“1Password's Families plan offers great value with solid security and great password management.”
- Excellent security record
- Easy access to logins, files, and more
- Good cross-platform support
- Easy sharing
- Low cost individual and family plans
- Email support
- No free option
The need for password managers like 1Password has never been greater as hackers gather more sophisticated tools and resources. While the free solutions built into modern operating systems like Windows 11 continue to improve, they lack many features.
1Password is among the best password managers and it’s easy to access from all your devices, simplifying organization and sharing features to minimize the burden of managing hundreds of logins.
I reviewed 1Password 2025 to check which plan offers the features you need at a price you can afford. Despite the lack of a free version, 1Password offers great value and affordable subscription plans that are easy on your budget.
Specs
| 1Password | |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Devices | Unlimited |
| Support | |
| Free version? | No |
Tiers and pricing
Unlike competitors Bitwarden and Dashlane, 1Password lacks a free tier. If you’re unsure about subscribing after reading this review, you can get a 14-day trial for any 1Password plan to try it out before committing.
1Password monthly subscriptions start at $4, so it’s a minimal risk even if you can’t decide in two weeks. The Family plan offers great savings, providing five accounts for $7 per month.
For the best value, choose an annual plan. The Individual plan costs $36 per year and could have everything you need, including support for an unlimited number of devices, unlimited login management, versatile sharing options, and 1GB of secure cloud storage.
Password managers are great when you frequently share accounts with others. A 1Password Families plan brings substantial savings, covering up to five family members for $60 per year. The cost per person plummets to $12 annually with this plan.
For small businesses, the Teams Starter Pack provides password management for up to 10 members and increases secure storage to 5GB. At $240 each year, it provides a way to securely share work credentials and files with co-workers. There’s also a Business plan for bigger companies priced at $108 per member annually.
Design
I tested the 1Password Families plan, installing it on my Windows PC and iPhone. Smooth login syncing between Apple and Microsoft devices makes all the difference if you work across platforms as I do. With the app, I can use biometrics to quickly unlock my password vault and it works with Windows Hello, Apple Face ID, and fingerprint scanners on various devices.
1Password is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, so I can bring my passwords and secure notes to every device I use. Cross-platform compatibility is an essential feature of password managers.
From the 1Password website, I installed the browser extension on my computer, guided through the process of creating an account, verifying my email, and ensuring access before adding passwords. An in-browser tutorial introduced me to the basic features, a nice touch for new users.
I had to set a master password, a critically important code that I physically wrote on paper so it would be safe from hackers. When my browser offered to save the password, I declined, keeping it more secure. On the next page with payment options, I told 1Password I’d pay later to get the 14-day trial.
Next, 1Password used my PC to generate a very strong 128-bit Secret Key. Like the master password, it’s my responsibility to keep this code safe, and both are needed to use 1Password on a new device. I downloaded the PDF file containing my Secret Key.
To sign in on my iPhone, I installed the app, scanned a QR code on my PC, then filled in my master password. Afterward, I used Face ID to unlock my 1Password vault. The QR code also works the other way around. I can log in on my computer by scanning a QR code with my iPhone.
Switching back to my computer, I imported all the passwords saved in my browser. 1Password can import from Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and Safari (on a Mac). It’s also easy to import from competing password managers like LastPass, Dashlane, and more. For other password types, a text file formatted as comma-separated values (CSV) will work.
1Password notes during this process that your credentials are encrypted before uploading this data to your vault. I make an effort to remove old passwords regularly. Still, I had over 450 logins on the list.
The 1Password iPhone app guided me through setup, which only required enabling 1Password in the Settings app. While I was there, I switched off Apple’s Passwords app, though it’s possible to simultaneously enable up to three autofill vaults in iOS.
I also installed the 1Password mobile Safari extension. Honestly, there’s not a big difference between autofill with the app and with the extension, so I consider that to be an optional step.
Features
The most basic feature of a password manager is automatically filling in credentials for various accounts. 1Password performed as expected, suggesting my username in a dropdown menu when I visited Netflix. After selecting my account, 1Password entered the password, making account access simple.
That’s nothing remarkable. Any web browser or mobile device can do the same thing. What makes password managers different is the effortless syncing of credentials between a wide variety of devices and people.
Switching from my Windows PC to my iPhone, I opened the Netflix app, and 1Password’s autofill worked there as well. Now, I can move freely from device to device without retyping passwords. It just works.
Like most other password managers, a 1Password subscription includes more than just password security and syncing across devices. I can also store details from multiple IDs, passport numbers, credit cards, notes, documents, medical records, and more. I can add items to any device and access them everywhere else via encrypted cloud storage.
1Password has categories to choose from when creating a new item. Tags let me create my own organization. The 1Password vault features a search bar at the top that provides suggestions as I start typing, another time-saving feature.
It’s easy to share logins and other items from the vault with others. 1Password lets me specify how long an invitation link remains valid, specify email addresses, and limit the link to a single visit if I want maximum security.
It’s also possible to generate a link to share with anyone, without the need for the recipient to have a 1Password account. I also get expiration alerts for shared items, so I can check that it was received and used in time. Few password managers offer this powerful feature that makes sharing simpler.
I had a Families subscription so I could also move items to a shared vault to make multiple credentials, files, and more available to any member.
The password managers included with antivirus software from Bitdefender and Norton are nice extras, but they can’t compete with the feature set of a dedicated solution like 1Password.
Support
1Password covers most topics thoroughly in support articles. I can narrow down topics by the operating system, browse common questions, and learn more about migrating or importing passwords.
I selected the button at the bottom right to chat with support. An AI responded quickly helping me with information I could have found with a search. It was helpful, but not as precise or personal as speaking with a live agent.
I asked to speak with a human and the AI collected my name and email to create an email support ticket and the response came in about an hour. Very few password managers offer support via live chat, so it’s not surprising to wait up to a day for support.
If you anticipate the need for quicker help, NordPass is a low-cost password manager that provides 24/7 support for technical questions or account issues.
Privacy and security
1Password has never suffered a security breach that has been reported on. A temporary glitch in 2023 startled some customers who received an incorrect message that their secret key or master password had changed. 1Password received SOC 2 certification in an independent audit that verifies good security and availability of its services.
Since your data is end-to-end encrypted, 1Password can’t access any of your other credentials, files, or other data stored in your vault. 1Password specifically states in its privacy policy that it does not sell or rent your personal data to third parties.
If you don’t trust your data with any cloud solution, there are offline password managers like Sticky Password that put you in charge of security.
Is 1Password right for you?
1Password works with nearly any device, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux computers, as well as iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices. The subscription prices are affordable, and security is solid. There are less expensive password managers like Proton Pass, so it makes sense to shop around.
It’s hard to go wrong with 1Password if the built-in solutions from Microsoft, Apple, Google, and others don’t meet your needs. There are plenty of alternatives to 1Password, but after testing it, I’ve found it to be one of the very best password managers.
