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ZDNET Highlights
- 1Password is raising subscription prices by $12 per year.
- You can always consider cheaper or free alternatives.
- But a third-party password manager is still your best option.
Do you subscribe to 1Password as your password manager? If so, I’ve got some bad news. Prices are going to increase in March.
In an email sent to current customers, the company announced annual price increases for both individual and family plans. The cost of an individual plan will be a massive 33% increase from $35.88 to $47.88. The cost of the family plan will increase by 20%, from $59.88 to $71.88. This means the price of both plans is increasing by $12 per year.
The new price tags will be effective on your next renewal period if it is on or after March 27, 2026. If your plan is due to renew before then, the current price will remain the same until your next renewal.
Also: Best Password Managers of 2026: Expert-Tested
To justify the price increase, 1Password touted several new features added to the product over time. These include automatic saving of login and payment details, advanced Watchtower alerts that let you know if any of your passwords have been compromised, faster and more secure device setup, better recovery options, and improved phishing protection.
“While 1Password has grown significantly in value and capacity, our pricing has remained largely unchanged for several years,” the company said in its email. “To continue investing in innovation and the world-class security you expect, we’re updating pricing…”
Does this price increase mean it’s time to look at a different and cheaper password manager? Let’s evaluate the pros and cons.
Is it time to switch?
I subscribe to 1Password, having moved to it from RoboForm several years ago. Although switching from one password manager to another is not as difficult as it used to be, it still takes time. 1Password is also one of the top-rated products in this space, and I’m quite happy with it, so I have no desire to switch again.
On the other hand, there are many other excellent password managers that are worthy contenders. Some are more expensive than 1Password, others are cheaper, and many are free. Some offer both free and paid tiers, depending on what features you want and how many passwords and accounts you need to store. Most offer both individual and family plans.
Here are some password managers you can consider if you’re thinking of moving from 1Password.
- Bitwarden Offers three levels. Basic is free. The premium is $19.80 per year. Family is $47.88 per year.
- nordpassAlso offers three levels. Basic is free. The premium costs $35.76 for the first 24 months and then increases to $71.76 per year. Family starts at $66.96 for the first 24 months and then increases to $143.76 per year.
- DashlaneOffers two plans. The premium will cost you $5.42 per month ($65.04 per year). Family and friends will cost you $8.13 ($97.56 per year).
- keeperAlso presented two plans. The individual fee is $39.99 per year. The family’s annual salary is $84.99.
- RoboFormOffers three plans. Basic is free. The premium costs $1.87 per month ($22.44 per year) for the first year and then increases to $2.49 per month ($29.88 per year). Family moves up to $2.98 per month ($35.76 per year) and then $3.98 per month ($47.76 per year).
- proton pass Offers a choice of four plans. Basic is free. Pass Plus is $2.99 per month ($35.88 per year). Pass Family costs $4.99 per month ($59.99 per year). Proton Unlimited, which includes email, a VPN, and other features, runs $9.99 per month ($119.88 per year).
Of these, ZDNET rated 1Password, Bitwarden, and NordPass as the best of the bunch. For those that offer free, basic plans, you can always try the program out to see how it works and then decide if you want to switch.
free option
There are also completely free, built-in password managers that can do the job. Google’s Password Manager, Apple Password, and Microsoft Password Manager in Edge are all capable of creating, storing, and enforcing your passwords. However, I stay away from these for a few reasons.
First of all, these password managers don’t offer the range of features you’ll find in a third-party program. Second, these work best with each company’s own products.
Also: Apple, Google and Microsoft offer free password managers – but should you use them?
Google’s password manager is designed for Chrome and Android devices. Apple Password is designed for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Microsoft’s password manager is geared toward Edge. In some cases, you can try to force the product to work with other programs, but this can be challenging. If you want to sync your passwords and passkeys across different apps and devices, a third-party password manager is your best option.
Despite the price increase, I’m sticking to 1Password, at least for now. But if you’re thinking about switching, you’ll definitely find other password managers that work similarly.
