1Password vs. Norton Password Manager: Compare Password Managers

1Password and Norton Password Manager are two common password managers that differ widely in the level of services provided. Norton Password Manager has a leg up with its free tier, which has most of the basic functionality you expect from a password manager offered through an intuitive user experience (UX).

However, you may be disappointed if you want anything beyond bare-bones password management. 1Password, on the other hand, has far more bells and whistles, but you have to decide if these extra features are worth the added cost.

Which password manager should you get? Let this 1Password vs. Norton Password Manager face-off help you decide.

But you don’t have to pay for any of these plans to use Norton Password Manager: the stand-alone program is also available for free.

This can make 1Password look comparatively expensive at a starting price of about $36 per year for individuals. A family plan is even more costly at $59.88 for up to six users. 1Password’s only free option is a short-lived 14-day free trial of any of its plans.

While Norton Password Manager has a natural cost edge with its free tier, it doesn’t have nearly the capabilities of 1Password. Essentially, all you get are free password management services and limited filling as well as 2FA.

By comparison, 1Password’s plans all come with autofill and 2FA. The Families, Teams, Business, and Enterprise plans also come with varying degrees of reporting capabilities. 1Password also has the edge for multi-user households and enterprises, as Norton Password Manager’s free plan only supports one person.

Norton Password Manager, by comparison, is only compatible with two operating systems (Android and iOS) and four browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari). This presented some issues during my testing.

I’d been using a .CSV file exported from Edge to import my passwords and accounts, but Norton Password Manager could not. This is the first password manager I’ve encountered with such a problem.

This presented a huge issue for me and led to a low 3-star platform compatibility rating. Every major browser supports password management and exporting a .CSV file. That Norton doesn’t let you import your passwords means you must save each password from scratch with the program.

I reached out to support and, to Norton’s credit, got a prompt response. However, not even the support team could get form filling to work with addresses after attempting for an entire hour. Given this, I can’t recommend Norton Password Manager to anyone who wants form filling capabilities.

I found Norton Password Manager to be woefully lacking information about how it secures customer data. Most password managers love to brag about their encryption protocols, but Norton Password Manager only says that “passwords are stored in the cloud in encrypted form.” There are no details about what level of encryption it uses.

When you pair this with Norton’s history of security breaches, it’s hard to feel secure with this password manager as the warden of your information.

I found the entire process of setting up and using 2FA with 1Password simple. All you have to do is log into your account and find “More Options” under your profile, then choose “Manage Two-Factor Authentication.” Once you’ve chosen your setup option, you’ll be given a QR code to scan on your mobile phone and link 1Password to your authenticator app.

I wish I could say the same for Norton Password Manager, but it fell short in this category as well. Technically speaking, 2FA is not even available on Norton Password Manager. Instead, it offers a mobile authenticator which can unlock your vault without requiring you to use your master password.

Note this only works for your vault; you can’t set it up with a one-time password (OTP) for individual login attempts. Arguably, this feature serves the opposite purpose of 2FA by making your vault less secure since it depends on your phone’s security level.

After testing both 1Password and Norton Password Manager, I can only think of one reason to opt for the latter: if you are determined to get password management for free.

Perhaps its best feature is that Norton Password Manager can be used for no cost. It also has an intuitive interface, so using its few features is straightforward. But you certainly won’t get anything beyond bare-bones password management with Norton Password Manager, and there are arguably better free password managers.

1Password, on the other hand, routinely ranks on our best password manager lists. It offers a streamlined and appealing interface compatible with almost every operating system and web browser. You’ll also get almost every feature you could hope for with a password manager, from form filling to 2FA and top-end encryption. Note that some features, like SSO and reporting, are only available on higher-tier paid plans.

The one downside to 1Password is you have to pay for the service. Individuals can start for as little as $2.99 per month, but families and groups will pay between $4.99 and $7.99 per month. If password security is important to you, 1Password could be well worth the cost.

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.