In a world where everything is becoming virtual, the safety of personal information has become detrimental. Currently, the most convenient way of keeping your accounts yours is by locking them behind a password.
Unfortunately, password-cracking software is becoming more and more advanced. As a result, many websites will now require you to create more complex passwords.
The numerous websites we use daily lead to each person having so many passwords for all of their online accounts. Eventually, that may cause inconvenience and potential loss of these passwords.
That’s when a password manager can be your best friend. Password managers allow you to store all of your critical information behind one password known as the master password.
This post will put 1Password vs. LastPass to determine which one of them is more suitable for you.
1Password and LastPass: An Overview
When you seek a password manager, you’ll look for one that’s safe, convenient, easy to use, and affordable.
Fortunately, both 1Password and LastPass can provide you with the aforementioned qualities at different rates. For example, 1Password provides better encryption and added security by utilizing an extra login key. On the other hand, LastPass offers a more versatile password generator and a longer free trial.
Keep in mind that they’re not free password managers. They do offer a free trial and LastPass has a free version. However, that free version is nowhere near as versatile as other free password managers on the market.
Still, the paid versions could be fantastic deals.
Which one should you pick? Let’s go for the comparison.
1Password vs. LastPass: The Comparison
In this section, we’ll discuss the differences between both password managers in depth. We’ll use points of comparison like the password managing experience, password sharing, security, etc.
After each comparison section, we’ll award a point to the password manager that performs better in that category even if it’s by a slight margin. In the end, we’ll add up these points to give you a clearer picture of both password managers.
Keep in mind that the password manager that gets more points doesn’t necessarily have to be the better program. Eventually, the choice is yours to make.
That being said, let’s get to the comparison.
- Security and Encryption
Secure passwords should be the primary objective of a premium password manager, which is why we need to go back and talk about some recent events.
LastPass had a data breach sometime around August 2022. Over 25 million users were registered at the time and had their data compromised.
LastPass then went under heavy fire from people. It’s true that most of the information in LastPass’s database was encrypted data. However, email addresses, IP addresses, and phone numbers were completely vulnerable.
1Password, on the other hand, never had such a breach. Since it was founded back in 2005, 1Password proudly claims that its 13+ million users can be completely sure that their data is safe.
The encryption type may have had something to do with that, so let’s have a look at how both applications handle it.
To date, LastPass uses 100,100 rounds of an encryption algorithm known as PBKDF2. Basically, it hinders a hacker’s attempt to brute force your master password.
1Password uses the same PBKDF2 encryption. However, it uses an impressive 650,000 iterations. That’s six times more than LastPass.
Based on the recent data breach and the number of encryption iterations used, 1Password is the better password manager here.
- Signing In
The idea behind password managers is to use a master password that unlocks your vault of passwords.
With time, further security measures were added like additional secret keys and two-factor authentication (2FA).
Both password managers use 2FA to increase the protection you can get by asking users to enter a second form of identification. That identification form could be a code sent to your registered phone number or a code generated by authenticator apps like Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator.
If you’re using the paid version of 2FA, you get access to hardware authenticators like Yubico’s YubiKey and Google’s Titan Key.
However, the additional secret key is where they differ.
LastPass locks your vault with your master password and 2FA only. That means you can use LastPass on any new device as long as you know your master password.
On the other hand, 1Password insists that you enter an additional secret key if you decide to use a new device. This may reduce the convenience of using it but vastly improves security as it renders brute force attacks much less effective.
Sign-in security can be more important than convenience to most people, especially business users. That’s why the point of this round goes to 1Password.
- Password Sharing
For a small fee, both password managers allow you to share your passwords with family members or colleagues.
This doesn’t only make it easier for multiple devices to use the application, but it also helps locked out family members or colleagues if they forget their master password.
However, LastPass allows you to share your password with six family members opposed to five with 1Password.
We’ll talk more about this in the pricing section, so we won’t give any points here.
- Password Generation
1Password and LastPass allow you to generate strong passwords for various websites. A strong password is one that includes numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and special symbols.
The problem with strong passwords, however, is how easy they are to forget. Most people dodge that by writing them down or saving them as notes on their phones, which jeopardizes their security.
Both password managers can be handy here as they generate and remember your strong passwords for you. However, they do that slightly differently.
When you sign up for a new account in LastPass, you’ll see an icon next to the password field. Clicking on this icon generates a secure, unique password that can only be acquired once. If you choose to accept this password, then click on it again.
The nice feature here is that you can customize the password to your liking. You may change a few symbols, add new numbers, and so on. This is particularly useful for passwords that you actually need to remember. Your Wi-Fi password is an example.
1Password can generate strong passwords for you as well. However, you may not change or alter the password in any way. If you don’t like the generated password, your only option is to go for another one.
Keep in mind that both applications provide browser extensions that have the password generator inside, so there’s no compromise there.
Regarding password generation, LastPass is the better password manager here.
- Alerts
The two password managers have an alert feature that notifies you if your password has been compromised.
1Password calls this feature the “Watchtower.” It’s basically a security dashboard that checks for your password strength, compromised websites, and vulnerable passwords.
LastPass doesn’t fall short here. It has an identical password breach monitoring service named “Dark Web Monitoring.”
Besides checking your passwords, both security systems also alert you via email if your passwords have been compromised.
Keep in mind that you need to be using the premium version of both LastPass and 1Password to get access to the security dashboard.
This category is an easy tie between both password managers.
- Password Managing and Form Filling Experience
Any password manager has more or less the same password-managing experience. All you have to do is to integrate the browser extension into your Chrome browser or any other browser you use.
The extension would then help you in filling your login credentials. Simply click on it, and if you have login details stored for that website, click on them and they will be written down in their respective slots.
