Password Manager Comparison
Two premium password managers, both well-regarded, both priced above the budget tier. We used both daily for 6 months to determine which deserves your money. Here's the verdict.
Password Managers
Security Comparison
1Password wins this comparison on security architecture (Secret Key), app quality, and pricing ($36/yr vs $53.99/yr). Dashlane is a good product with some unique features (built-in VPN, dark web monitoring), but it costs 50% more than 1Password without offering meaningfully better protection.
Overview
| Category | 1Password | Dashlane | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Rating | 9.4/10 | 8.5/10 | 1Password |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM | AES-256-GCM | Tie |
| Secret Key | Yes (128-bit) | No | 1Password |
| Individual Price | $36/year | $53.99/year | 1Password |
| Family Price | $60/year (5 users) | $89.99/year (10 users) | Depends on family size |
| Free Tier | 14-day trial | Yes (25 passwords) | Dashlane |
| Built-in VPN | No | Yes (Hotspot Shield) | Dashlane |
| Travel Mode | Yes | No | 1Password |
| Passkey Support | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Dark Web Monitoring | Via Watchtower | Dedicated scanner | Dashlane |
| Emergency Access | No | Yes | Dashlane |
Category 1
Both products use AES-256-GCM encryption and zero-knowledge architecture. Both undergo independent security audits. On paper, they're equivalent. In practice, 1Password has a significant edge: the Secret Key.
1Password's Secret Key is a 128-bit random key generated on your device during setup. It combines with your master password to create the encryption key for your vault. Even if an attacker obtained a copy of your encrypted vault from 1Password's servers AND knew your master password, they still couldn't decrypt your data without the Secret Key stored on your devices.
Dashlane relies solely on your master password for encryption. While their implementation of PBKDF2 with 200,000+ iterations makes brute-force attacks difficult, it's fundamentally less secure than 1Password's dual-key approach. If Dashlane's servers were breached (as happened to LastPass), the only barrier to your data would be the strength of your master password.
Security verdict: 1Password's Secret Key provides a meaningful, practical security advantage that no other password manager matches. This single feature makes 1Password more resilient to server-side breaches than Dashlane — or any other password manager that relies on a master password alone.
Category 2
Dashlane's built-in VPN is a unique offering, though it's a basic Hotspot Shield implementation that doesn't compare to a dedicated VPN. The emergency access feature is genuinely useful and something 1Password should add. However, 1Password's Travel Mode, better vault organization, and developer tools give it the edge for power users.
Features verdict: This is close to a tie. Dashlane wins on emergency access and the included VPN. 1Password wins on Travel Mode, developer features, and overall depth. For most users, 1Password's features are more practical.
Category 3
| Plan | 1Password | Dashlane |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 14-day trial | 25 passwords, 1 device |
| Individual | $36/year ($2.99/mo) | $53.99/year ($4.49/mo) |
| Family | $60/year (5 users) | $89.99/year (10 users) |
1Password is 33% cheaper than Dashlane for individuals and 33% cheaper for families. Dashlane's Family plan covers 10 users versus 1Password's 5, which gives Dashlane an edge for very large families — but most households have 2-4 members, making 1Password's Family plan the better value.
Dashlane's free tier (25 passwords on 1 device) is too limited for practical use. Most people have 50-100+ accounts. It's essentially a demo, not a usable free product.
Pricing verdict: 1Password costs significantly less while offering equivalent or better security and features. The only scenario where Dashlane's pricing wins is for families with 6-10 members, where the $89.99 Family plan covers more people.
Category 4
Both apps are well-designed, but 1Password's native apps feel more polished on every platform. The Mac and iOS apps in particular are best-in-class — they feel like Apple-designed software. The Windows app has improved dramatically in recent versions and is now on par with the Mac experience.
Dashlane transitioned to a web-first architecture in 2022, removing its native desktop apps. While the web app and browser extension are functional, they lack the snappiness and system integration of 1Password's native apps. Actions that happen instantly in 1Password (like biometric unlock, quick copy, global search) feel slightly sluggish in Dashlane's web interface.
Browser extension performance is another differentiator. 1Password's extension is faster, more reliable at autofilling, and better at handling complex login flows (multi-step authentication, iframe-based forms, etc.). Dashlane's extension works well on standard login forms but occasionally struggles with non-standard implementations.
Usability verdict: 1Password's native apps provide a noticeably better daily experience than Dashlane's web-first approach. If you spend significant time in a password manager (and you should), this polish matters.
Category 5
| Feature | 1Password Family | Dashlane Family |
|---|---|---|
| Members | 5 | 10 |
| Price | $60/year | $89.99/year |
| Per-Person Cost (full) | $12/person/year | $9/person/year (10 users) |
| Shared Vaults | Yes, multiple | Yes, one shared space |
| Permission Controls | Granular | Basic |
| Account Recovery | Yes (family members help) | Limited |
For families of 2-5, 1Password's $60/year plan is the clear winner: cheaper total cost and better sharing features. For families of 6-10, Dashlane's per-person cost becomes more attractive, though you lose 1Password's superior vault organization and account recovery features.
Common Questions
Not really. Dashlane's VPN is a basic Hotspot Shield implementation with limited servers and features. A dedicated VPN like NordVPN ($3-4/month) is significantly better. If you need both a password manager and a VPN, buying 1Password + NordVPN separately is better and comparably priced to Dashlane Premium alone.
Yes. 1Password supports CSV import from Dashlane. Export your vault from Dashlane (Settings > Export), then import the CSV into 1Password. The process takes 5-10 minutes for most vaults. Some complex items (secure notes with attachments) may need manual recreation.
Emergency access is a genuinely valuable feature — it lets a trusted person access your vault if you become incapacitated. However, 1Password addresses a similar need through its Family plan's account recovery feature. If emergency access is critical to you and you're an individual user, Dashlane has the edge. For families, 1Password's recovery feature fills the gap.
1Password Business is significantly more capable than Dashlane Business. 1Password offers SSO integration, SCIM provisioning, custom roles, detailed activity logs, and deeper enterprise tool integration. It's the industry standard for enterprise password management, used by companies like IBM, Salesforce, and Slack. Dashlane Business is adequate for small teams but lacks the enterprise features that larger organizations need.
Final Verdict
1Password wins this comparison across the metrics that matter most: security (Secret Key), app quality (native apps on every platform), and pricing (33% cheaper). Dashlane is a competent password manager with some nice unique features (VPN, emergency access), but it doesn't justify its 50% price premium over 1Password.
The only scenarios where Dashlane makes more sense: large families of 6-10 people (better per-person pricing), users who specifically need emergency access (individual plan), or users who want a built-in VPN and don't want to manage a separate subscription.
For everyone else — which is the vast majority of users — 1Password delivers better security, better apps, and better value.
Better security, better apps, better price. Start your 14-day free trial and see why 1Password is our #1 rated password manager.
Try 1Password Free1Password: 9.4/10 · $36/year · Dashlane: 8.5/10 · $53.99/year