What is the difference between Dashlane and Proton Pass?

Dashlane is best for Individuals wanting a polished password manager with VPN, while Proton Pass is best for Proton ecosystem users wanting integrated password management. Dashlane starts at $4.99/mo and Proton Pass starts at Free.

Is Dashlane or Proton Pass cheaper?

Dashlane starts at $4.99/mo with a free tier. Proton Pass starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Proton Pass?

Both Dashlane and Proton Pass offer free tiers.

Dashlane vs Proton Pass

Dashlane is password manager with dark web monitoring, VPN, and automatic password changer, while Proton Pass is open-source password manager with end-to-end encryption from the makers of ProtonMail. The biggest difference up front: Proton Pass is free, while Dashlane starts at $4.99/mo. Dashlane is built for individuals wanting a polished password manager with vpn, whereas Proton Pass targets proton ecosystem users wanting integrated password management.

At a glance

	Dashlane	Proton Pass
Best for	Individuals wanting a polished password manager with VPN	Proton ecosystem users wanting integrated password management
Starting price	$4.99/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
2FA	—	✓
Aliases	—	✓
Autofill	✓	—
Dark Web Monitoring	✓	—
E2E Encryption	—	✓
Open Source	—	✓
Password Generator	✓	—
VPN	✓	—

Dashlane

Strengths

Password generator creates strong, unique passwords for every account
Includes Dark Web Monitoring as a core feature, purpose-built for password manager workflows
Free for 25 passwords on 1 device — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 14+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
If you forget your master password, recovery options are limited by design
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Dashlane → Full review

Proton Pass

Strengths

Open source and transparent
End-to-end encryption by default — messages are unreadable even to the server operator
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
Free unlimited passwords — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done

Weaknesses

Free plan has meaningful restrictions: free unlimited passwords
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
If you forget your master password, recovery options are limited by design
Community support can be slower than the dedicated support teams at commercial alternatives

Try Proton Pass → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Proton Pass is completely free (Free unlimited passwords), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Dashlane starts at $4.99/mo, but Free for 25 passwords on 1 device. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Dashlane offers Autofill, Dark Web Monitoring and Password Generator that Proton Pass lacks. Proton Pass brings 2FA, Aliases and E2E Encryption that Dashlane does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target individuals teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Proton Pass is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Dashlane is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Dashlane's biggest strengths are: password generator creates strong, unique passwords for every account. includes dark web monitoring as a core feature, purpose-built for password manager workflows. Proton Pass's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. end-to-end encryption by default — messages are unreadable even to the server operator.

Watch out for: With Dashlane, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Proton Pass, the main complaint is that free plan has meaningful restrictions: free unlimited passwords.

Choose Dashlane if...

You need a tool built for individuals wanting a polished password manager with vpn
You specifically need Autofill and Dark Web Monitoring
You care about includes dark web monitoring as a core feature, purpose-built for password manager workflows
The free tier works for you: free for 25 passwords on 1 device

Choose Proton Pass if...

You need a tool built for proton ecosystem users wanting integrated password management
Budget is a hard constraint — Proton Pass is free, Dashlane is not
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need 2FA and Aliases
You care about end-to-end encryption by default — messages are unreadable even to the server operator