Looking for a Protopage alternative?
Protopage is one of the original personalised start pages: tabbed pages of RSS feeds, bookmarks and sticky notes, in the classic portal style many iGoogle and Netvibes users moved to. It still works, but it looks much as it did years ago, and there's no paid plan if you'd rather not see ads. If you're shopping around, here's how OnePane compares, and when Protopage is still the better fit.
Protopage vs OnePane at a glance
| Protopage | OnePane | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free plan, or Pro $2.99 USD a month |
| Ads | Some users mention ads, with no way to pay to remove them | No ads on any plan |
| How it runs | Website, plus an optional Chrome extension (last updated November 2023) | Website: any browser, including Safari |
| Look | Classic portal: tabs and draggable boxes | Clean light or dark dashboard that also fits phones |
| Calendar and email | Not included | Apple, Google and Outlook calendars, plus Outlook mail (Pro) |
| News | Strong RSS reader with many feeds per page | Any RSS feed, with quick add for popular sources |
| Also has | Bookmarks, sticky notes, to-do lists | To-dos, countdowns, notes with search, world clocks, weather for several places, aviation weather |
| Best at | Lots of feeds on tabbed pages | Your day at a glance |
Why people pick OnePane
Your day, not just your feeds
Apple, Google and Outlook calendars, Outlook mail, news from any RSS feed and weather for several places, side by side.
A modern, tidy page
A clean layout in light or dark, that rearranges itself on a phone or a small laptop.
No ads
OnePane is funded by Pro subscribers, not advertisers, and the free plan has no ads either.
Looked after
OnePane is a small, actively developed product from SMW Digital in Canada, with new widgets added regularly.
When Protopage is the better pick
If you follow dozens of feeds and like spreading them across several tabbed pages, and you don't need your calendar or email there, Protopage is free and still does that well. OnePane is for when you open a tab to find out what's going on today.
How to switch in a few minutes
- Open OnePane and create a free account. Your first 7 days include Pro, with no card needed.
- Add a News widget and paste in your favourite Protopage feeds, or pick them from the quick-add list.
- Add Bookmarks, To-do and Notes, and copy across your links, tasks and sticky notes.
- Add Calendar and Weather, then set OnePane as your home page.
Questions
Is Protopage still around?
Yes. Protopage.com still works when we checked in October 2026, but the design hasn't changed in many years. Its Chrome extension was last updated on November 27, 2023.
Is Protopage free?
Yes. Protopage is free, and there's no paid plan to remove the ads some users mention. OnePane has a free plan too, and Pro adds Outlook, Google Calendar and no limits, with no ads on any plan.
Can Protopage show my calendar or email?
Not really. Protopage is built around RSS feeds, bookmarks, sticky notes and to-do lists. OnePane shows Apple, Google and Outlook calendars, unread Outlook mail and news from any RSS feed.
Can I bring my Protopage feeds to OnePane?
Yes. Add a News widget and paste each feed's address, or pick popular sources from the quick-add list. Bookmarks can be copied into OnePane's Bookmarks widget.