Password managers used to be a niche tool for paranoid techies. Now they’re mainstream — and a battleground. Proton, the Swiss company best known for its encrypted email service, is betting that its take on password management can stand up against the likes of Bitwarden, 1Password, and Dashlane. The hook? Privacy-first security and a price tag that’s surprisingly aggressive.
Free, But With a Ceiling
Proton Pass has a free plan, and unlike many “free” password managers, it isn’t bait-and-switch. You get unlimited logins, open-source encryption, and syncing across devices. For casual users who just want a secure place to store credentials without being nickel-and-dimed, that’s already strong.
Example: A freelance writer juggling EU Gmail, WordPress, and PayPal can store all credentials in Proton Pass Free, sync them to phone and laptop, and never hit a login limit.
But the ceiling shows quickly. Features like secure notes, alias email addresses, and expanded storage are locked behind the paywall. If you’re using Proton Pass as part of your broader Proton ecosystem (Mail, Drive, VPN), you’ll feel the nudge toward upgrading almost immediately.
The Paid Plans
Proton Pass Plus — the entry-level paid plan — costs about $3.99 a month if billed annually. That puts it squarely in the affordable tier, undercutting 1Password and Dashlane while landing near Bitwarden’s premium plan. For the price, you get unlimited email aliases, priority support, and more space for secure notes.
Example: Imagine you’re signing up for multiple newsletters. With Proton Pass Plus, you can generate unique email aliases for each one. If one gets spammed, you shut it down without touching your real inbox.
There’s also Proton Unlimited, a bundle that rolls Pass together with Proton Mail, VPN, Calendar, and Drive. At around $9.99 a month (annual billing), it’s less about the password manager alone and more about locking yourself into Proton’s privacy-first ecosystem. If you’re already paying for Proton Mail or VPN, this starts to look like a better deal than stacking services piecemeal.
The Paid Plans
Here’s how the tiers break down:
| Plan | Price (Annual Billing) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited logins, sync across devices, basic autofill, open-source encryption |
| Pass Plus | $3.99/month | Unlimited aliases, secure notes, priority support, expanded storage |
| Proton Unlimited | $9.99/month | Includes Pass, Proton Mail, VPN, Drive, Calendar — full Proton ecosystem |
Example: Signing up for newsletters with Proton Pass Plus lets you use unique email aliases. Get spammed? Delete the alias, keep your real inbox safe.
The Value Question
Here’s the thing: Proton isn’t chasing “cheapest.” Bitwarden still owns that crown with its $10/year premium plan. Instead, Proton is pitching trust. Servers in Switzerland, open-source code, zero-knowledge encryption — all the buzzwords that matter if you’re worried about who sees your data.
So the real calculation isn’t just about price. It’s whether you buy into Proton’s worldview: privacy as a paid service, bundled into a walled garden of encrypted tools. If you do, the numbers add up. If you don’t, Bitwarden or even iCloud Keychain might seem good enough.
The Bottom Line
Proton Pass is free enough to hook you, cheap enough to upgrade without regret, and bundled enough to pull you deeper into Proton’s orbit. The pricing isn’t about undercutting the competition. It’s about making sure that once you pick Proton for one thing, you’ll want it for everything.
The psychology of Proton’s pricing is subtle but deliberate. The free tier is generous enough to feel trustworthy, giving users confidence before asking them to pay. The Plus tier sits in the sweet spot — affordable, with just enough perks to solve the headaches of the free plan (aliases, storage, support). And Unlimited? That’s less about Pass and more about cementing Proton’s identity as an all-in-one privacy suite.
Proton Pass Pricing and Other Fun
It’s the same playbook Apple uses with iCloud and Microsoft with Office 365: bundle services to create dependency. Once your passwords, email, files, and browsing all run through Proton, switching becomes harder — and pricier. The difference is that Proton’s pitch isn’t convenience, it’s trust. For privacy-conscious users who don’t want to hand over data to Silicon Valley giants, that framing makes $9.99/month feel less like a bill and more like insurance.
FAQ:
Is Proton Pass really free?
Yes. The free plan includes unlimited logins and device sync. But advanced features like aliases and secure notes require a paid plan.
How much does Proton Pass Plus cost?
Proton Pass Plus is around $3.99/month with annual billing. It adds unlimited aliases, priority support, and expanded storage.
Is Proton Unlimited a better deal?
If you’re already using Proton Mail or VPN, yes. At ~$9.99/month, Unlimited bundles all Proton services into one subscription.
