1Password

Why it's a strong pick

1Password's extension fills logins and stores cards, notes and identities, synced across your devices. 1Password publishes how its encryption works and says it holds SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001. The trade-off: there is no free plan. The extension needs a 1Password membership, and the free trial is the only way to try it at no cost.

What it does

1Password signs you in to sites from the browser toolbar, creates strong passwords for new accounts and keeps cards, notes and identities next to your logins. Your vault syncs across your devices. Its Watchtower feature checks your saved passwords against Have I Been Pwned, and 1Password says that check runs on your device.

Key features

• Autofill and sign-in. Fill saved logins and forms from the toolbar.
• Password generator. Make a unique password for each new account.
• More than passwords. Store cards, notes and identities in the same vault.
• Cross-device sync. Your vault follows you across your devices.
• Watchtower. Checks saved passwords against Have I Been Pwned, per 1Password.
• Several browsers. 1Password lists Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and more.

Who it's for

1Password suits people who are happy to pay for a password manager and want to test it first. Use the trial to try autofill on the sites you log in to most. If you want a free plan, look at Bitwarden or Proton Pass. If you want local files with no cloud account, look at KeePassXC-Browser.

Is there a free plan for 1Password?

No. The extension needs a 1Password membership. You can sign up when you install and try it free for a limited time, so check the current trial on 1Password's site. After the trial you need a paid plan to keep using it. We do not list prices because they change.

What does 1Password say about how it protects your data?

1Password says vault items are encrypted with AES using 256-bit keys made on your device. It says you need your account password and a Secret Key to unlock a vault, and that the Secret Key never reaches its servers. These are 1Password's own statements. Read its security pages before you decide.

What has been checked by outside auditors?

1Password's security assessments page lists a penetration test and code review by ISE in April and June 2020, plus an architecture assessment by Onica. 1Password also says it has SOC 2 Type 2 reports since 2018, holds ISO 27001 certification and runs a bug bounty. These are vendor-published and some are dated, so check for newer ones.

What permissions does 1Password ask for?

Check the install prompt on the Chrome Web Store listing before you add it. A password manager has to read and fill forms on the sites you visit, so expect a broad request. Permissions can change between releases, so read the prompt again after big updates.

Does 1Password work with Manifest V3?

Yes. 1Password's release notes say the Chrome extension moved to Manifest V3 in January 2023. Manifest V3 is Chrome's current extension format. Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari are on 1Password's list of supported browsers, so you can use one vault across them. Check its download page for the current list.

FAQ

Does 1Password sell my data? 1Password's privacy page says it does not sell or rent personal information to third parties. Its words: "We don't use it, we don't share it, and we don't sell it."

Is the extension open source? We found no statement from 1Password that it is, so we do not claim it.

Who makes it? AgileBits Inc., which trades as 1Password.

Good to know

There is no free plan, so you pay once the trial ends. Use the trial to test autofill on your key sites. Turn on two-factor authentication for your account and keep a recovery option, so a lost phone or forgotten password does not lock you out.

Other password managers to compare

1Password is one of 10 picks in our Password Managers guide, which compares them side by side and explains how to choose. The other picks:

• Bitwarden: An open-source password manager from Bitwarden Inc. The free plan covers unlimited passwords and devices.
• Keeper: A zero-knowledge password manager from Keeper Security. The extension needs a paid plan or the free trial.
• NordPass: A password manager from Nord Security. The free plan covers one active device; Premium adds more.
• Proton Pass: An open-source, end-to-end encrypted password manager from the Proton Mail team. It has a free plan.
• RoboForm: A password manager from Siber Systems, Inc. The free plan is for one device with no sync.
• KeePassXC-Browser: An open-source extension that fills in logins from your KeePassXC desktop app.
• authenticator.sh 2FA: An open-source authenticator that makes your 2FA codes inside Chrome, with no host permissions.
• Passbolt: The Chrome extension for Passbolt, an open-source password manager built for teams.
• Psono: An open-source password manager client that needs a Psono server, hosted or your own.

Compare: Passbolt vs Psono (two team-focused managers)

Also see: Best Chrome extensions for privacy