A password is only half of a login. Your email address is the other half. Shops may keep it long after you stop buying from them.
That is the strongest case for Proton Pass. It puts email aliases next to your saved logins. Give a shop a new address that sends mail to your real inbox. If that address starts to attract junk, you have a way to cut it off.
The password manager itself has a useful free tier. The main reason to pause is less dramatic: does it fill the right fields in your daily apps? That small detail matters more than a long feature list.
What is Proton Pass?
Proton Pass is a password manager from Proton AG. It stores your logins in a vault. It can make new passwords and sync them across devices. There are apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. You can use a web app or browser extensions too.
You use a Proton account to sign in. You do not have to move all your services into the Proton ecosystem. Pass works on its own.
Think of the vault as a key ring with labels. Each item can hold the website, username, and password. You can add notes too. That beats trying to recall a small change to an old password.
There is one habit worth changing at once: let each site have its own password. A leak at one shop should not hand over the keys to your email as well.
The free tier covers the basics
Proton's free version has no cap on saved logins or devices. You also get secure notes and card storage. Passkeys and ten hide-my-email aliases are included. Basic alerts flag weak or reused passwords.
That makes the free plan a fair place to start. You can use it on a phone and a laptop without having to pay just to keep both in sync.
| Your need | Our take |
|---|---|
| Save and fill everyday logins | Start free |
| Try a few email aliases | Start free, with ten included |
| Use a new alias for most sites | Consider Pass Plus |
| Share vaults or use built-in login codes | Check the paid features |
Do not pay for more features before you know which problem they solve. If you only have a few logins and rarely share them, the free tier may be enough for years.
Email aliases are the best reason to try it
An alias gives a website a new email address. Mail still reaches your inbox. It keeps your real address away from stores, apps, and mailing lists.
Here is a sensible way to begin. Create one alias for a new shop account. Save it with that site's login in Proton Pass. Send a test message or check the shop's welcome email. Label the saved item well. You should know which address you used six months from now.
One alias per site helps you spot where junk mail starts. It does not prove that the site sold your details. A breach could be the cause. A shared vendor or reused address could explain it too. But you gain a much clearer place to start.
Be careful before you disable one. A password reset link or order update may still go there. Change the address on the website first if you still need the account. Cutting off mail is useful; cutting off your own recovery route is not.
For most people, ten aliases are enough to find out whether this habit helps. Heavy use is a stronger reason to upgrade than a vague wish to have every paid feature.
Is Proton Pass safe?
Proton Pass encrypts your vault on your device. It turns the contents into data that needs a key to read. The service is designed not to hold that key. This covers usernames and site addresses too, not just passwords. Its apps are open source. Experts outside Proton can inspect the code.
Outside experts have checked the apps too. Proton's 2026 security audit report covers a check by Recurity Labs. The team also checked the fixes again. That is a good sign. It does not prove that a product can never have a flaw.
Your part still matters. Use a strong account password. Turn on two-factor authentication for the account. Keep recovery details in a safe place outside this vault.
Imagine your phone breaks while you are away from home. Could you regain access from a new device? If the answer is unclear, solve that before you move the rest of your logins.
A password manager cannot fix a PC with malware on it. Keep the device and browsers up to date. Treat unexpected sign-in requests with care, even when the page looks familiar.
Autofill is the feature to judge on your phone
Autofill should save effort. It should offer the right login on the right website, then stay out of the way.
Some sites split the username and password across two pages. Some Android apps use their own style of sign-in form. Either can make autofill harder. The same password manager may work well in one place. In another, you may need to copy the password by hand.
Proton shipped an autofill update in July 2026. Even with updates, users discussing autofill on Reddit report different results across their setups. Those reports are a reason to check your own apps. They do not give a failure rate for all users.
Try the Proton Pass app with five logins you use often. Include your email, a shop, a work tool, and at least one app on your phone. Check a fresh sign-in as well as a saved session. Test whether a changed password gets saved correctly.
On iOS and Android, make sure the system has Proton Pass selected for password filling. Two tools may both offer to save a login. That can make the task feel messy.
If you still need to copy details often, weigh that friction before paying. A reliable password manager earns its place through daily use. Features you never touch cannot make up for a login flow you dislike.
Passkeys, secure notes, and login codes
Passkeys use a pair of digital keys to sign you in. On sites that support them, you do not need to type a password. Proton Pass supports them, but the site must offer them too. Do not delete an existing recovery method until you have confirmed a fresh sign-in works.
Secure notes suit small pieces of private text, such as recovery instructions. Keep them short and clearly named. A pile of vague notes is as hard to search as a desk full of scraps.
Pass Plus adds a built-in authenticator for TOTP codes. These are the short login codes that change on a timer. Keeping a password and its code together is convenient. A separate app keeps the code apart from the vault. That can help if the vault is exposed.
Neither choice removes the need for backup codes. Save those where a lost phone will not take them away too. Do not keep your only way back into Proton Pass inside Proton Pass.
For longer project notes, use a notes tool rather than stretching a vault into a workspace. Our Obsidian vs Notion guide weighs local files against shared pages.
Paid plans: Buy for a clear need
The useful step up is Pass Plus. It adds unlimited aliases and tools to share logins. You also get login codes, file storage, and dark web alerts. Extra account protection is included too. Pass Family extends Plus to up to six users.
Check the current Proton Pass plans before buying. Compare the full amount billed, the billing term, and the renewal price. An annual deal may show a monthly rate. You still pay for the whole year at once.
Our buying rule is simple: start free, then pay when a limit gets in your way. If you use all ten aliases and want one for each new account, there is a clear benefit. If you need to share a vault with a partner, there is another.
Dark web alerts can draw attention to exposed details. They cannot find every breach or erase leaked data. When an alert arrives, check the account. If you reused its password, change that on other sites too.
The broader Proton ecosystem may also affect the cost. If you already pay for a bundle, check what it includes before buying a second subscription. Do not buy a broad bundle just because you need one extra password feature.
Moving your logins without a mess
Before you import, make sure you can still open the old password manager. Keep it available while you check the new vault.
An export may contain plain, readable passwords. Save the file only where you control access. Keep it out of shared folders and email. Do not leave it on an open work PC. After the import, remove the temporary file and check whether a synced folder or trash still holds a copy.
Check more than the number of items. Check a few logins with long notes. Look at ones with unusual usernames or more than one web address too. Look for duplicates. An import can succeed but still put a field in the wrong place.
Change a low-risk login in the new app and sign in again. Then check it on your second device. That small test tells you more than looking at a vault full of familiar names.
Keep recovery details and key exports safe in your backup plan. Our Backblaze vs IDrive guide covers backups. A plain password export still needs its own protection. Do not leave it loose in a backup folder.
Who should choose Proton Pass?
Proton Pass is a strong fit if you want free device sync and like the idea of separate email addresses for different sites. The aliases give it a clear purpose beyond storing passwords.
Already have a password manager that works well? If you have no use for aliases, there is less reason to move. Moving logins takes care and time. A new interface alone is a weak reason to switch.
People choosing a tool for a work team should look at the separate business plans and support needs. Think through shared access and staff changes. Work recovery rules need more care than a personal vault.
The best password manager is one you can use well. You need a safe way back in if things go wrong. Try Proton Pass free with a small group of real logins. If autofill fits your phone and the aliases make your inbox easier to manage, keep it. Pay when a specific limit gives you a reason.