NordPass costs $1.69/mo on a 2-year plan, while 1Password costs $2.99/mo annually. The $1.30/mo difference is about $16/year, but the products are not equal, so understand what you are paying for before committing.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | NordPass | 1Password |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free available | No free tier |
| Paid price | $1.69/mo USD | $2.99/mo USD |
| Encryption | XChaCha20 | AES-256 + Secret Key |
| Mfa | ||
| Passkey Support | ||
| Travel Mode | ||
| Secure Notes | ||
| Emergency Access | ||
| Browser Extensions | All major browsers | All major browsers |
| Biometric Unlock | ||
| SSO support | Business plan only | Business plan only |
| Offline Access | ||
| Self Hosting | ||
| Open source | ||
| Score | 7/10 | 9/10 |
1Password
9
NordPass
7
Runner-up
1Password is the better password manager because its Secret Key architecture, Travel Mode, Watchtower depth, and developer integrations make it worth $1.30/mo more. NordPass is credible at a lower price, but the 1Password investment pays off when you use a password manager seriously.
Security Architecture
1Password's standout feature is its Secret Key, a 34-character key generated locally when you create an account. Your vault needs both this key and your master password to decrypt, so a compromise of 1Password's servers would not expose useful data without the Secret Key, which only exists on your device.
NordPass uses XChaCha20 rather than AES-256. Both are secure, and although XChaCha20 is newer and performs better on devices without hardware AES support, the difference is marginal for most users.
1Password's two-factor decryption model is the stronger security architecture.
Features
1Password's advantage is clear in the features it includes.
Its Travel Mode removes specified vaults from all your devices and restores them after you cross a border, while NordPass has no equivalent.
Watchtower monitors saved passwords against breach databases, flags reused passwords, and alerts on expiring 2FA codes. NordPass includes a Premium breach scanner, but it is less thorough.
1Password also has a CLI, Terraform provider, and GitHub Actions integration for managing secrets in developer workflows, while NordPass does not.
Free Tier
NordPass has a free tier, whereas 1Password does not, but it limits you to one active device at a time. That works for single-device use, although it is frustrating when you regularly switch between a laptop and phone.