know. Proton Sheets sports the same white grid layout, toolbar positioning, and overall design language as Excel and Google Sheets. That's intentional - Vijay's team wanted the transition to feel "immediately familiar" rather than forcing users to relearn basic spreadsheet navigation.
Under the hood, Proton Sheets supports the formulas and features that actually matter for business users. CSV and XLS file imports work seamlessly, meaning teams can migrate existing work without starting from scratch. The app runs across web browsers and the Proton Drive mobile app, with cross-device syncing secured by the same zero-knowledge encryption that powers Proton's email service.
This launch completes a broader strategic push that began with Proton Docs in July 2024. That word processor took direct aim at Google Docs and Microsoft Word, using the same privacy-first approach that's now extending to spreadsheets.
The competitive dynamics are shifting fast. While Microsoft and battle over AI integration and cloud features, Proton is betting that privacy concerns will eventually outweigh convenience for a meaningful slice of users. The company's email service already claims over 100 million users who've chosen encryption over Big Tech's free alternatives.