KDE Connect vs Proton Authenticator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
KDE Connect
Seamlessly integrate your devices with features like a shared clipboard, file sharing, and remote control. Use your phone as a virtual touchpad or keyboard, and even control presentations remotely. All communication is secured with end-to-end encryption.
- Shared clipboard
- File and URL sharing
- Virtual touchpad and keyboard
- Remote presentation control
- Remote command execution
- End-to-end encryption
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KDE Connect provides a set of features to integrate your workflow across devices: - Shared clipboard: copy and paste between your devices. - Share files and URLs to your computer from any app. - Virtual touchpad and keyboard: Use your phone screen as your computer's touchpad or keyboard - Remote presentation remote: control a laser pointer on the screen of your computer by moving your phone around. - Remote commands: run commands on your computer from your phone. - End-to-end TLS encryption: your information is safe. Please note you will need to install KDE Connect on your other computers/phones/tablets and keep the version up-to-date for the latest features to work. This app is part of an open source project and it exists thanks to all the people who contributed to it. Please visit the KDE Connect website to grab the source code.
Proton Authenticator
Securely manage your two-factor authentication codes with an open-source, end-to-end encrypted authenticator app. It offers seamless cross-device syncing, effortless import from other apps, and robust backup options, all protected by strict Swiss privacy laws. Take control of your digital security with a trusted and private solution.
- End-to-end encrypted iCloud sync
- Effortless import from other authenticators
- Secure backup and export
- Swiss privacy by design
- Open source and transparent
- Offline support
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Get the authenticator trusted by millions — from Proton Mail, the world's largest encrypted email provider. Proton Authenticator is open source, end-to-end encrypted, and protected by strict Swiss privacy laws. Protect all your new accounts and strengthen security on your existing ones. Proton Authenticator keeps your 2FA codes secure, accessible, and completely private — with full control over where your data is stored. KEY FEATURES Local-First Storage:Your 2FA codes are stored entirely on your device, giving you complete control over your data. Effortless Import: Migrate from Google Authenticator, Authy, or any other app in seconds. Secure Backup & Export: Retain full control of your data with easy backup and restore options. Swiss Privacy by Design: Built under Switzerland's strongest data protection regulations. Open Source & Transparent: Auditable code. No tracking. No ads. Take control of your digital security with encryption you can trust. Free to use: No Proton account required, ad-free. Offline support: On mobile and desktop apps No other 2FA app provides this combination of security and privacy. Trusted by millions. Built by Proton. Take control of your digital security today. Terms of service: https://proton.me/legal/terms Learn more: https://proton.me
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Proton Authenticator at weekly against KDE Connect's every 3 months. Proton Authenticator also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.2). KDE Connect's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Proton Authenticator holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 271 and 242 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 61% of KDE Connect's written reviews are positive against 56% of Proton Authenticator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
KDE Connect ships an update every 3 months, Proton Authenticator weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KDE Connect | Proton Authenticator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (271 ratings) | 4.4 (242 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.9% of reviews — better | 56.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 271 — better | 242 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 119 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KDE e.V. | Proton AG |
Customer experience
KDE Connect
Proton Authenticator
User reviews
KDE Connect
From 271 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Works seamlessly across devices
- 👍 Easy to set up and use
- 🔒 Secure file transfer
- 💡 Innovative remote control features
- 🤖 Great for Linux/KDE integration
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and connectivity issues
- 🔋 Drains battery when running in the background
- 🤖 Limited functionality on iOS compared to Android
- 🤔 Pairing can be unreliable at times
Proton Authenticator
From 242 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Cross-platform support
- 🔒 Secure cloud sync
- 👍 Easy import from other authenticators
- 🚀 Convenient 'next' feature for codes
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy UI (scrolling jitters, random sorting)
- 👎 Lack of customization options (pin favorites, change icons)
- 🐛 Sync/login issues on iPad
Bugs and requests
KDE Connect
Reported bugs
4 issues- Clipboard push feature not working
- App crashes on launch for some users
- Incompatibility with certain device/OS combinations
- Inability to discover/connect to devices in some cases
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for background operation
- Improve multi-file transfer capabilities
- Integrate with system share sheet
- Implement two-finger scrolling and other gestures
- Add SMS/notification sync features
Proton Authenticator
Reported bugs
4 issues- Sync/login loop on iPad
- 2FA input broken on non-iPhone devices
- Screen strobing on iPad
- Duplicate entries after import
Requested features
5 requests- PIN unlock for desktop
- Alphabetical sorting option
- Export function (not just Proton-specific backup)
- Native macOS app
- Option to hide item icons
In-app purchases
KDE Connect
No in-app purchases
Proton Authenticator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is KDE Connect free?
Is Proton Authenticator free?
Which has better reviews, KDE Connect or Proton Authenticator?
Do KDE Connect or Proton Authenticator have ads?
Which is updated more often, KDE Connect or Proton Authenticator?
Other comparisons
