Why we recommend Proton Pass for businesses
Written by Sam Serrien ·
We regularly get asked which password manager we recommend. There are plenty of good ones: 1Password, Bitwarden, Keeper and a handful of others. For most of the SMEs we work with, we now recommend Proton Pass. In this article I explain why, and what to watch out for before you switch.
Transparency first
GeNx is an official Proton partner and reseller. If you get Proton Pass through us, we earn from it. That is exactly why I want to be honest about both the strengths and the limitations.
First: why a password manager?
The biggest risk rarely lies in a sophisticated hack. It lies in reused passwords, in a spreadsheet on a shared drive and in passwords sent by email. Once one password leaks, attackers immediately try it on dozens of other services.
A password manager fixes that structurally. Every account gets a strong, unique password. Colleagues share access through shared vaults instead of email. And when someone leaves, you see at a glance which accounts that person had access to.
We wrote a separate article about sharing passwords by email.
What Proton Pass does well
- End-to-end encryption: everything is encrypted on your device and Proton cannot read your data
- Shared vaults per team, client or project, and secure links with an expiry date for sharing with outsiders
- Passkeys and two-factor authentication codes (TOTP) built in
- Hide-my-email aliases: a unique email address per service, so your real address stays out of data breaches
- Pass Monitor warns about weak and reused passwords and about email addresses in known data breaches
- Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, and extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and Brave
Why Proton and not another one?
Feature wise, the well known password managers are close to each other. For us, three things make the difference.
European, under Swiss law
Proton is headquartered in Geneva and falls under Swiss privacy law and the GDPR. According to Proton, data is stored on servers in Switzerland, Germany and Norway.[1] For many of our clients that is an important argument: a password manager literally holds the keys to your business.
Open source and independently audited
The Proton Pass apps are open source, so anyone can review the code. On top of that, Proton Pass has been audited by independent security firms: Cure53 in 2023 and Recurity Labs in 2026.[2] Proton is also ISO 27001 certified and holds a SOC 2 Type II attestation.[1]
One ecosystem
Proton also makes Proton Mail, Drive and VPN. If you already use them, or want to add them later, everything sits under one account and one admin console.
Pass Essentials or Pass Professional?
Proton has two business plans specifically for Proton Pass.[3]
| Pass Essentials | Pass Professional | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited logins, notes and cards | Yes | Yes |
| Shared vaults, items and links | Yes | Yes |
| Passkeys, 2FA codes and email aliases | Yes | Yes |
| Breach monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Team policies | No | Yes |
| SSO and SCIM | No | Yes |
| Detailed activity logs | No | Yes |
| File attachments | No | Yes |
With the Pass Professional policies you decide, among other things, whether two-factor authentication is mandatory, whether sharing outside the organisation is allowed and who may create vaults.[4]
Through GeNx
Through GeNx we offer Pass Professional, the complete business plan. That way you have policies, SSO and activity logs at hand right away, also as your team grows.
To be honest: what to watch out for
Strengths
- European and open source
- Independently audited
- Aliases, passkeys and 2FA in one app
- Easy import from other password managers
Things to consider
- SSO and SCIM require an identity provider, such as Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace
- Switching takes some time, mostly to get the team used to it
- If you are happy with your current password manager, there is no urgent reason to switch
- Your Proton account itself needs to be well protected, with two-factor authentication
How to make the switch
- Inventory: which passwords live where? In browsers, in a spreadsheet, in another password manager?
- Setup: your organisation is created in Proton Pass. Then you create vaults per team or client and invite your colleagues.
- Import: Proton Pass imports from 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, KeePass, Keeper, LastPass and your browser, among others.[5]
- Team: your colleagues install the browser extension and the app. Our documentation helps them get started.
- Clean up: the old lists and passwords saved in the browser are removed, otherwise the old risk remains.
If something gets stuck along the way, our support team helps you out.
Sources
- [1]Proton Pass for Business: security (Proton). Encryption, data location, certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II) and audits.
- [2]Proton Pass is now open source and audited (Proton). Open source code and the Cure53 audit.
- [3]Proton Pass for Business: pricing (Proton). Overview of the Pass Essentials and Pass Professional plans.
- [4]Pass business policies (Proton Support). Policies that admins can set.
- [5]How to import to Proton Pass (Proton Support). Supported password managers and browsers for import.
Frequently asked questions
Proton Pass for your team?
Through GeNx you get Proton Pass Professional, with documentation and support in English or Dutch.
See our offering