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1Password review

1Password is an incredibly secure password manager that’s sometimes painfully finicky to use.

1Password logo
1Password
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
Features
Vault, Sync, Autofill and Password Generator
Security
AES-256 data encryption
Nathan Lawrence
Feb 20, 2023
Icon Time To Read5 min read
Quick verdict: Is 1Password worth it?
1Password may not be interested in a free subscription tier and it isn’t overly competitive on price. But what it lacks in affordability, it more than makes up for in a fully featured password manager whose attention to security offers great peace of mind. I just wish 1Password was easier to use so it’d be easier to recommend.
pro
Pros
pro Fully featured password manager
pro Unique Travel Mode
pro Wide-ranging compatibility
con
Cons
con Comparatively expensive
con No free version
con Painfully finicky user interface

When it comes to the best password managers, the decision used to be between LastPass and 1Password. Nowadays, after LastPass announced a late-2022 data breach, 1Password has a no-disclaimer lead, if only when it comes to peace of mind.

Read on for the full thoughts of a long-serving LastPass customer who strongly considered making the leap to 1Password.

1Password review

How much do 1Password plans cost in Australia?

Not really interested in competing on price.

1Password falls into the trap of not only offering annual pricing (frustratingly, advertised in terms of monthly cost), but also charging in US dollars. Basically, you’re at the mercy of the exchange rate and potential bank conversion fees when signing up for a year. Oh, and 1Password will also happily charge GST but without the courtesy of converting the cost to Australian dollars.

While there is a 14-day trial for 1Password or 1Password Families, the lack of a money-back guarantee means you’re forced to make a call about whether you want to keep using the password manager in those first two weeks. Unlike LastPass, Dashlane or Bitwarden, 1Password doesn’t offer a free tier. Expect to pay around $50 Australian for one user or around $85 for 1Password Families for five users. Add extra users to a 1Password Families subscription for US$1 per month.

Compare password managers

How does 1Password compare?
Best for
Password manager
Free version
Money-back guarantee
Max users
Best feature
Annual families price
View plans
Best overall
Dashlane reviewDashlane
proYes
pro30 days
10 (Dashlane Family & Friends)Easy to useUS$59.88 (US$5.99 monthly)
Best cheap
Bitwarden LogoBitwarden
proYes
pro30 days
6 (Bitwarden Families)Incredibly cheapUS$39.96
Best security
1Password logo1Password
conNo
conNo
5 users (1Password Families)Travel ModeUS$59.88
Best multi-year
NordpassNordPass
proYes
pro30 days
6 (NordPass Family)Two-year plansUS$71.88
Best free
Google Password Manager
proTotally free
conN/A
1 (Google account)Chrome integrationN/A
Best password generator
LastPass Password managerLastPass
proYes
conNo
6 (LastPass Families)Dark web monitoringAU$72

How easy is 1Password to use?

Smooth-ish sailing after a painfully convoluted import process.

Because I’m a LastPass user shifting to 1Password, I’m not starting from scratch. 1Password allows for data imports from the following services:

  • Chrome
  • Firefox
  • iCloud Passwords
  • KeePass
  • KeePassXC
  • LastPass
  • Dashlane
  • RoboForm
  • Thycotic Secret Server

Users can also import credentials saved as a CSV file. Turns out, this is what I eventually had to do to get it working. 1Password pushed me towards downloading the desktop software and using its import function, but I kept getting an unhelpful generic error about my internet not working (when it most certainly was). Admittedly, LastPass doesn’t make it straightforward to export your data, and it’s a multi-step process that didn’t result in a CSV, so I had to rename a saved browser file with a .csv extension and hope it worked. Basically, the 1Password guide on how to export from LastPass is out of date.

It didn’t work with the 1Password app, but it did eventually work via the 1Password portal. In fairness, it’s tricky to tell who’s more to blame here. If you hit a similar snag, 1Password has support to help out (even if a live chat feature is missing), which is what I had to use because import didn’t work properly. Sigh. Not a great start, but I did have better luck importing a CSV from Google Password Manager.

The desktop software offers fast access to the full vault of credentials

This may be years of LastPass familiarity talking, but the initial impressions of 1Password’s browser interface aren’t as positive as LastPass. For starters, when you’re creating new credentials or logging into an unsaved site for the first time, you have to use the ‘Save to 1Password’ option while you’re logging in, either in the username or password field. On LastPass, there’s a top-of-screen pop-up that persists even after login to prompt you to save the credentials or update a password.

