for a long time, I was a free-tier ProtonVPN user because they offered good free VPN, Linux VPN GUI, etc
since the introduction of the Stealth protocol I have upgraded my account to VPN unlimited (since I am living in Iran and its one of the few legitimate VPNs that actually gets connected)
so long I have loved the idea of privacy-focused tools of Proton services and would love to have an all-in-one subscription for all my Privacy focused tools.
one tool that most of us use is a password manager which has an impact on personal privacy
the service that I currently use is Bitwarden and I LOVE it.
features that are important in a password manager in my opinion:
- Open-source (Client and Server)
- Cross-platform
- generating random password
- browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
- Biometric login support (even on a browser)
- Sync between devices
- Export/Import Vault without a proprietary format
- Multiple vault/folders (Work/university/personal/…)
- auto-fill on browser
- OTP authenticator support (copy OTP after login to clipboard after login)
Cool features that are not really mandatory :
- data leek’s monitoring to alert for a cracked password
- Securely sharing logins with others
- generating random password options (use of numbers, special characters, length, word-based password, etc)
- support for HID devices
- being compatible with open standards like keypass
- change passwords using one click
- Native app on devices so it looks good and feels fast (much like the ProtonVPN app)
- Storing identity, credit cards, not just website logins
They don’t need to create a new password manager. They could simply host a Bitwarden instance.
I don’t think it’s a good idea bloating Proton to a Swiss-knife service. I would expect a perfect email and vpn. There are plenty of good password managers in the market.
Now this is what I’d probably call the Golden road map after they’re done refurbishing the Linux GUI & porting stealth to as many OSes as possible!
My God, don’t spread Proton’s resources over 1,000 different services. I’ve been using ProtonMail and ProtonVPN for several years now, and these Drive and Calendar innovations make me sad. Mail is well done, but still needs tweaking and fixing current bugs, especially like their VPN service, it is very far from perfect, especially the Windows apps.
I will probably give an unpopular opinion, but I would like from Proton mail and VPN at most, not a crazy 25-in-1 combo. The bottom line is that when a company tries to implement multiple products at once, it probably does so mediocrely. Proton Drive? The idea is good, but as an end product at the moment it doesn’t stand up to criticism, compared to the Mega, for example. And the Drive will take a very long time to be polished to an acceptable level so that it can be used.
The problem is that no company has ever been able to implement such a combination of services in one convenient ecosystem (don’t mention Google or Apple, I consider them rather mediocre solutions), and Proton, in my opinion, will never be able to do it either. Look at Mega. How many years it took to implement features, testing, and the experience this company has. Proton will be going down the same road for a very long time.
I would rather use 5 solutions from different companies in the core area (ProtonMail + Mega + 1Password + TickTick + etc) than use 5 mediocre services, but from the same company. This is just uncomfortable! Moreover, you should never put all your eggs in one basket, it will come back to you sooner or later. For example, imagine that your proton account gets hijacked in some way. Do you want to lose everything instantly?
Some of us come to Proton mail because we like the security compared to other mail services so password manager fits in there. So is VPN but not everyone uses/need VPN.
Calendar and drive is more questionable than password manager to me.
We can use other services but then we have to make new account, compare services, prices , keep looking at sales if cost matters. Otherwise LP and Dashlane seems secure and reliable.
I am not the best person to make a comparison, but I would love if someone would compare the underlying business of these companies.
Free password manager does not sound good to me. Nothing is free in this word. Which of these are actually profitable and most stable and reliable? Better chance of success.