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Cybersecurity · head to head

1Password vs Vault

1Password logo

1Password

Cybersecurity

The world's most-loved password manager

From
$2.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vault logo

Vault

Cloud

Manage Secrets and Protect Sensitive Data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Vault has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 1Password no free tier; all plans require paid subscription; Vault vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • They diverge on capability: 1Password covers Password generator, Vault covers Secrets management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 1Password and Vault actually diverge.

Attributes where 1Password and Vault differ
Attribute1PasswordVault
Starting price$2.99/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, WebLinux, Windows, Mac, Cloud
CategoryCybersecurityCloud
Founded20062015

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 1Password

  • Password generator
  • Autofill
  • Secure notes
  • Credit card storage
  • Document storage
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Watchtower security alerts
  • Travel mode

Only in Vault

  • Secrets management
  • Encryption
  • Authentication
  • Authorization
  • Audit logging
  • API access
  • High availability
  • Replication

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

1Password

  • Password managementnot Vault
  • Secure document storagenot Vault
  • Team credential sharingnot Vault
  • Identity protectionnot Vault
  • Compliance managementnot Vault

Vault

  • Centrally storing and rotating secrets, API keys and database credentialsnot 1Password
  • Issuing short-lived dynamic credentials to applications instead of static passwordsnot 1Password
  • Encryption as a service and PKI certificate issuancenot 1Password

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

1Password

  • No free tier; all plans require paid subscription
  • Offline access requires prior device sync; cannot add new passwords while offline
  • Enterprise plan does not include free trial access

Vault

  • Vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Vault to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Vault
  • Each version only converts to MPL 2.0 four years after that version is published, and the Change Date is tracked per version
  • Replication, HSM support, namespaces, performance standby nodes, FIPS builds, control group authorisation, multi-factor authentication, secrets sync and lease count quotas all require a Vault Enterprise licence
  • A Vault Enterprise licence must be applied to the cluster before any Enterprise feature can be used

Pricing, plan by plan

1Password

$2.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the 1Password review.

Vault

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Secrets management
    • Encryption as a service
    • Identity management
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced features
    • Premium support
    • Dedicated updates

Which should you pick?

Choose 1Password if

  • You need password generator.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Web.
  • You also want autofill.
1Password review

Choose Vault if

  • You need secrets management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
  • You also want encryption.
Vault review

Questions people ask

Is 1Password or Vault better?
Neither clearly leads. 1Password starts at $2.99/month and Vault at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 1Password or Vault?
Vault has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2.99/month for 1Password and Free for Vault.
Does 1Password or Vault run on more platforms?
1Password runs on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Web. Vault runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
Can I use Vault for free?
Yes. Vault has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 1Password starts at $2.99/month.
What is 1Password best used for?
1Password is most often used for password management, secure document storage, team credential sharing, identity protection. Of those, password management and secure document storage are not what Vault is typically brought in for.
What can 1Password do that Vault cannot?
1Password covers Password generator, Autofill, Secure notes, Credit card storage. Vault covers Secrets management, Encryption, Authentication, Authorization.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

1Password: Does 1Password offer a free tier?

No. 1Password offers no free tier as of July 2026, but provides a 14-day free trial with no credit card required for all plans except Enterprise.

Source
Vault: Is HashiCorp Vault free to use?

Yes, Vault is available as a free, open-source project. The community version includes secrets management, certificate generation and rotation, encryption services, and credential management. Vault Enterprise is a commercial offering with additional features.

Source
1Password: Can I access 1Password offline?

Yes. The desktop app allows for offline access to your vault once you have synced your passwords to the device.

Source
Vault: What are the differences between open-source Vault and Vault Enterprise?

Open-source Vault is free and self-hosted. Vault Enterprise includes additional features and commercial support. HashiCorp also offers Vault Dedicated on the HashiCorp Cloud Platform as a fully managed cloud option.

Source
1Password: What is the pricing for individuals and families?

Individual plan costs 2.99 USD per month or 35.88 USD annually. Families plan costs 59.88 USD per year and includes five licenses with the ability to add more for 1 USD per month each.

Source
Vault: Can I try HashiCorp Cloud Platform Vault without payment?

Yes, HashiCorp offers a free trial option for HCP Vault Dedicated. New users also receive a $500 credit to use across HashiCorp Cloud Platform services.

Source
1Password: What platforms does 1Password support?

1Password is available on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and Safari.

Source
Vault: What does Vault manage and protect?

Vault provides identity-based secrets management for users, machines, services, and AI agents. It automates authentication and authorization for access to secrets, passwords, certificates, encryption keys, and other sensitive data across your infrastructure.

Source
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