# Joplin vs Proton Pass

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Joplin | Proton Pass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (480 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joplin/id1315599797/reviews) | **[4.8 (9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-pass-password-manager/id6443490629/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 480 | **9K** |
| Positive reviews | 66.5% of reviews | **67.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 73 MB | 266 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Laurent Cozic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1315599796) | [Proton AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/979659484) |

## What reviewers say

### Joplin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joplin/id1315599797)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Proton Pass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-pass-password-manager/id6443490629)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pass Plus (12 months) | $35.90 | per year |
| Proton Unlimited 12 months | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Ability to share passwords with non-Pass users
- Password strength indicator
- Passkey login support
- Easier password generator access
- More formatting options for notes


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*