Google Password Manager vs Proton Pass
We give Google Password Manager a 3.4 GPA and Proton Pass a 3.8, out of 4.0. Google Password Manager grades higher on value for money. Proton Pass grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Google Password Manager
Password and passkey manager built into Chrome and Android
Proton Pass
End-to-end encrypted password manager with email aliases
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAGoogle Password ManagerVery good | 3.8GPAProton PassExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing. It's built into Chrome and Android, the Android shortcut app is free on Google Play, and Google lists no paid plan. | BPass Plus is $2.99 a month on the yearly plan, so $35.88 a year. That's a dollar a month under 1Password's usual price and well over Bitwarden Premium at $19.80. Pass Family is the good deal: six people for $4.99 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | AAll of it is free with a Google Account: saving, autofill, passkeys, Password Checkup, and import and export. There's nothing to install and nothing to upgrade to. | AUnlimited logins on unlimited devices, passkeys, 10 email aliases and alerts for weak and reused passwords. No card, no time limit. Bitwarden's free plan is the only one we'd put beside it. |
| Features | BIt saves and fills passwords, makes passkeys, suggests strong passwords and checks saved ones against breaches. Solid basics. But with standard encryption Google holds the key, and the on-device option can't be removed once you set it up. | ALogins, passkeys, cards, notes and autofill, plus the hide-my-email aliases that are its party trick. Pass Plus adds two-factor codes, sharing by link, Dark Web Monitoring, file attachments and Emergency Access. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record, so B is as high as we go. In Chrome there's nothing to set up: type a password and it offers to save it. On iPhone you have to pick Chrome as the AutoFill provider in settings first. | A4.8 from about 8,500 App Store ratings. A Hacker News commenter moved over from 1Password in about 15 minutes. One wrinkle: on iPhone, a reviewer says it doesn't offer to save a new password as you sign up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BChrome on any computer, Android apps, iPhone and iPad through Chrome, and passwords.google.com. No standalone desktop app, and the listing shows no integrations or API. | AMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and the web, with extensions for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge and Brave. Paid plans get a command-line tool as well. Whatever you own, it's covered. |
| Best for | free passwords for Chrome and Android people | a free password manager with email aliases |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Google Password Manager and Proton Pass. How we grade
Where they differ
- Google Password Manager is free. Proton Pass starts at $2.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($35.88); $4.99 billed monthly.
- Only Proton Pass lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Proton Pass lists a browser extension.
- Proton Pass is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Google Password Manager | Proton Pass | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $2.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($35.88); $4.99 billed monthly |
| Free plan | Built into Chrome and Android and used with a Google Account, with nothing to install. The Android shortcut app is listed at no charge on Google Play, and Google lists no paid plan. | Proton Free: unlimited logins, notes and credit cards on unlimited devices, passkeys, 2 vaults that can be shared with 2 others, 10 hide-my-email aliases and alerts for weak and reused passwords. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Proton AG | |
| Price read from | play.google.com | proton.me |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Google Password Manager
- People who already use Chrome or Android and do not want to install anything
- Anyone who wants a no-cost password manager tied to their Google Account
- Users starting to replace passwords with passkeys
Proton Pass
- People who want a free password manager with unlimited logins and devices
- Privacy-focused users who want email aliases for sign-ups
- Existing Proton customers, since Pass is part of Proton Unlimited
Worth knowing
Google Password Manager
- There is no standalone desktop app: on a computer, passwords are filled in Chrome or viewed at passwords.google.com.
- On iPhone and iPad it depends on Chrome being set as the AutoFill provider in the device's settings.
- With standard encryption Google holds the key to saved passwords. On-device encryption is optional and cannot be removed once set up.
- If you are signed out of Chrome, saved passwords stay on that device and are not available on your other devices.
Proton Pass
- The free plan is limited to 2 vaults, vault sharing with 2 others and 10 hide-my-email aliases.
- The 2FA authenticator, sharing of single items, Dark Web Monitoring and file attachments are listed under Pass Plus, not the free plan.
- No free trial of the paid plans is advertised; Proton offers a 30-day money-back guarantee instead.
Key features
Google Password Manager
- Save and autofill in Chrome and Android
- Chrome offers to save a password when you enter one and fills it in on every device where you are signed in. On Android it fills passwords in apps once Google is the autofill service.
- Passkeys
- Creates and saves passkeys to your Google Account, and can automatically create a passkey when you sign in with a password that is already saved.
- Password Checkup
- Identifies security issues with saved passwords, notifies you when one turns up in a data breach and helps you change it.
- Strong password suggestions
- Suggests strong, unique passwords for new accounts and saves them to your Google Account so you do not have to remember them.
- On-device encryption
- An optional setting that locks passwords and passkeys with a key only you hold, unlocked with your Google password or an eligible device's screen lock.
- Import and export
- Imports passwords from another manager as a CSV file at passwords.google.com, and exports them from Chrome, Android or the same site.
Proton Pass
- End-to-end encrypted vaults
- Everything stored is end-to-end encrypted, and Proton says that no one else, not even Proton, can access it.
- Hide-my-email aliases
- Creates email aliases to hand out at sign-up so your real address stays private: 10 on the free plan and unlimited on Pass Plus.
- Passkeys and autofill
- Passkeys are supported on all devices, including on the free plan, and logins autofill on websites and in apps.
- Built-in 2FA authenticator
- Pass Plus can generate two-factor codes inside the password manager instead of in a separate authenticator app.
- Password monitoring
- Free accounts get alerts for weak and reused passwords. Pass Plus adds Dark Web Monitoring that warns when credentials appear in a leak.
- Sharing and Emergency Access
- Free accounts can share a vault with 2 others. Pass Plus raises that to 10 and adds sharing of single items, secure links, file attachments and Emergency Access. Pass Family covers up to 6 users.
Plans
Google Password Manager
Free$0
Saving, autofill, passkeys, Password Checkup and import and export, in Chrome, on Android and at passwords.google.com.
Proton Pass
Proton Free$0
Unlimited logins, notes and cards on unlimited devices, passkeys, a password generator, 2 vaults shared with up to 2 others and 10 hide-my-email aliases.
Pass Plus$2.99
per month, billed every 12 months ($35.88); $4.99 billed monthly
Unlimited aliases, built-in 2FA authenticator, 50 vaults shared with up to 10 others, sharing of single items, Dark Web Monitoring, file attachments and Emergency Access.
Pass Family$4.99
per month, billed every 12 months ($59.88); $6.99 billed monthly
Everything in Pass Plus for up to 6 users, with an admin panel for the family.
Proton Unlimited$9.99
per month, billed every 12 months ($119.88); $12.99 billed monthly
Pass bundled with Proton Mail, Calendar, VPN and Drive in one subscription.
Ways to pay less
Google Password Manager
No public discounts listed.
Proton Pass
- Annual discount
40% off Pass Plus on the yearly plan
Proton's pricing page lists Pass Plus at $2.99 a month when billed every 12 months ($35.88), against $4.99 billed monthly.
