1Password
Proton
| Feature | 1Password | Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $2.99/mo | Free / from $3.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | families, teams, developers, businesses, security-conscious-users | privacy-advocates, journalists, activists, security-conscious-users |
| Founded | 2005 | 2014 |
| Password Vault | ✓ | ✗ |
| Autofill | ✓ | ✗ |
| Watchtower | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sharing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Travel Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Developer Tools | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sso | ✓ | ✗ |
| Encrypted Email | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vpn | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cloud Storage | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calendar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Password Manager | ✗ | ✓ |
| Aliases | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Destructing Messages | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 1Password Pros
- Best-in-class security architecture
- Excellent family sharing
- Watchtower alerts for breaches
- Developer-friendly (SSH keys, CLI)
✗ 1Password Cons
- No free tier
- Pricier than Bitwarden
- Can't self-host
✓ Proton Pros
- End-to-end encryption for all services
- Swiss-based with strong privacy laws
- Open-source and independently audited
- Comprehensive privacy suite (mail, VPN, drive, calendar)
- Free tier available for all services
✗ Proton Cons
- Free storage is limited (1GB for mail)
- Less feature-rich than mainstream alternatives
- Search functionality limited due to encryption
The Verdict
1Password is built for families and teams, with a focus on password-vault and autofill. Proton targets privacy advocates and journalists and leads with encrypted-email and vpn.
Pricing is close: 1Password starts at $2.99/mo versus $3.99/mo for Proton — not a deciding factor on its own.
Proton has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. 1Password requires a paid subscription from day one.
Both tools are a solid fit for security conscious users — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.