1Password and Dashlane both sit in the password managers category, which is the first thing to note about this comparison: the head-to-head is about which tool earns the seat. On the 8020 rubric, 1Password scores 95 against Dashlane at 69. The gap is meaningful on some dimensions and narrow on others — the rest of this page explains exactly where.
What's the real difference between 1Password and Dashlane?
1Password is built for businesses needing team credential sharing with granular permissions. Dashlane is built for individuals who want a password manager with bundled vpn and monitoring. The tools overlap on surface features but diverge on the workflow each is designed around — 1Password optimises for aes-256 encrypted vault with zero-knowledge architecture, while Dashlane optimises for encrypted password vault with cross-device sync.
1Password's positioning: 1Password's Secrets Automation and developer-first tooling extends password management into CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure secrets — making it the only consumer password manager that scales to engineering team workflows without a separate secrets management tool.
Dashlane's positioning: Dashlane bundles a VPN, dark-web monitoring, and a polished autofill engine into one subscription — an all-in-one security package that justifies its higher price only if you would otherwise pay separately for those extras.
The 8020 rubric weighs four things — value for money (30%), depth and power (30%), time to results (25%), and ecosystem (15%). 1Password scores 97/99/99/99 on those dimensions; Dashlane scores 73/73/70/75. The biggest spread is on time to results — see the table above.
When should you pick 1Password?
Pick 1Password when businesses needing team credential sharing with granular permissions is the job that has to be done well. It starts at $3.99 per user per month, and the 8020 Score of 95 reflects how well it executes against its rubric.
1Password is the right call when:
- Businesses needing team credential sharing with granular permissions.
- Engineering teams managing secrets alongside personal and work passwords.
- Families and individuals willing to pay for the most polished UX in the category.
- Your stack already includes one of the 6 platforms it integrates with.
1Password's standout capabilities — verified per the vendor's published specs (May 2026) — include aes-256 encrypted vault with zero-knowledge architecture, travel mode to hide sensitive vaults when crossing borders, secrets automation for injecting credentials into ci/cd pipelines without hardcoding. These are the features that earn the Essential tier on the rubric.
When should you pick Dashlane?
Pick Dashlane when individuals who want a password manager with bundled vpn and monitoring is the job that has to be done well. It starts at $5.42 per user per month, and the 8020 Score of 69 reflects how well it executes against its rubric.
Dashlane is the right call when:
- Individuals who want a password manager with bundled VPN and monitoring.
- Non-technical users who value a polished autofill experience.
- Small teams wanting an all-in-one security bundle.
- Your stack already includes one of the 5 platforms it integrates with.
Dashlane's standout capabilities — verified per the vendor's published specs (May 2026) — include encrypted password vault with cross-device sync, strong autofill across browsers and mobile apps, bundled vpn on higher individual tiers. These are the features that earn the Situational tier on the rubric.
How much do 1Password and Dashlane cost?
1Password starts at $3.99 per user per month on a paid-only model. Dashlane starts at $5.42 per user per month on a paid-only model. 1Password has the lower entry price. Pricing verified May 2026.
1Password: No free tier. Lowest paid plan: $3.99/user/mo. Pricing model: paid-only. Dashlane: No free tier. Lowest paid plan: $5.42/user/mo. Pricing model: paid-only.
Entry pricing only tells you where the meter starts. Real spend scales with seats, usage limits, and the plan tier where the features you actually need become available. Check each vendor's pricing page for the tier that matches your team size — and verify it matches our last-verified date before signing.
1Password — strengths and trade-offs
What 1Password does well, where it falls short. Both lists draw from our hands-on testing against the Essential criteria. The full review is on the 1Password profile.
Strengths
- Most polished UX in the password manager category — browser extension, mobile, and desktop apps all excellent
- Secrets Automation is unique — no other consumer password manager handles developer secrets and personal credentials in one tool
- Travel Mode has no equivalent in competing tools
- Strong business feature set: shared vaults, granular permissions, guest accounts, activity logs
Trade-offs
- No free tier — the cheapest option is $3.99/month individual, making it the most expensive major password manager
- Closed-source vault architecture requires trusting 1Password's security claims without independent code audit
- Business plan at $7.99/user/month is significantly more expensive than Bitwarden Teams at $3/user/month
- No self-hosted option — all vaults are stored on 1Password's servers (with zero-knowledge encryption)
Dashlane — strengths and trade-offs
What Dashlane does well, where it falls short. Both lists draw from our hands-on testing against the Situational criteria. The full review is on the Dashlane profile.
Strengths
- Best-in-class autofill and onboarding for non-technical users
- Bundles a VPN and dark-web monitoring others charge extra for
- Clean, modern apps across desktop, mobile, and browser
- Password health dashboard makes weak-login cleanup straightforward
- 14-day free trial lets you test the full Premium experience before paying
Trade-offs
- More expensive than Bitwarden for comparable core functionality
- No free plan on personal tiers — only a 14-day trial, then a paid subscription
- Dropped its standalone desktop apps in favor of a web-first experience
- The bundled VPN is convenient but weaker than a dedicated VPN service
- Family and team value trails 1Password and Bitwarden on price
What are the alternatives to 1Password and Dashlane?
If neither 1Password nor Dashlane is the right fit, the closest alternatives are the other tools in the password managers category. Both lists are ranked by 8020 Score — start with the top of the relevant category and work down.
1Password alternatives we cover: Bitwarden, Dashlane.
Dashlane alternatives we cover: 1Password, Bitwarden.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1Password or Dashlane better overall?
Neither is strictly better — they serve different jobs. 1Password takes the 8020 composite (95 vs 69) on the rubric, while Dashlane earns its tier (Situational) when its specific strengths match your situation. The decision turns on the four dimensions in the table above.
How much do 1Password and Dashlane cost?
1Password starts at $3.99 per user per month on a paid-only model; Dashlane starts at $5.42 per user per month on a paid-only model. Pricing verified May 2026.
Does 1Password integrate with the same tools as Dashlane?
1Password lists 6 verified integrations in our directory; Dashlane lists 5. Both connect to the major platforms most teams already use. Specific integration availability depends on plan tier — see each tool profile for the full integration list.
Can 1Password replace Dashlane?
Only if your use case maps to 1Password's strengths. 1Password's Secrets Automation and developer-first tooling extends password management into CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure secrets — making it the only consumer password manage… If Dashlane's specific job is your primary need, it earns its seat.
Which has the better free tier, 1Password or Dashlane?
Neither 1Password nor Dashlane ships a free tier. Both are paid from day one — 1Password starts at $3.99 per user per month; Dashlane starts at $5.42 per user per month.
