1Password vs. SplashID: Compare Password Managers

While SplashID offers savings for those seeking a free password manager, 1Password rates higher in every review factor, making it a better choice for most users.

1Password has no free option beyond its 14-day free trial, but it compensates for that with top-tier features and superb functionality. SplashID does have a free tier though, which, while limited, can get the job done for a single-device user.

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

1Password does not offer a free plan, although you can get 14-day free trials of any plan. However, SplashID makes up for its lack of a free trial by providing a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Paid plans with 1Password start at about $36 per year. A family plan with up to five family members costs $59.88 annually. While SplashID does have a slight edge in terms of pricing, I think that 1Password is the better value overall — it’s an easy-to-use, feature-rich platform that performs better in most respects than SplashID.

SplashID is available on most operating systems but only three browsers — although these are arguably the most common: Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. A unique feature about SplashID is that it is also compatible with iPads, something not all password managers think to offer.

At the end of the day though, that isn’t enough to unseat 1Password, which has a clear edge.

1Password’s mobile app offers a similarly streamlined experience with a left-hand menu that contains all the tools you need to manage your account. SplashID also has a minimalist design with a left-hand menu that opens to entries on the right. While this interface felt basic to me, it did make the app easy to navigate.

I also found the installation process simple, starting with a “Register” button on the top-right corner of the website. The aspect of the setup process that befuddled me a bit was how it defaults to a setting that puts fake entries into the password fields. I didn’t see much benefit to these “sample” passwords, but it didn’t slow me down much, either.

SplashID’s auto-fill capabilities are what you’d expect: you can enable this feature to have your username and password fields automatically filled in. I couldn’t get it to prepopulate address information for me, though, so it doesn’t get five points out of five.

But SplashID can automatically submit the login form on your browser. To use this feature, you must be on the browser extension and have auto-fill turned on.

SplashID elevates its security above the industry standard with 128-bit Rijndael encryption in addition to the 256-bit AES. It also complies with the industry’s best security standards while using Netsparker, Burp Suite, Acunetix, and manual hack exploits to ensure no common vulnerabilities are missed.

With SplashID, you also have the option of storing your information offline. While this would mean you can’t sync that information between your devices, it is a nice option to have since it minimizes exposure since passwords are only available on your device and not accessible through the cloud.

However, much of this effort feels like gilding the lilly — AES encryption is already widely viewed to be unbreachable. I would have preferred to see this extra effort put into extra security features such as dark web monitoring.

SplashID’s 2FA is also easy to set up, but that’s about all it has going for it. The only authentication options are text and email, which is second-worst to text authentication. Both of these channels are relatively insecure, with messages easily spoofed.

While both 1Password and SplashID have several positives, I feel only 1Password is among the best password managers.

SplashID offers some of the most competitive pricing in the industry, but sometimes you get what you pay for. Its mixed customer reviews and limited password-sharing and 2FA features pull its functionality and overall score down. That said, you can still trust its security, so if you’re willing to get fewer features to save a few bucks, it may still be worth a try.

1Password, on the other hand, is often found on best password managers lists, and for good reason. While it’s not a free password manager, it has nearly all the bells and whistles you could ask for. I wish it would add biometric authentication to its 2FA options, but otherwise, there’s not much bad to say about it. If you’re willing to spend a few bucks each month, 1Password is worth investing in.

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.