Proton Pass or 1Password: compare the vault, aliases and recovery

Analysis of official documentation, with no testing on a paid account.

Differences that change choice

Separate subscriptions and their functions

Proton Mail, Proton VPN and Proton Pass meet different needs. A bundled offer may be interesting if you use several services, but its price does not describe the cost of the single vault. Check what is already included in your contract and what you would add.

Proton Pass aliases allow different addresses to be used for registration. Anonymity also depends on the other information provided; keep a separate password for each account. Check the limits of the plan and how to maintain access to important messages.

Preparing for recovery before migration

1Password uses a Secret Key and offers an Emergency Kit; recovery also depends on the account type and configuration. Define how you would find access after the loss of the main device, without keeping all the backup information in the same place as it.

For Proton Pass, also examine the recovery mechanisms and their consequences for the encrypted data. The presence of an account reset button should not be interpreted as a guarantee that all data will be recovered in all situations.

Try sharing with fictitious data

Create a fake account, share it with a test worker and then withdraw access. Check what each person sees and how an administrator returns to the situation. A family subscription should not be chosen by default for a professional need for governance.

Choose Proton Pass if the vault, aliases and ecosystem match your usage. Choose 1Password if its safe model and procedures are better suited to the organization. In both cases, check the export, authentication and backup procedure before importing critical accesses.

Lost phone and alias disabled: two dependencies to anticipate

Take this case: a person receives their login messages on an alias Proton Pass and uses their phone to open their accounts. Before cleaning her aliases, she must identify those who still serve to receive codes or recover a service. Proton indicates an alias disabled ceases to receive and transfer messages; a permanent deletion prevents its recovery.

The recovery code 1Password must have been prepared prior to the loss of connection information. Its use also requires access to the account's email address and leads to new login identifiers. The documentation distinguishes individual and family accounts from the Team and Business accounts, to which this mechanism does not apply.

• On paper, trace the recovery path without the main phone: accessible email, code kept and person able to help.
• Check whether the email password is stored only in the vault that has become inaccessible. Resolve this dependency before an incident occurs.
• For an alias still used by a service, modify and verify the address of this service before considering deactivation of the alias.

The decision therefore depends on your organization as much as on the announced functions. A subscription already included at Proton may be relevant, while a family or team must verify its recovery responsibilities. This analysis does not constitute a test for the strength of the vaults; no actual recovery or removal of aliases has been performed.

Reviews to consult

• Proton
• 1Password