What’s The Best Password Manager: Dashlane vs. 1Password
What’s The Best Password Manager: Dashlane vs. 1Password
When was the last time that you had to replace your cell phone or laptop? If you’re like most Americans, then you probably replace your phone once every three years. Or if you’re like some of the people in our IT office, you’re constantly breaking and replacing them once or twice a year, taking full advantage of the phone insurance plan (shots fired, Jimmy).
Regardless of how often you replace your phone, though, one thing remains the same; you have to re-enter all of your passwords and login credentials every time that you get a new phone…
Seeing as most people have upwards of 20 or more passwords and apps with individual accounts, trying to remember all of these passwords can be a headache, at best. At worst, you get blocked from logging into important accounts after unsuccessfully attempting to log in too many times. Maybe your bank even shuts down your card and starts calling you about “potential fraud”!
This is where having a password manager really comes in handy. Instead of having to try to remember each one of your old passwords, you’ll only need to remember one. As long as you remember the master password of a password manager, you’ll be able to access every single one of your login credentials without issues!
In today’s post, we’re going to be doing a comparison of two of the most popular password managers on the market; Dashlane vs. 1Password.
So, if you’ve been debating about getting a password manager or you’re not sure which one is better, we’re here to help clarify the details. Take a look!
How Do Password Managers Work?
First, let’s address the elephant in the room… Namely, how do password managers work?
If you’ve never used one before, then you may be trying to compare it to Google’s password manager or another native browser/device password tool. While these are also able to remember passwords, they aren’t anywhere near as secure or compatible as a professional password manager.
After downloading your password manager and signing up for a plan, you’ll be able to create your own “vault,” where you’ll store all of the login credentials you need. From your social media accounts to bank logins, email accounts, online shopping platforms, and more, you’ll never have to worry about forgetting your passwords again!
In addition to storing your passwords, you’ll also be able to store your credit card information. This can be used to auto-enter lengthy payment details, so you don’t have to worry about getting up to find your wallet or purse.
When it comes time to log in to a site, your password manager may automatically interface with the platform and input your login information. All you’ll need to do is enter your unique password manager key and you’ll be automatically logged in. Simple, right?
Are Password Managers Safe To Use?
Some people are a bit wary about using password managers. They start thinking about having all of their valuable passwords in a single place and think to themselves, “What if my password manager gets hacked?”
To be fair, this is a very valid concern… However, the best response to this is that password managers are designed to be very safe. For starters, they require all users to create unique, hard-to-guess passwords that utilize combinations of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols.
The interface itself is also encrypted, making it nearly impossible for network hackers to gain access to your password manager, in the first place. If you feel that an additional layer of security is necessary, then you should use a reputable VPN designed to keep you secure from network hackers and third-party “peepers.”
So, with that being said, let’s jump into our Dashlane vs. 1Password review and comparison!
Dashlane Password Manager: Overview
First, let’s start with a quick overview of Dashlane. Dashlane is one of the most popular password managers in the world with over 15 million individual users and over 20,000 registered businesses. One of the nice things about Dashlane is that they feature a Chrome browser extension, which allows you to take advantage of the autofill functionality, so you don’t have to input passwords manually.
They also have their own VPN service that you can take advantage of with one of their premium paid plans. It’s very similar to NordVPN’s desktop and mobile VPN service.
1Password Password Manager: Overview
1Password is very similar to Dashlane, at first glance. It offers a secured password vault that allows you to save unlimited passwords, login credentials, credit cards, and form auto-fill data. Like Dashlane, 1Password also features an extension that allows for auto-fill functionality, simplifying your online login process. They offer both personal and business plans.
The one thing they don’t offer is a VPN service. If you want to use a VPN with 1Password, you’ll need to download a third-party VPN like ProtonVPN or ExpressVPN.
Dashlane vs. 1Password: Comparison and Review
Now that you have a little bit of background on both of the popular password managers, it’s time to do a quick comparison and review of features, usability, and pricing/plans, so you can decide which is best for you.
