It's finally happening. After years of thinking about it, I'm switching over all of my passwords today. I am no longer set in my ways with my old password manager — we're making the switch to Proton Pass, and I'm taking you along for the ride. If you want to see the video, check it out below:
Why I Chose Proton in the First Place
Before I dive into the migration process, let me tell you why I'm so excited about this move. Proton is an amazing security company that I've been using for years — and I do mean _years_. I was involved with Proton back when the only things they offered were Proton email and ProtonVPN, both of which are incredible products.
What sets Proton apart, in my opinion, is that they're some of the top security experts in the world who have gotten together to offer a better suite of applications that enable privacy and security. I actually use Proton products professionally.
My History with KeePass
Let me give you some context about where I'm coming from. When I started going back to school, I learned about KeePass and thought it was amazing. KeePass has a lot of different plugins and extensions you can get for it, and it's a solid password manager. But there's a catch — it's saved locally.
The master database file that contains all your usernames and passwords is encrypted, which is great. I also save it in an encrypted cloud drive so I can access it whenever I want from wherever I want, and I know it's there. But this setup, while secure, isn't always the most convenient — especially when I need to access passwords on my phone.
The Vault System
One of the really cool things about Proton Pass is the vault feature. Vaults are basically like a folder structure. You can have:
- A personal vault for all your personal items
- A work vault for professional accounts
- Separate vaults for different businesses
- A vault for all your hacking tools
- A vault for school-related accounts
Creating Different Types of Entries
Proton Pass doesn't just store basic username and password combinations.
Hide My Email Aliases: Depending on your membership level, you can actually create alias emails that you use to set up different services. This is brilliant because it means you're not getting spammed with a bunch of marketing emails. Companies sell your information — we all know this — so having disposable email aliases is a game-changer.
Proxy Credit Cards: You can create virtual credit card numbers for online purchases. This adds another layer of security to your online transactions.
Encrypted Notes: You can create encrypted notes right in your password manager.
Complete Identities: You can create entire new identities to use online for privacy or security.
Importing Passwords
When I clicked on "Import passwords," I saw that Proton Pass supports importing from a ton of different password managers. They've clearly thought about making the migration process as smooth as possible for people switching from other services.
The interface said "Choose a file or drag it here." Simple enough. Let me show you what we're working with.
Proton has a guide that explains exactly how to export data from KeePass: "How do I export my data from KeePass?"
The instructions were clear:
- You have to export the passwords or other data from KeePass first
- Then import it into Proton Pass
- The format has to be XML
The documentation showed me: File → Export, and the format needs to be KeePass XML. I'd also need to enter my database password to authorize the export.
I needed to select the KeePass XML format from the export options. Then I chose a destination for the export file. I selected where I wanted to save it, then entered my master password.
The Actual Import
I grabbed the personal vault XML file and dragged it right into the Proton Pass import window.
Immediately, I could see all the different vaults that were being imported. The interface showed me exactly what was coming over, and I just had to confirm to start the process.
A message popped up: "Please keep this window open while your data is being imported." And honestly, the import went faster than I thought it would.
Password Security Assessment'
Here's something that immediately caught my attention: next to my Code Red email login, Proton Pass had already assessed my password and marked it as "weak." Proton actually analyzes whether your password is considered weak or if it could be better. Proton Pass gives you this assessment automatically, which is an incredible feature for improving your overall security posture.
Secure Password Sharing
You can share passwords with other Proton users or via a secure link. The "via secure link" option is particularly nice for one-off password sharing.
When I need to share passwords through encrypted email, I have to set a password to encrypt the message, then share that password with the recipient separately, and then they have to use that password to decrypt it. It's secure, but it's cumbersome.
With Proton Pass, you can just share it as a one-off through a secure link, and then you can go back in and change the password later.
The Lock Feature
There's also a feature to lock Proton Pass. Nobody has access to it. The only way I can regain access is by inputting my master password for my Proton account.
That's pretty amazing from a security standpoint. If you step away from your computer, you can quickly lock your password manager without logging out of everything else.
Why Switzerland Matters
Switzerland has privacy laws that prevent companies from giving out your data or information to any government or foreign entity without your explicit permission. Switzerland is amazing because of that legal framework, and it's one of the main reasons I trust Proton with my data.
Proton really has their stuff together. They've installed their servers in an underground former military installation where they've implemented their own security systems, security controls, and risk mitigations to protect everyone's data.
Features
Monitor the Dark Web: If your email, password, or any data stored in Proton Pass was leaked, you'll know about it. Then you can change it and lock down the account it's associated with.
Identify Weak Passwords: It shows you which of your passwords need strengthening.
Find Reused Passwords: I actually had two reused passwords. This feature helps you identify and fix password reuse, which is a major security risk.
Proton Sentinel: This is their advanced security monitoring system.
A lot of password managers do not offer this level of security monitoring. They don't offer this level of active protection and awareness.
The Full Proton Ecosystem
While I was exploring Proton Pass, I took a moment to look at everything else Proton has to offer.
Proton Mail: I exclusively use their email for everything. It's encrypted, it's private, and it's reliable.
VPN: ProtonVPN was one of their original products and it's still one of the best VPNs out there.
Cloud Storage (Proton Drive): Secure, encrypted cloud storage.
Password Manager (Proton Pass): Which we've been exploring throughout this article.
Lumo: AI
Docs and Sheets: Proton's answer to Google Docs and Sheets, but with privacy.
Calendar: I use the Proton Calendar pretty exclusively. It's great for keeping your schedule private.
Authenticator: Definitely check out the authenticator. I'll probably be doing a video on it at some point, but multifactor authentication is really important.
Tips For Your Own Migration
If you're thinking about making a similar switch, here are my recommendations:
- Export First: Make sure you understand how to export from your current password manager before you start
- Check Format Requirements: Different password managers use different export formats — verify what you need
- Test with a Small Set First: If possible, try importing a subset of your passwords first to make sure everything works
- Review Imported Passwords: After importing, spot-check several entries to ensure everything transferred correctly
- Update Weak Passwords: Use this as an opportunity to strengthen passwords that your new manager flags as weak
- Enable Extra Security Features: Take advantage of features like dark web monitoring right away
Proton Pass has proven itself to be an excellent password manager with a strong focus on security and privacy. The migration was straightforward, and the additional features like password health monitoring, secure sharing, and seamless cross-platform sync make it a significant upgrade for me. If you're on the fence about switching password managers or looking to upgrade from a local solution, I can confidently recommend Proton Pass. Go check it out. By all means, let me know what you think.
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