The mobile apps of both password managers offer the same service as desktop apps. The autofill service is also compatible with both iOS and Android mobile devices. Keep in mind that, to date, you need iOS 8 or later and Android 8.0 or later for that service to work.
The mobile app works a little differently than the desktop app as it automatically fills in any eligible login credentials. Still, you may switch off the autofill if you feel like it.
There’s not much difference between both managers here, so we’ll go ahead and say that it’s a tie in this one.
- Platform Compatibility
We’ve already mentioned earlier that LastPass and 1Password work on Android and iOS devices. Both applications perform almost identically on both phone types.
They have browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. However, LastPass supports Opera, which is the only browser that 1Password doesn’t support.
The bigger difference between LastPass and 1Password appears in the desktop app.
LastPass
LastPass doesn’t care too much about desktop apps. You get a universal installer that you can use both on your Windows and Linux-based systems. That installer serves to download the browser extension for the browser you’re using.
There’s also an app for Mac users, but it’s basically the web version that runs in a minimized window on your desktop.
In short, there’s no dedicated desktop app for LastPass.
1Password
Unlike LastPass, 1Password allows you to download a dedicated desktop app that you can use the same way as the web app. Just use your master password, and you can access all your passwords and stored information.
Not only that, but the desktop app allows you to use a universal shortcut (Ctrl/Command + Shift + Space) to access all of your login information instantly.
LastPass used to have such a shortcut, but as of writing this, it no longer does.
Moreover, you don’t have to download the desktop app for the application to work. In most cases, you’ll be fine with just the browser extensions.
The only exception here is the macOS app. You have to download the desktop app if you want to use the service, but that’s mostly because of how Safari (Apple’s base browser) works.
Because of the wider compatibility, 1Password takes the point in this round.
- Data Storage
LastPass and 1Password both come with unlimited password storage. The differences start to appear when we talk about the storage and file size limit
If you opt for LastPass’s free version, you should expect 50 MB of storage compared to the 1 GB storage offered by the premium version.
However, both versions have a restriction of 10 MB per file. This can be really bothersome if your phone camera is of high quality and you want to take an ID picture. Some phones’ camera quality is so high that you can’t take a picture below 10 MB.
1Password may not have a free version, but it compensates for that with a much larger file size limit of 2 GB. The storage limit for personal and family accounts is 1 GB. This number shoots up to 5 GB if you opt for a business plan.
We wanted to compare the free and the paid version of both apps. However, since 1Password doesn’t have a free version, we’ll base this round on the paid version.
Because of the larger file size limit, 1Password takes the point here.
- Pricing
You can use LastPass and 1Password for a limited time without spending a dime. However, there are some limitations. Let’s begin with 1Password.
1PASSWORD Free Version and Premium Features
The free trial of 1Password allows you to use the application for 14 days. After that, you’ll have to pay a fee depending on whether you’ll use a personal account, a family account, or a business plan account.
To date, the personal account costs you $36 a year and allows you to use everything that 1Password has to use with no limitations.
The family account will set you back $60 a year. However, it allows up to five accounts.
If you look at it from a different aspect, you’re paying $12 for every account, which is far cheaper than the $36 for the personal account.
Last but not least is the business plan. There are various plans depending on your preference, but the base price begins at $19.95 per month.
LastPass Free Version and Premium Features
LastPass allows a full-access 30-day trial of its features. It’s longer than 1Password’s 14-day trial, and it also allows for a free plan afterward.
However, that free plan is extremely limited. You do get unlimited password storage, but you can log in using only one account from only one device. In other words, if you log in from your computer, you can’t log in from your phone.
If you want the premium features of LastPass, you’ll have to purchase a personal account that’ll cost you $36 a year (similar to 1Password).
Family plans, however, are fairly cheaper at $48 a year. Also, they allow for up to six users per subscription, which is one user more than 1Password.
As for the business package, the cheapest subscription starts at $4 a month and supports up to 50 users.
Because of LastPass’s versatility in its plans, allowing for a free plan, being cheaper regarding family subscriptions, and having a longer trial, it takes the point in this bout.
- Privacy Policy
Despite being a closed-source project, 1Password’s developers are honest about how everything works. There’s no client information selling as your data is always maintained in an encrypted form.
This sort of makes sense because 1Password doesn’t have a free version.
Also, it’s worth noting that 1Password was purchased by Accel Company, which made a $200 million investment into improving the service and safety of 1Password.
LastPass, despite being secure and trusted, isn’t as invested in the privacy of its users.
The privacy policy of LastPass is on their main website, LogMeIn. As such, it doesn’t differentiate between products, making it unclear whether there’s data collection from LastPass or not.
Because of the transparency that 1Password provides compared to the unclear privacy policy of LastPass, it takes the point in our final round.
Which Password Manager Is the Best for You?
Let’s summarize everything so you can make up your mind.
Here are the categories where 1Password performs better than LastPass:
- Security and Encryption
- Signing In
- Platform Compatibility
- Data Storage
- Privacy Policy
Here’s where LastPass could be more suitable for you:
- Password Generation
- Pricing
Here’s when they tied:
- Alerts
- Password Managing and Form Filling Experience
As you can see, 1Password gets more points in our comparison.
This makes it, according to our points of comparison, the better-performing password manager.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the better program. You may have other points of comparison or find more value in the aspects where LastPass performs better.
The Bottom Line
You now know the differences, but in the end, the decision is completely up to you.
Some people prefer LastPass’s interface, password generation, pricing plans, and convenience. Others believe that security is the most important parameter and decide that 1Password is a better candidate for them.
Whichever you choose, the fact remains that both password managers are excellent at what they offer.