Similarly, the 1Password Chrome extension doesn’t offer one-click access to the vault or login area. That’s not a deal-breaker, but it is less convenient. The 1Password desktop software fares better in this regard. After an easy 1Password download and login, the desktop software offers fast access to the full vault of credentials, favourites and shared items. I also like that the easy-to-digitally-misplace Starter Kit is available in the desktop software (as long as you’re logged in).

The 1Password Android app was easy enough to download and install via QR code (with plenty of other login options), but I hate the lack of a PIN to access 1Password. Sure, there is biometrics, but the option was greyed out on my Google Pixel 7 Pro (I don’t have a fingerprint saved), something that’s apparently pretty common on Android phones that don’t have a certain type of camera.

Info Box

What is 1Password?

1Password is a password manager service that’s used by more than 15 million people. It was founded in 2005 as AgileBits, and 1Password was initially released for Mac before branching out onto other mainstream platforms.

How secure is 1Password?

Top-of-the-line security in the password manager space.
1Password review

1Password may not be the most user-friendly password manager around, but it shines when it comes to security. In terms of secure features, there’s up to 1GB of secure document storage, secure notes and a digital wallet.

One of the better security-focused features that’s currently unique to 1Password is Travel Mode, which lets you mark particular credentials vaults as safe for travel. This allows users to control the information they may be required to present to customs or law enforcement.

In terms of the actual system architecture of 1Password, it ticks all the right boxes, from military-grade end-to-end encryption and biometric authentication for the 1Password app, through to user breach notifications and phishing protection.

At the time of writing, 1Password had never had a data breach. Even if there is a breach in the future, hackers would only feasibly have access to encrypted vault data, which would require both a master password and the account-specific Secret Key to access. The Secret Key provides extra peace of mind that even if someone gets your 1Password data, they won’t be able to decrypt any of your sensitive vault information.

1Password devices and number of users

Ticks all the right platform boxes.

At a top level, 1Password is available for one user on the premium account and up to five as part of 1Password Families. Supported platforms include MacOS, iOS, Windows, Android and Linux devices. The 1Password system requirements page has a full breakdown of the specific features that are available for each device, based on the corresponding operating system and version of 1Password software.

Is 1Password worth buying?

Top-tier security and features at a price.
1Password review

I’m a PC user who’s used to dealing with the complexities of Windows software compared to the straightforward simplicity of MacOS, and even I find 1Password finicky to use. Put simply, 1Password isn’t as user-friendly as LastPass. Still, if you get past its user-friendliness hurdles, there’s a fully featured password manager with impeccable security.

How we review password managers

We use a detailed schema to compare password managers across price, features, security and compatibility. Because password managers tend to advertise prices in a monthly breakdown but charge annually, we like a service that offers Australian pricing.

A high-scoring password manager is one that offers plenty of features. The basics are a given—namely, secure credentials storing, a password generator and autofill—but premium password managers should also offer other features like secure document storage, password sharing and a digital wallet. We also like password managers that offer a free version so users can try before they buy or some other form of trial.

Because a password manager’s job is to securely store sensitive data, we appraise security carefully, which starts with military-grade encryption. A good password manager offers end-to-end encryption, biometric authentication options and breach notifications when a user’s credentials may have been compromised. Bonus points for services that can be used as authenticators, offer breach protection, and ones that haven’t had a recent data breach.

Frequently asked questions about 1Password

Here are the most frequently asked questions about 1Password password manager.
Unlike LastPass, 1Password hasn’t been breached. Even if a breach occurs, the security architecture is designed to keep vault data extra secure.
Yes, 1Password is an incredibly trustworthy password manager platform because it has military-grade encryption, great security inclusions and it hasn’t suffered a data breach.
LastPass used to be the password manager to beat until its very public data breach in late 2022, where user data was compromised. Nowadays, 1Password is a better choice as it hasn’t suffered a breach.
Nathan Lawrence
Written by
Nathan Lawrence has been banging out passionate tech and gaming words for more than 11 years. These days, you can find his work on outlets like IGN, STACK, Fandom, Red Bull and AusGamers. Nathan adores PC gaming and the proof of his first-person-shooter prowess is at the top of a Battlefield V scoreboard.