You probably have more passwords than you can remember. If you don’t, you might be using the same password for all the platforms, which could make your online data vulnerable to hackers and other cybercriminals.
The easiest way to generate and remember unique, strong passwords is to use a password manager service.
With 1Password, you can store passwords, logins, and private documents in a secure encrypted vault. In this 1Password review, I will look at the pros and cons of the product, the technical specs, the security features, and the price.
In this section, I’ll look at the security and privacy features that 1Password uses. I’ll discuss encryption, 2FA, Touch, and Face IDs, as well as the reputation of this password manager.
1Password uses AES-256 encryption. Encrypted keys are protected by several extra layers, including a Master Password that you use to unlock your vault and a secret password – a 128-bit identifier that only you have access to.
As long as you choose a strong Master Password, your other passwords’ security level is going to be high.
1Password uses 2-factor authentication, which makes your passwords much more secure. The service uses WebCrypto, which gives users access to a random number generator. This will help users choose more secure passwords.
What is more, biometric login enables you to log in to your 1Password account with no need to type your Master Password. Instead, you verify your identity by features such as Touch ID and Face ID.
These security features make 1Password a safe choice if you want a secure location to store files, credit card info, and login information.
1Password has held a decent reputation in terms of keeping its users’ data and privacy safe.
However, back in 2018, there were rumors about Apple planning to acquire this password manager. At that time, 123,000 employees were working at the company, and all of them received 1Password memberships.
That raised questions and speculations; however, shortly after these rumors were released, the company denied them.
1Password 7 supports the following platforms:
There are older versions of 1Password that work on older devices. Generally, the newest operating systems and the latest version of 1Password provide the best security.
To get the desktop app, go to 1Password’s website:
You’ll choose your device and see which software version you would need.
Once you download and sign in, you’ll get to this window:
Here you’ll be able to see all the relevant information related to your account on 1Password, such as vulnerable, reused or weak passwords, and much more.
1Password supports the following browser extensions: Chrome, Brave, Firefox, and Edge.
Let’s see how to set up 1Password on Chrome:
One great thing about 1Password is its user-friendly interface. Once you log in to your account on your phone, you’ll easily know what to do.
You will add new items by clicking a + the Categories section.
Clicking Favorites will save everything you want to access quickly.
In the Settings, you will find everything you might need from your accounts to autofill, and much more.
In this section, I will go through instructions on how to use 1Password on different devices, how to export and import your passwords, as well as discuss autosave and autofill features.
You’ll see a list of different accounts and files. To create a new item, click the File menu at the top, and select New Item. You’ll have a choice between several different item types. Find the one you want and save.
You can also edit items, delete them, and organize them any way you see fit. You can sort by date or by category, for example.
The Windows app is quite similar to the Mac version. You can create, edit, delete, and sort files and accounts the same way you can in the Mac app.
To create a new item, click the + button next to the search field or hit the Ctrl + N key combination. To delete an item, press the Ctrl + Del combination.
Once you create an account on 1Password, it’s time to export and import your passwords.
Let’s start by exporting your passwords from Chrome browser:
Once you’re done with exporting your passwords, import them to your 1Password account:
Here’s how you save your passwords with 1Password:
In this step, you will have a chance to choose the vault to save your password.
After completing these easy steps, 1Password will remember your username and password, hence you won’t need to fill them in every time you’re browsing.
One thing worth mentioning about an autofill for Android users – you should have at least Android 8. If not, an autofill feature won’t work for you.
1Password doesn’t have a free plan. However, paid plans offer you options you wouldn’t get if you opt for most free password managers out there.
Let’s start with the Personal and Family plans.
1Password costs $2.99 per month if billed annually.
When opting for it, you get apps for Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, Linux, and Chrom OS. You can also add an unlimited number of passwords, items, and you get 1 GB document storage. 24/7 email support is also included, as well as 365-day item history to restore deleted passwords.
If you travel a lot, you’d be happy to get Travel Mode to safely cross borders and two-factor authentication for an extra layer of protection will be handy for everyone, everywhere.
If you want to ensure safe and private browsing for your whole family, try 1Password Families out.
A family plan costs $4.99 a month and is also billed annually. This plan can accommodate five users and you can invite moe for $1 each.
By choosing this plan, you naturally get all the Personal plan features, plus some more. You can now share passwords, credit cards, and secure notes, set preferences on what your family members can see and do on the password manager, as well as recover accounts for locked out family members.
I personally find it highly useful that 1Password offers a Free 30-day trial for both plans to see if they work for you. Once you opt for it, you don’t pay anything for a month, and after it, you can decide whether to continue using the password manager.
If you intend to use 1Password at your workplace, there are Team and Business plans to choose from:
The team plan costs $3.99 a month per user.
Once you choose it, you get the apps for Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, Linux, and Chrome OS. You now have unlimited shared vaults and item storage.
In this plan, you naturally get Two-factor authentication for an extra layer of protection, 24/7 email support and 1 GB document storage per person. Duo integration for business-wide multi-factor authentication is also included. And you can even get 5 guest accounts for limited sharing
The business plan costs $7.99 a month per user. When selecting the business plan, you get free family accounts and access to Advanced Protection.
There are many perks when opting for this plan, and I’ll mention the ones I find the most useful.
You get VIP Support, 5 GB document storage per person, 20 guest accounts for limited sharing. Custom security controls with Advanced Protection and fine-grained access control for each vault are also there for you to enjoy.
Again, you can try both Teams and Business plans out for free for 30 days to see if you like them or not.
If not even these plans don’t suffice, you have an option to get a custom Enterprise plan. Meaning, you will access the Business plan’s features, plus dedicated account manager, tailor-made setup training, and onboard engineer.
1Password, just like a lot of password managers on the market, offers a dedicated support page for its users:
Most likely, the majority of questions you have had already been asked by somebody else. Therefore, you can use the search bar to find the answers or scroll to the end of the pages to see the most popular articles.
1Password offers support in six languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Russian.
One of the most significant downsides of 1Password is the lack of live chat customer support.
If you want to fix any issues related to this password manager, you’d have to wait for the team to get back to you by email. I find this fact not only annoying but also unsafe: in some cases, your account’s security might depend on the time you are waiting for the response.
Overall, 1Password is an easy and secure way to keep track of passwords. With extensions, you can use 1Password on most of your devices. You can also create multiple vaults in your account, which is a nice touch.
You can create one vault to keep your private passwords and files and a second vault for sharing, for example. The biggest downside is that there is no free version, only a 30-day free trial.
For 1Password alternatives, check out our list of best password managers.
Good
Bad
While there’s only a free trial, this password manager is still quite good. LastPass might be more appealing to some, but I also like 1Password. Is it better than LastPass? Not sure yet.
Works wonderfully. I’ve never had my details leaked or hacked, and I’ve never had to remember a password since I got this. Although I have been experiencing some problems lately which is getting logged out as soon as I log in, repeatedly. Please fix this
We use the 1password business plan at our office and we are very happy with it. Easy to use, inexpensive and very safe. One of the best products out there when it comes to password managers!
I have struggled with keep my accounts safe from cyber criminals. I must be honest here, it’s not been an easy task especially when I get notification that an attempt was made to break into my accounts from elsewhere. I feel threatened but I trust 1password manager will keep the accounts well protected
I get so tired of places not letting me use the same password I have used in the past year. I then make up something new and totally forget it. I am going to check this out.