Proton Pass vs Proton Mail
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Proton Pass is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.7. Proton Pass wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Proton Mail on 0, with 1 tied.
Privacy-minded people who want a free password manager with email aliases
People who want private, encrypted email without giving up a modern inbox
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Proton Pass | Proton Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Privacy & Security | Privacy & Security |
| Category rank | #4 of 10 | #8 of 10 |
| Developer | Proton AG | Proton AG |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Proton Pass better than Proton Mail?
Proton Pass is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.7. Proton Pass wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Proton Mail on 0, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Proton Pass or Proton Mail?
Proton Pass: Free plan; Pass Plus is $2.99 a month, billed $35.88 a year. Proton Mail: Free plan; Mail Plus $3.99/month billed yearly, or $4.99 month to month. On value for money, Proton Pass scores higher.
Do Proton Pass and Proton Mail work on the same devices?
Yes, both run on iPhone & iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web.
Which is more private, Proton Pass or Proton Mail?
Proton Pass scores higher on privacy (9.7/10). Open source and end-to-end encrypted, under Swiss privacy law. App Store label: only diagnostics, not linked to you. Google Play lists no data shared with third parties.
Strengths and weaknesses
Proton Pass
- Free plan has no device or password limits
- Email aliases keep your real address private
- Open source with a clean privacy label
- Free plan caps aliases at 10
- 2FA codes and dark web monitoring need Plus
Proton Pass has one of the most generous free plans of any password manager. You get unlimited logins on unlimited devices, passkeys, a password generator and 10 hide-my-email aliases, so sites never see your real address. It's open source and end-to-end encrypted, from the team behind Proton Mail. Pass Plus adds unlimited aliases, a built-in 2FA authenticator, dark web monitoring and emergency access for $2.99 a month billed yearly.
Full Proton Pass review
Proton Mail
- Strong encryption with a privacy-first business model
- Free plan works well for a personal inbox
- Password-protected emails to non-Proton users
- Search is weaker than Gmail's, especially on mobile
- Free plan caps you at 1GB and 150 messages a day
Proton Mail is the easiest way to move your email somewhere private. Messages are stored with zero-access encryption, mail between Proton users is end-to-end encrypted, and nothing in your inbox is scanned for ads. Paid plans add custom domains, more addresses and more storage. The trade-offs: search is weaker than Gmail's, and the mobile apps can't yet search inside message bodies, though Proton says that's coming soon.
Full Proton Mail review
