A robust password manager stores login entries, bank account details, passports, personal documents, and more. Choosing a suitable one is critical. I tried the popular contenders: LastPass, Enpass, Dashlane, and Bitwarden.
Each promised a seamless and secure experience, and I explored their unique offerings and interfaces. Yet, after extensive testing, exploring vaults, and adapting to new workflows, I was drawn to one familiar tool: 1Password. Here’s why I can’t (and won’t) leave 1Password behind.
Related
Does a password manager actually keep your accounts safe?
You could be trusting your entire digital life to one login
1Password doesn’t have a sketchy history
One factor that gives me peace of mind when using 1Password is its clean security history. When I trust my sensitive data to a service, trust is everything, and 1Password has proven to be a trustworthy guardian.
Speaking of its rivals, LastPass, for instance, has been in the news for the wrong reasons too many times. While LastPass addressed the security issues, the repeated nature of the breaches and how information was handled doesn’t inspire confidence.
Then there is Dashlane. It doesn’t have the same level of security incidents as LastPass, but Dashlane made headlines for a different reason: abnormally hiking its prices.
For someone who has invested time and effort into setting up their digital life with a password manager, a sudden and dramatic price increase can feel like a betrayal. In comparison, 1Password pricing hasn’t changed in years.
1Password offers neat organization
Beyond the fundamental security, what sets 1Password apart is the level of control and customization it offers. It’s not a rigid system; it adapts to how I want to manage my digital life.
The customizable home screen is a small but mighty feature. I can pin my frequently used items, favorites, pinned fields, and more on the home screen. I no longer have to dig through menus to find my work login or my credit card details while I’m checking out online.
Then there are the vaults. 1Password nailed it here. I don’t just dump everything into one giant digital bucket. I have a separate vault for my personal logins, another for work-related accounts that I share with my team, a dedicated vault for financial information, and one for sensitive documents, such as passport details.
Within each vault, I can organize items using tags. This is fantastic for adding more context. For example, I add the “Streaming services” tag to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Paramount+, and other related accounts. I also insert custom fields, such as Text, URL, Date, and more, under each entry.
Related
8 apps I immediately install after setting up a new Android phone
The ultimate Android app starter pack
Multiple password entries to choose from
Unlike Bitwarden, 1Password offers multiple options when creating a new entry. When I want to add something new, 1Password doesn’t give me a generic form.
Aside from Login, there are specialized entries, such as secure note, credit card, bank account, crypto wallet, medical record, reward program, membership, API credential, and more.
The beauty of it all is that under each of these options, 1Password doesn’t stick to the default fields. For example, when I select Credit Card, 1Password displays the cardholder’s name, type, number, verification number, expiry date, valid from date, and other related fields.
Similarly, when I select Driver License, I can fill in details, such as full name, address, date of birth, gender, height, license class, state, country, expiry date, and more.
It feels like the developers anticipated every possible piece of sensitive data I might need to store and provided a perfect template for it.
Watchtower is a surprisingly useful add-on
Watchtower acts like my personal security analyst. When I open 1Password, I can glance at the Watchtower dashboard and see if my passwords have been compromised in a known data breach.
It also flags weak or reused passwords and urges me to update them to something stronger and unique. It even points out websites where I haven’t enabled 2FA.
1Password also offers smooth sharing. If I give a temporary login to someone, I can choose for the link to expire after one hour or a day. If they forget to delete the link or if their device is compromised later, access is automatically revoked.
The grass wasn’t greener
After exploring various password managers, my journey led me back to where I started: 1Password. It ticks all the right boxes for me and gives me peace of mind with my sensitive data.
What are you waiting for? If you are in the same dilemma, give 1Password a try. If you use old passwords for your sensitive accounts, update them as soon as possible.
