1Password
The value is the network, the data or the infrastructure. Keep paying.
A password manager: an encrypted vault synchronised across devices, with autofill, passkeys, secure sharing and recovery for families and teams.
Do not build a password manager. Set me up to run an existing, audited one properly. WHAT TO SET UP - Vaultwarden, the lightweight Bitwarden-compatible server, on a VPS behind Caddy - The official Bitwarden clients on every device — the clients are where the cryptography lives, and they are not to be replaced WHY NOT BUILD IT, IN THE README - Key derivation, zero-knowledge sync, secure sharing and recovery are each a way to lose everything at once - A single mistake here has no partial failure mode THE SERVER - HTTPS only, HSTS, and no plaintext port open anywhere - Signups disabled after the first account; invitations only - Admin panel behind a separate token, not reachable from the internet - Fail2ban on the login endpoint, and rate limiting in front BACKUP, WHICH IS THE REAL WORK - Nightly encrypted dump to two destinations in different places - Test the restore monthly into a scratch instance and record the date it last worked - Keep the recovery material offline: an emergency kit printed and stored physically WHAT YOU ARE ACCEPTING - If your server is down, new devices cannot sync; existing ones keep working offline - You are now responsible for the availability of every credential you own Include a runbook for a lost device, a compromised server, and the death of the person holding the emergency kit.
What you lose
- A cryptographic design that has been audited repeatedly by people who do this for a living
- Native apps and browser extensions on every platform, with autofill that works on real sites
- Secure sharing, recovery and family or team administration without weakening the model
- Breach monitoring, passkey support and the secret key that makes a stolen vault useless
- Someone else’s responsibility for a bug that would expose everything at once
If you would rather not build
- Bitwarden — paid, cheapest audited alternative
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
Vaultwarden
$0Bitwarden-compatible server that runs on a small machine, used with the official clients.
dani-garcia/vaultwardenfree · open source
KeePassXC
$0Offline encrypted vault in a single file, synchronised however you like.
keepassxreboot/keepassxcfree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
12/100
Verdict no at 12: this is the clearest no on the list. Vaultwarden is a legitimate self-hosted path and the prompt sets it up carefully, but writing the cryptography yourself has no acceptable failure mode, and the clients are the hard part regardless.
History
tracked since 9 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.
Questions about 1Password
answered from the record above
Is 1Password free?
No — the plan we track is $3.99 a month. Individual at $3.99/month billed annually; Families is $6.95/month for five people, Teams is priced per user.
Can you replace 1Password by building your own?
KEEP IT. The value is the network, the data or the infrastructure. Keep paying. Replacement score 12 out of 100, build time longer than it saves. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does 1Password cost?
$3.99 a month on Individual — $47.88 a year. Recorded 9 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing 1Password?
A cryptographic design that has been audited repeatedly by people who do this for a living; Native apps and browser extensions on every platform, with autofill that works on real sites; Secure sharing, recovery and family or team administration without weakening the model; Breach monitoring, passkey support and the secret key that makes a stolen vault useless; Someone else’s responsibility for a bug that would expose everything at once. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to 1Password?
Yes: Vaultwarden, KeePassXC. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
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