Switching from 1Password: What Made Me Take the Leap
The Apple ecosystem is becoming a surprisingly strong contender in a world full of password manager options.
This summer, after Apple released a stand-alone application for Apple Passwords. I experimented with switching from using 1Password (which I’d subscribed to for several years) to using Apple Passwords as my password manager.
It’s gone well, and I now prefer using Apple Passwords to 1Password. In the next few months, I’ll let my 1Password subscription expire and save the $35.88 annual subscription fee.
Apple Passwords makes it faster and easier to access my passwords. It does an excellent job automatically filling in user names, passwords, and passkeys. I also like that it’s an integrated part of the Apple ecosystem, available on all my devices, and doesn’t require a separate account.
The One Gap in Apple Passwords (and How Access Fills It)
One objection some have raised about switching to Apple Passwords is that it does not provide for the storage of information such as bank and credit card information, software codes, and other sensitive documents, as does 1Password. Many have dealt with this limitation by storing this information in locked notes in Apple Notes.
Recently, I learned that a third-party app is specifically designed to complement Apple Passwords and provide safe storage of the types of information people store in 1Password.
The Access: Passwords Companion app is now available on the App Store. It has the same graphical look as Apple Passwords and includes categories for credit cards, software licenses, passports, driver’s licenses, insurance, bank accounts, documents, secure notes, etc. It’s free to try out with up to five entries.
It supports Face ID, is secured by iCloud Encryption, has unmatched privacy with zero data collected, and pairs perfectly with the Passwords App. It does not require a separate account and has native apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, and Apple Vision Pro.
New features include export and import options for easy data backup and transfer, 1Password Import, medical records, and an option to keep Access in the menu bar after the main window is closed.
Debunking the “All in One Basket” Concern
Some have raised concerns about using Apple Passwords, arguing that it’s not a good idea to “put all your eggs in one basket” by having passwords in the Apple Ecosystem. They point out that if you lose access to your Apple account, you’d also lose access to all your third-party apps’ passwords. So, they argue that it’s “more secure” to maintain all of your passwords in a third-party app like 1Password.
That’s not a determining factor for me. It’s a hypothetical argument based on no data regarding the likelihood of losing access to one’s Apple account. I’ve had an Apple account for many years and have never lost access, and I don’t know of anyone else that has. Apple has been extremely reliable and takes account security seriously, as does 1Password.
It doesn’t bother me that I extensively use several apps in the Apple ecosystem, such as Contacts, Calendar, Pages, Keynote, and Apple Notes. Many people don’t use any third-party apps and have depended on the Apple ecosystem for all their app needs for years. That’s always been considered a strong point when using Apple products. Likewise, I’m not concerned about keeping my passwords in the Apple system.
The concern about losing access to Passwords applies as equally to using 1Password as it does to your Apple account. Why doesn’t that same logic apply to people’s uses of the 1Password App itself?
People store not only their passwords and passkeys in 1Password but also their bank and credit card information, software license codes, passports, insurance info, medical info, etc. Isn’t that putting “all of your eggs in one basket” in 1Password? If you lose access to your 1Password account, you lose access to all of your sensitive information.
In any case, this whole discussion is made null and void by making regular backups of passwords, which can be printed out and stored in a secure location or secured in several secure digital locations.
Cost Savings: Apple Passwords and Access vs. 1Password
Access subscriptions cost $9.99 a year, and a lifetime purchase costs $24.95. Apple Passwords is free and included in the Apple OS. 1Password charges over four times the amount, or $35.88 a year, for a personal license and six times the amount, or $59.88, for a family license.
Compared to the pricing for 1Passwords, using Apple Passwords in conjunction with Access is a steal, while providing most of the same popular features included in 1Passwords.
It costs $49.89 a year more to use the 1Password family plan (which is free in Apple Passwords), and $25.89 more per year for the personal plan. Even more significant savings could be obtained by purchasing a lifetime Access license for $24.99. The savings are even greater if you use just Apple Passwords and Notes, which cost nothing.
Try the Apple Passwords and Access Combo
I encourage you to experiment with using Apple Passwords or Apple Passwords in combination with Access.
The Apple Passwords app is free as part of the Apple OS; you can download Access and try it out for free on a limited basis.