1) Free or Trial Version
If you’re looking for a free version, then Dashlane is probably going to be your best bet. They have one of the top-rated free password managers on the web that allows you to keep track of unlimited passwords on one device. 1Password, on the other hand, does not offer a free version. However, they do offer a 14-day free trial period if you want to test its functionality.
2) Pricing and Plans
While 1Password doesn’t have a free plan, they do offer cheaper plans, making them more appealing to those who are looking for a paid password manager. 1Password’s cheapest individual plan is $3/month, while Dashlane’s cheapest individual plan is $4/month.
That being said, Dashlane has more affordable business plans. Their cheapest business plan is $5/month per user, while 1Password’s cheapest business plan is $8/month per user.
Here is Dashlane’s personal plan overview:
Comparatively, here are 1Password’s personal plans:
3) Security Features
In terms of overall security, both platforms offer the same benefits. Both utilize AES 256-bit encryption that was designed by the NSA to be uncrackable. To put it in easy-to-understand terms, it would take today’s best computer 4,000 billion years to crack a code encrypted with AES 256-bit encryption. To this date, AES 256 has never been cracked, making it beyond secure.
Additionally, both have a zero-knowledge policy. This means that even the password managers themselves aren’t able to access your passwords. On a side note, it also means that if you lose your password, you’re out of luck; because the password manager service has no way of getting into your account.
4) User Interface
Both Dashlane and 1Password offer a very similar user interface. It’s simple, easy to use, and makes storing your passwords a complete breeze. One of the nice features that we really like about Dashlane is that they have a ‘Password Health’ checker that automatically scans your passwords to check for any weak or easy-to-penetrate passwords.
Here is what Dashlane’s UI looks like:
…and here is what 1Password’s UI looks like:
As you can see, both pretty much look the same. However, we will say that 1Password offers a bit better categorization. As you can tell from the sidebars, 1Password allows users to separate their passwords for logins, bank accounts, email accounts, driver’s licenses, credit cards, and more.
Dashlane, on the other hand, just organizes all of your passwords in alphabetical order. There all still there, but it may be harder to find a password you’re looking for in Dashlane compared to 1Password.
5) Password Vault Import
One of the really nice features about Dashlane is that they make it easy to switch to them from other password manager services. For example, if you previously had a 1Password account, you’d be able to import your entire password vault from 1Password to Dashlane. However, you cannot do the reverse action and import other password vaults into 1Password.
Should I Use A VPN With A Password Manager?
This is a very common question that we get regarding password managers. Many people think to themselves, “Well, I’ve got a great password manager now… So, I must be pretty secure, right?”
While password managers definitely make your online presence more secure, they’re not always foolproof.
For example, if you’re using a public network, there’s always the possibility that the right hacker with the right tools can hack into your device and get an unsecured password, credit card number, or login credential that you forgot to store in your vault.
This is where having a high-quality, secure VPN like these US-based VPNs comes in handy. They’ll re-route all of your vital data and information through secured servers, masking your IP address and encrypting all of your online data with AES 128-bit or 256-bit encryption protocol.
Dashlane vs. 1Password: What’s Best?
Both Dashlane and 1Password offer considerable benefits. However, depending on your intended use, you may find that one works for you better than the next. So, we’ve broken it down into three categories:
- Best Free Password Manager: We recommend Dashlane if you’re looking for a free service, as 1Password does not offer a free version.
- Best Password Manager For Individuals: If you’re looking for an individual or family account, then we recommend using 1Password, as the prices are cheaper and the user interface is more organized.
- Best Password Manager For Teams/Businesses: Dashlane wins in this category. Their monthly plans for businesses and teams are a good bit more affordable than 1Password.
We hope this Dashlane vs. 1Password review and comparison was helpful and gave you some good context to make your decision. Until next time!
Sources:
