Comparison

Joplin vs Proton Pass

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Joplin

A privacy-focused note-taking and to-do application that allows you to capture multimedia notes, organize them with notebooks and tags, and sync across devices. It offers end-to-end encryption and an offline-first approach for secure and accessible information management.

Highlights
  • Capture multimedia notes (speech, photos, videos, PDFs)
  • Organize notes with notebooks and tags
  • Create to-dos and set reminders
  • End-to-end encryption for privacy
  • Cross-device synchronization (Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive)
  • Offline-first access
  • OCR search for text within images and PDFs
Features
Read full description

Privacy-first app Capture your thoughts freely and without distractions, tracking, or ads. With Joplin’s end-to-end encryption and open-source code, you can concentrate on your ideas and tasks without worrying about your privacy. Capture multimedia notes Capture multimedia notes effortlessly. In Joplin you can : • create manuscript notes, • transcribe speech to note, • add multimedia: photos, videos, PDFs, and images, • insert documents as attachments, • create math expressions, add tables, write code and insert diagrams, • create to-dos and add reminders. Organise your ideas Organise your notes into notebooks. Connect your notes with tags by subject or priority. Use colours and rich text editor to format your notes with ease. Make task lists, create to-dos and add reminders. Effortlessly find your notes, even within PDFs and images, thanks to the powerful search feature enhanced by Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. Use Joplin to store your bills, lecture notes, photos or receipts. Reliable synchronisation Access your notes from computer, phone or tablet by synchronising with various services including Joplin Cloud, Dropbox and OneDrive. Seamlessly move from one device to another. Offline-first You can access your notes anytime and anywhere, even without Internet. If you’re using Joplin on multiple devices, they will synchronise and update once you regained the connection. Enhance your productivity across devices Extend your note-taking experience by using Joplin on additional devices such as a desktop computer or tablet. Make the most of each device by using its specific features. On the desktop app, use a web clipper extension, wide-range of community plugins and a Markdown editor. Experience flawless handwriting and drawing on your tablet. Join active community Connect with Joplin’s vibrant community on Joplin Forum. It’s a place where users can share ideas, ask questions, exchange information and give feedback. Joplin’s dynamic community also develops powerful plugins, so you can customise your app to suit your needs.

About

Proton Pass

Securely store and autofill your passwords, generate 2FA codes, and create email aliases to protect your online identity. This free, open-source password manager offers end-to-end encryption and is protected by Swiss privacy laws.

Highlights
  • Autofill logins
  • Unlimited password storage
  • 2FA code generation
  • Email alias creation
  • Data breach monitoring
  • Secure sharing
  • End-to-end encryption
Features
Read full description

Get Proton Pass, the free password manager created by the team behind Proton Mail. It’s open source, end-to-end encrypted, and protected by Swiss privacy laws. Secure your online identity with Proton Pass. Pass has no ads or data collection and is free forever on all your devices. Create and store unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, autofill logins, generate 2FA codes, create email aliases, and more. WITH PROTON PASS YOU CAN: • Sign in faster with Proton Pass autofill: You no longer need to copy and paste your username and password with our advanced autofill technology. • Store and auto-sync unlimited logins on unlimited devices: Create, store, and manage your credentials from anywhere with our browser extension and mobile apps. • Share any data stored in Proton Pass securely: Share passwords, usernames, credit cards and notes securely with trusted contacts. Your data stays end-to-end encrypted, and you can revoke access anytime. • Enhance your online security: Identify vulnerable accounts with Data Breach Monitoring and Password Health. • Access your data from anywhere, on any device, with seamless synchronization across all your platforms." • Protect your online identity: Whenever you sign up for a new online account, automatically create an alias to keep your actual email address protected. • Add security layers to your accounts: Protect your account with 2FA authentication and custom PIN protection. Activate Proton Sentinel for advanced security against hackers. PROTON PASS FEATURES INCLUDE: • Built in password generator: Generate unlimited secure passwords and safely store them for all your accounts. Avoid weak passwords and never worry about forgetting the complex passwords again. • Built in 2FA authenticator: Enhance your accounts security with 2FA codes, easily generated within the app for any website and autofill when you log in. • Secure Vaults: Organize & share login information, payment details and notes into secure vaults, which you can share with family, friends, or co-workers. • Email Aliases: With Hide-my-email feature, protect your identity by creating email aliases, preventing your personal email address from being disclosed or leaked. • Credit Card Support: Securely store your credit card details for quick access. • Pass Monitor: Identifies weak or reused passwords, inactive 2FA fields and sends immediate alerts on data leaks with dark web monitoring. • End-to-End Encryption: All your login data is protected with end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only you can access it. • Biometric Login Access: Add an extra layer of security to Proton Pass by using your fingerprint or face to unlock the app. • Spotlight Search: Easily find your information, with one click via iPhone Spotlight Search. • Bookmark items: Pin frequently needed items to the top of your Proton Pass app and browser extension to easily find them. • Bulk edition: Activate bulk edition to handle items in a hassle-free way. • Item history: Keep track of your item changes with item history, knowing when you last changed any login information. • Encrypted Notes: Safely store sensitive information within the app, accessible only to you. • Offline Access: Access your stored passwords and notes in Pass from anywhere, even when your device has no internet connection. • Open Source: Trust is built on transparency. Proton Pass is open source, allowing you to verify our security claims for yourself, like all Proton services. • Easily import passwords: Easily import passwords from any password manager or CSV file. • No Ads or Data Collection 
 For more information, visit: https://proton.me/pass Our open-source code base: https://github.com/protonpass/ios-pass Terms of service: https://proton.me/legal/terms Learn more about Proton: https://proton.me

