One of the hardest things about being an active internet user is remembering passwords. It’s easy to forget or mix them up when you have accounts on dozens of websites and applications.
The good thing is that many passsword manager platforms have cropped up to help users manage their passwords with ease. 1Password and Dashlane are two such platforms with millions of users between them.
With 1Password, you can create a digital vault to store all your passwords, and that vault is protected by a master password you must remember. You can access that vault to retrieve any of your passwords so far as you remember the correct passcodes. Dashlane works similarly. You can store your passwords on the platform, and access to those passwords is protected by a single master password.
We want to show you how 1Password and Dashlane fare against each other. You can also see our previous 1Password review and Dashlane review for more information.
Features
1Password allows you to create multiple digital vaults on your account. You can keep your passwords securely in these vaults alongside other sensitive information such as credit card numbers and account recovery phrases.
All your vaults are protected by a master password that you choose. Use a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols to pick a strong password. You may also use a unique passphrase that’s hard to remember, e.g., “Aren’t dogs the best animals?”
1Password will assign a secret key to your account, which you can download in a PDF format. For extra security, you’ll need your master password and the secret key to log into your 1Password account.
Similarly, Dashlane lets you create a digital vault to store your passwords or other types of sensitive information. But, it keeps all your information in a single vault, unlike 1Password which lets you separate them into multiple vaults. Your Dashlane vault is protected by a master password you assign. Use the same tips we mentioned earlier to create a strong master password.
You can access your stored passwords anytime by logging into the Dashlane app or website. You can also automatically fill in passwords in online login forms through the browser extension.
Both platforms differentiate themselves by offering additional features. Dashlane offers a VPN service and a tool that monitors the dark web to see if your password was leaked or stolen. 1Password offers a tool that alerts you to any known security issues with the websites you use.
Performance
You can download 1Password on all your devices (Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android). The app will automatically sync your passwords across each device after you log in, so you can access them from anywhere. Similarly, you can download the Dashlane app on your smartphone or add the browser extension on Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or other Chromium-based browsers. Dashlane used to have a desktop app but discontinued it in 2022.
Dashlane has a stellar user interface that’s easy to navigate. All the tools needed to manage your passwords and other sensitive files are neatly arranged on the left sidebar of your account. You can easily add passwords, notes, IDs, and other sensitive info by clicking on their corresponding tabs.
1Password isn’t overtly difficult, but you’re more likely to get confused with its interface than Dashlane’s. This happens because 1Password lets you create multiple vaults, while Dashlane stores your information in a single vault. Multiple vaults make it easier to organize your passwords but complicate the user interface.
Dashlane is the more user-friendly option.
Support
1Password provides support through its comprehensive online help center, an official support forum, and email. At the help center, you can access a plethora of articles that’ll help you get familiar with the platform. For instance, you can find user guides on how to use 1Password on every compatible platform. You can also watch video tutorials for a more interactive learning experience.
You can contact Dashlane’s support team through email, live chat, and telephone. This is much better than 1Password, which only offers email support. Telephone and live chat queries bring instant answers, whereas email queries mean you may wait for a few hours to get answers.
Customer reviews tend to speak highly of Dashlane’s customer service, with instant answers and a knowledgeable support staff that helps users very well. We consider Dashlane the superior option in this category.
Pricing
1Password doesn’t have a free tier, unlike Dashlane. You must pay to use 1Password, with respective plans for personal, family, and corporate users. The personal tier costs $2.99 / £3 / AUD$5 per month for a single user, while the Families plan costs $4.99 / £5 / AUD$7 per month for up to 5 users. Take a look at what 1Password promo codes are available too for additional savings.
For corporate use, you can pay $19.95 / £20 / AUD$30 per month for the Teams Starter Pack for up to 10 users or a flat fee of $7.99 / £8 / AUD$12 per month for each user if you surpass ten users. If you represent a large company, you can contact 1Password’s sales team to work out a custom enterprise plan.
Dashlane has a free plan that works for just a single device. If you want to use it on multiple personal devices, you can upgrade to the Premium plan for $3.99 / £4 / AUD$6 per month. A Friends & Family plan for $5.99 / £6 / AUD$9 per month grants access to 10 users, double what 1Password allows for a similar price.
For corporate use, you can pay $20 / £20 / AUD$30 per month for up to ten users. Anything above 10, and you'll need the Team plan ($5 / £5 / AUD$8 per user per month) or the Business plan ($8 / £8 / AUD$12 per user per month). The Team plan includes a virtual private network (VPN) service, while the Business plan includes additional privileges like single sign-on integration and on-demand phone support. Like 1Password, there are also Dashlane promo codes which can make things even cheaper.
Dashlane provides more affordable options and is also the only one among the two with a free tier. It’s the winner in this category.
Verdict
We’ve shown you how 1Password and Dashlane fare against each other in the most critical factors. Dashlane beats 1Password in several categories, including pricing, customer support, and ease of use. We think Dashlane is the better password manager option for individual and enterprise users, although the lack of a desktop app reduces its appeal to the latter category.
