1Password vs. mSecure: Compare Password Managers

1Password and mSecure are two great options for password managers — however, only one ranked among the best password managers we reviewed this year. Even though mSecure has been in the password management space for over 10 years, most of that time has been exclusively with Apple devices.

It has only been fairly recently that mSecuure branched out into the broader ecosystem along with its big competitors in the space, such as 1Password. Does the company have what it takes to compete in this crowded field? Which password manager should you get? Let this mSecure vs. 1Password face-off help you decide.

1Password’s personal plan starts from $2.99 monthly with a yearly subscription. There is also a family plan that is $4.99 per month with a yearly subscription. Also, it has a plan for businesses and teams that starts from $7.99 per month.

mSecure offers two main plans — “Essentials” and “Premium.” For the number of features on offer, both plans are competitively priced when stacked up against the competition, including features such as biometrics, security alerts, and Apple Watch compatibility with even the Essentials plan.

The biggest caveat to this feature set is whether these will be included for you, the end user. Some major features (including auto login) are only available through macOS and the Safari browser. If you’re a Mac user, you’ll get the most out of mSecure from day one. PC and Android users may want to hold off until those platforms are fully supported.

Meanwhile, mSecure has an interface that looks like many other password managers. However, that familiarity hides some pretty broken features. The import feature was hidden at the bottom of a series of nesting menus. It didn’t even properly identify entries once I managed to format the information to its specifications.

Then, once password and login information was imported, it wasn’t functionally useful — for me, it was little more than password storage. It’s another clear win for 1Password.

I’ve never encountered this level of control in a password manager before, and it was refreshing to see. It allows you to choose where your data lives and decide whether you value the convenience of passwords syncing across devices or the security of that data never leaving your local device.

This, in addition to other great security features like its security center and 2FA options, led me to give it a perfect score for security.

mSecure supports email, third-party authenticator apps (such as Authy or Google Authenticator), and texting the user an OTP. By supporting third-party authenticator apps, mSecure opens the possibility for biometric authentication or even physical security keys, depending on what authenticator you’re using.

It’s pretty easy to recommend 1Password over mSecure for all but the most specific audience — Mac users. However, even those who use Apple products exclusively will probably find that 1Password works just as well on all of their devices, despite the fact that mSecure is effectively a Mac-exclusive product.

All of that said, there’s a lot of potential in mSecure. While it lost a lot of points for lack of transparency and clarity regarding its compatibility with other platforms, it does perform well on Mac and iOS.

If the company can ever port over that experience to Android, PC, and Linux users, 1Password and the other major password management providers may have some serious competition on their hands.

On the surface, all password managers essentially generate and store passwords. As I evaluated providers, I dug deeper, comparing software on what matters most, including price, platform compatibility, security, and other factors.

I signed up for a plan with each provider to test:

• Plan value: Most password managers offer various subscription plans from free to around $20 per month. While free plans may be sufficient for some, those that need more functionality may prefer paid plans. We included a wide array of free and paid password managers to find the one that works best for you.
• Platform compatibility: You likely access your online accounts from multiple devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, as well as through different web browsers. Your password manager should be compatible with various devices, operating systems and browsers, and sync seamlessly between them all.
• UX: This is how you interface with all the features and functions of your new password manager — if it’s bad, you’ll be less likely to use the service. While this is a highly subjective category and some will disagree, it’s important to provide an overview based on my experience.
• Form filling: A password manager doesn’t have to include form-filling, but it’s somewhat standard and the ease with which it performs that function can be the deciding factor in which password manager you ultimately choose.
• Security: Since a password manager is first and foremost a security tool, it should come with all of the most up-to-date standard security features. This includes the highest level of available encryption (256-bit AES with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512); 2FA, such as biometric logins or MFA, and a password generator.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA): Used all over the internet to protect your accounts, this is quickly becoming a standard security practice. 2FA is a great way to secure more sensitive accounts to ensure they’re not breached.

Learn more about our review methodology.