Proton
SuperTokens
| Feature | Proton | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $3.99/mo | Free / from $0.02/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | privacy-advocates, journalists, activists, security-conscious-users | saas-developers, startups, privacy-focused-apps, self-hosters |
| Founded | 2014 | 2019 |
| Encrypted Email | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vpn | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cloud Storage | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Password Manager | ✓ | ✗ |
| Aliases | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Destructing Messages | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Password | ✗ | ✓ |
| Social Login | ✗ | ✓ |
| Passwordless | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mfa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Session Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pre Built Ui | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hostable | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ SuperTokens Pros
- Open-source with free self-hosting
- Pre-built UI components for quick integration
- Session management with anti-CSRF protection
- Multiple auth methods (email, social, passwordless, MFA)
✗ SuperTokens Cons
- Smaller ecosystem than Auth0 or Firebase Auth
- Documentation has gaps for complex setups
- Limited admin dashboard features
The Verdict
Proton is built for privacy advocates and journalists, with a focus on encrypted-email and vpn. SuperTokens targets saas developers and startups and leads with email-password and social-login.
Pricing is close: SuperTokens starts at $0.02/mo versus $3.99/mo for Proton — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
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.