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Independently verified · Quarterly re-audit
EU VETTED
Head-to-head

1Password vs Proton Pass

How Proton Pass, a European Password managers tool, compares with 1Password on the signals a privacy-conscious buyer actually checks: who owns it, where it hosts, and its exposure to the US CLOUD Act.

In short

Proton Pass (Switzerland, Geneva — Swiss-based, end-to-end encrypted, open source, CLOUD Act exposure: None) is the European-jurisdiction alternative to 1Password. 1Password is a well-regarded product, originally Canadian (AgileBits) but now US-headquartered and US-funded. Both are zero-knowledge — your vault is encrypted on your device — so the real difference is ownership, jurisdiction, and transparency rather than whether the vault is encrypted. Proton Pass is operated from Switzerland by the Proton group, is open source with published audits, and starts at €2 per month, while 1Password leads on polish and enterprise features.

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Side-by-side

1Password vs Proton Pass, on the sovereignty signals

Compliance and pricing facts, side by side. The right column is pulled live from our verified dataset; the left reflects the incumbent’s public profile.

1Password vs Proton Pass, on the sovereignty signals
Signal 1Password Proton Pass
Ownership US-owned Other
Hosting region US Switzerland
CLOUD Act exposure Direct None
Sovereignty US-LINKED EU-SOVEREIGN
Certifications None listed None listed
Price from from $2.99/mo from €2/mo
Visit Proton Pass → Read the Proton Pass profile →
Verdict

1Password vs Proton Pass: which should you pick?

1Password is genuinely good software, so this is not a quality complaint — it is a jurisdiction and transparency decision. 1Password is now US-headquartered and US-funded (Canadian in origin), with closed-source clients. Proton Pass (Geneva — Swiss-based, open source, audited, CLOUD Act exposure: None) offers a clearer European-jurisdiction position with verifiable code.

Be precise about the CLOUD Act point: both encrypt your vault on-device, so neither can hand over readable passwords. The difference is ownership, jurisdiction, open-source transparency, and ecosystem — not vault security.

Pick 1Password if you need its enterprise depth, secrets management, or the most polished apps on every platform. Pick Proton Pass if Swiss jurisdiction, open-source transparency, and an integrated encrypted ecosystem (Mail, Drive, VPN) matter more — the typical profile of a privacy-conscious individual or team moving its whole stack to Proton.

Switching

Migrating from 1Password to Proton Pass

1Password-to-Proton Pass is straightforward; the safety-critical step is handling the export file.

  1. Export your 1Password data. Use 1Password's export (1PUX or CSV) to get logins, secure notes, and items out. This file is plaintext — treat it as highly sensitive.
  2. Import into Proton Pass. Use Proton Pass's import (it supports 1Password) to bring everything across, then verify a few logins, your TOTP codes, and any shared items.
  3. Delete the export immediately. Securely delete the 1PUX/CSV file and empty the trash as soon as the import is confirmed — an unencrypted vault file on disk is the biggest risk in the migration.
  4. Switch autofill and wind down 1Password. Set Proton Pass as the autofill provider on each device and browser, confirm everything works for a few days, then remove the 1Password extension and apps.
FAQ

1Password vs Proton Pass — frequently asked questions

Isn't 1Password Canadian rather than US?
1Password was founded in Canada (AgileBits, Toronto) and that heritage is real, but the company is now US-headquartered and has raised large US venture rounds, which is why we treat its jurisdiction profile as US-aligned. For a sovereignty assessment, the relevant questions are where the operating company is now controlled and funded, and where infrastructure sits. Proton Pass, by contrast, is operated from Switzerland with CLOUD Act exposure: None — a clearer European-jurisdiction position.
If both are zero-knowledge, why switch from 1Password?
Not for encryption — both encrypt your vault client-side, so neither vendor can read your passwords and the CLOUD Act cannot compel plaintext the provider never holds. The reasons to consider Proton Pass are jurisdiction (Swiss vs US), open-source transparency (Proton Pass's apps are open source; 1Password's are not), and ecosystem (if you want Mail, Drive, and VPN under one Swiss provider). If none of those matter to you, 1Password is an excellent product.
Is Proton Pass open source and audited?
Yes. Proton Pass's applications are open source, allowing independent review of its encryption, and Proton publishes third-party security audits. 1Password has a strong security reputation and publishes white papers, but its clients are not open source. For users who weight verifiable transparency highly, that difference — open code plus published audits, under Swiss jurisdiction (CLOUD Act exposure: None) — is the core reason to choose Proton Pass.
Can I move my 1Password vault to Proton Pass?
Yes. Export your 1Password data (1PUX or CSV) and use Proton Pass's import to bring across logins, secure notes, and other items. Proton Pass supports import from 1Password and other managers. As with any password-manager migration, delete the unencrypted export file immediately after the import is verified — a plaintext vault on disk is the riskiest moment.
What does 1Password do better than Proton Pass?
1Password leads on polish, breadth, and enterprise tooling: refined apps across every platform, advanced sharing, travel mode, extensive admin controls, and a mature secrets-management offering for developers and businesses. Proton Pass is newer and focuses on a clean, private core. If your organisation needs deep enterprise password and secrets management today, 1Password is ahead; if your priority is Swiss jurisdiction and open-source transparency, Proton Pass is the trade.
Is Proton Pass cheaper than 1Password?
They are broadly comparable, and bundling is the deciding factor. Proton Pass paid plans start at €2 per month and are included in the Proton Unlimited bundle with Mail, Drive, and VPN. 1Password prices per user with individual, family, and business tiers. If you already pay for Proton services, Pass effectively comes with them; if not, compare the standalone tiers on the features you use.
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METHODOLOGY

How we verified each row above.

For every product we read the public DPA, sub-processors document, hosting region declaration, and corporate ownership records. Each is timestamped. Signals are editorial, re-verified quarterly. We never accept self-attestation.

Reviewed by the EU Vetted editorial team · Editorial guidelines

Last verified June 2026

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