Screenshots

Joplin4 screens
Proton Pass4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Proton Pass at 4.8 against Joplin's 4.1. Proton Pass also leads on ratings volume (9K vs 480). Joplin's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Proton Pass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $35.90 per year. Joplin asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Proton Pass holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Proton Pass has 9K ratings behind it against 480, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Joplin's written reviews are positive against 68% of Proton Pass's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Joplin ships an update monthly, Proton Pass fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Joplin versus Proton Pass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJoplinProton Pass
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (480 ratings)4.8 (9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.5% of reviews67.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4809K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB266 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLaurent CozicProton AG

Customer experience

Joplin

All ratings476 ratings
Positive76.7%
Neutral6.3%
Negative17.0%
Written reviews496 reviews
Positive66.5%
Neutral9.3%
Negative24.2%

Proton Pass

All ratings9,003 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews618 reviews
Positive67.6%
Neutral9.5%
Negative22.8%

User reviews

Joplin

From 480 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app
  • 🔒 End-to-end encryption
  • 👍 Excellent cross-platform support
  • 👍 Intuitive Markdown support
  • 👍 Flexible sync options (Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sync issues, especially on iOS
  • 🐛 Buggy UI, especially on iOS
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Slow performance at times
  • 🐛 Confusing interface, not very intuitive

Proton Pass

From 9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Decent password manager
  • 🔒 Secure and encrypted
  • 👍 Integrated email alias feature
  • 👍 Competitive pricing
  • 👍 Attractive and intuitive apps

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Autofill issues
  • 🐛 Logging out issues
  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
  • 🐛 Missing core features
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues

Bugs and requests

Joplin

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Sync issues with WebDAV and Dropbox
  • Crashes when creating new notes
  • Keyboard issues, text getting obscured
  • Rendering problems in dark mode
  • Compatibility issues with older iOS versions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add web clipper functionality on iOS
  • Implement nested notebooks on iOS
  • Allow password/biometric protection for notes
  • Improve text editing experience on mobile
  • Add more font and formatting options
Show 1 more
  • Implement a trash/recycle bin for deleted notes

Proton Pass

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Access token issues
  • Freezing and crashing
  • Compatibility problems with certain apps and websites
  • Randomly logging out users

Requested features

8 requests
  • Ability to share passwords with non-Pass users
  • Password strength indicator
  • Passkey login support
  • Easier password generator access
  • More formatting options for notes
Show 3 more
  • Support for storing documents and cards
  • Safari extension
  • Desktop app

In-app purchases

None

Joplin

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Proton Pass

Subscriptions2
  • Pass Plus (12 months)$35.901 Year
  • Proton Unlimited 12 months$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Joplin free?
Joplin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Proton Pass free?
Proton Pass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Joplin or Proton Pass?
Proton Pass is rated higher. Joplin averages 4.1 out of 5 from 480 ratings, while Proton Pass averages 4.8 from 9K ratings.
Do Joplin or Proton Pass have ads?
Neither Joplin nor Proton Pass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Joplin or Proton Pass?
Joplin ships an update monthly, and Proton Pass fortnightly. Most recently, Joplin was updated on November 2, 2026 and Proton Pass on November 11, 2026.

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