1Password vs. SafeInCloud: Compare Password Managers

1Password and SafeInCloud are two popular password managers on the market today. While these services are comparable in price, they diverge in features, with one being the clear winner in every category we evaluated.

SafeInCloud has a leg up with its free tier, but this is one of the most limited password management plans I’ve encountered. 1Password’s user experience (UX) is among the best in the industry and offers all the features you could want.

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

SafeInCloud’s always-free option for individuals is so basic I hesitate to compare it to what 1Password offers. You can always improve this plan with premium a la carte add-ons at $2.99, but then you’re paying the same as 1Password’s Personal Plan and still not getting as much functionality.

SafeInCloud’s other paid plans start at $4.99 per month and lack many of the key features of other password managers, such as 2FA, password sharing, guest accounts, and reporting capabilities. You can, at least, get a two-week free trial of these plans to decide if you even need them.

SafeInCloud, by comparison, is mediocre at best. While it does work with the main systems — Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows — its desktop compatibility only works with Windows and MacOS. Its browser extension to Chrome, Edge, and Firefox is also limited.

That said, this level of compatibility is probably sufficient for most people, but when comparing the best free password managers, it doesn’t measure up to what others offer.

1Password’s app version is also minimal, with just a single left-hand toolbar to help you navigate the platform. The Mac version has a drop-down menu, but it installs directly into the menu bar, making it easy to access and navigate.

I can’t say the same for SafeInCloud. Its browser and app interface is cluttered with options and difficult to navigate. The vault can’t even be accessed via the browser extension, something I’ve never encountered in a password manager before.

Once you locate the vault, you may also be disappointed that it doesn’t have a category for addresses. While you can customize your categories to make your address option, this still felt like a glaring omission.

SafeInCloud’s form filling is limited to login information only. While it does a good job at pre-populating usernames and passwords, this limitation is far behind competitors. I find great value in the ability to pre-fill addresses and payment information, and most password managers — including 1Password — can do this.

SafeInCloud also uses zero-knowledge architecture, which ensures only you can access your information in non-encrypted form. While this is probably sufficient, I was a bit disappointed to find SafeInCloud doesn’t offer any security-enhancing features beyond this. These would include dark-web monitoring or 2FA, both fairly common among password managers.

Despite 2FA being fairly standard in the password management industry, SafeInCloud has yet to add this feature to its capabilities. The mobile app can be an authenticator for accounts that require 2FA, but the feature can’t be set up for more secure vault access. I find it hard to recommend any password manager that doesn’t offer 2FA, so SafeInCloud truly disappointed me.

It’s not hard to choose which password manager wins in a face-off between 1Password vs. SafeInCloud. The latter falls woefully short on all metrics we evaluated with the exception of a free tier option. But even at a price of $0, it’s hard to recommend such a limited platform.

Besides being potentially free for individuals, the best things I can say about SafeInCloud are that it is compatible with smartwatches and lets you customize your vault. Both are some of the more rare features with password managers, but they’re still not enough to make SafeInCloud a top competitor in this crowded market.

1Password, on the other hand, is a long-standing member on almost every list of the best password managers. While it doesn’t have a free plan option, you get plenty of features for the minimal price on most of its plans.

You get almost everything you could want with 1Password, from wide platform compatibility to near-flawless form filling and 2FA. It’s also hard to beat 1Password’s unique Travel Mode, which could make the provider essential for frequent international travelers.

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.