When comparing 1Password vs Zero Password Manager (formerly ID Guard Offline), the Slant community recommends 1Password for most people. In the question“What are the best offline password managers?” 1Password is ranked 5th while Zero Password Manager (formerly ID Guard Offline) is ranked 10th. The most important reason people chose 1Password is:
An iteration on the UI brings a polished look that was already good-looking to begin with. It even tries pulling in relevant app and web icons, adds credit cards logos and has little animation to make the experience more pleasant.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro A clean, good-looking and intuitive UI
An iteration on the UI brings a polished look that was already good-looking to begin with. It even tries pulling in relevant app and web icons, adds credit cards logos and has little animation to make the experience more pleasant.
Pro Available as a webapp, as a standalone application, as an extension, and more, across most platforms, browsers, operating systems, and devices.
Versatility and synchronicity for the majority of the devices and platforms you use. Plus, all software is free with a paid subscription.
Pro Browser integration
Easily fill in passwords with a single keystroke combination.
Quickly add new and update existing passwords right from the browser when the login is detected by the free browser extension.
Pro Can perform an audit on passwords
1Password can checks for weak, duplicate and old passwords you have stored.
Pro Easy to use autofill and password generator
Automatically logs into websites, enters credit card information, fills registration forms, and easily generates strong passwords. Password generator can be adjust to use or exclude certain characters and patterns.
Pro Warns of website vulnerabilities
A feature called Watchtower cross-references known website vulnerabilities with stored login information using a database that is updated daily.
Pro Can also store software and license keys
Pro Collaborative password management
1Password offers an option to create a shared vault for sharing passwords among friends, family and co-workers.
Pro Time based one time passwords
Pro Version now supports time based one time passwords (instead of installing google authenticator).
Pro AES-256 encryption
For more information see here.
Pro TouchID support
All TouchID capable devices are supported.
Pro Cloud & Wi-Fi sync
1Password offers syncing through cloud storage services such as Dropbox and iCloud and a possibility to sync locally over Wi-Fi if you opt not to use cloud storage.
Pro Endorsed by many high credibility security experts
This app is endorsed by many high credibility security experts (for example, Troy Hunt ).
Pro Great customer support
Pro Can store secure notes
1Password can store secure notes which don't file cleanly into other areas like passwords or bank details. Secure notes can be used to record anything you want.
Pro Can use multiple vaults at once and search across vaults
One could manage a vault for work, a vault that's personal and a shared family vault while keeping the details of each segmented from each other and only sync'ed where/if desired.
Pro Active community of users and active / blogging development team
There is an immense sense of community and openness with 1Password.
Pro Periodically assessed by external security auditors and their findings are repaired quickly
Pro Available on multiple platforms
Pro Doesn't depend on the cloud
Unlike many other password management tools, by default the 1Password encrypted database is not stored in the cloud, but strictly locally, for added security.
Pro Makes use of keys so that password to login is never in transit
Pro Unique extension design
The extension is a remote autofill framework without storing passwords or requiring sign-in. Its design can help minimizing the security risks caused by browser vulnerabilities.
After you scan the QR code on a desktop browser to confirm filling, your password will be encrypted on your mobile app first, then sent to the cloud server via a mobile browser, and finally arrive at the extension to be decrypted and filled in.
Check this to know more details.
Pro Security chip encryption
The app protects your data with your phone's security chip, the same chip used by smartphone wallet to protect payment cards.
NFC Card in Android Pay.
iOS Apple Pay components.
Pro Backup & restore
You can back up all your data including passwords, OTP, attachments etc, with AES-256 and PBKDF2 encryption.
The app also allows you to send your backup password to your friends in encrypted form in case you forget it. Friends help save the encrypted backup password but cannot decrypt it, let alone access your database.
Pro Hundreds of terrific account templates
The app provides many account templates including tech giants like Google, crypto wallets like Binance, email accounts like CTemplar, game accounts like Steam, etc.
You can use these templates to save all your accounts' security information like recovery codes, security questions and answers, etc.
Pro Autofill login
2 taps to autofill your username and password on mobile apps or browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
Every time you use autofill, you must authenticate with your biometric or master password to unlock the app. So even if you temporarily lend your phone to someone else, you don't have to worry about them abusing autofill to sign in and spy on your accounts.
Pro Apple ID security template
You can use it to save passwords, recovery codes, receipts, security questions and answers, etc.
There are also some helpful security tips about how to protect your Apple ID.
Pro OTP authenticator (2FA)
You can use the app to help enable 2FA for other platform accounts. The password, OTP, and recovery codes of an account can be saved together.
For example see this.
Pro Save attachments and notes
You can add attachments to save the photos of your ID cards, driver licenses, etc. in the app. Like other data, your notes and attachments are well protected with secure chip encryption and sandbox isolation.
Pro Save payment cards
As long as you enter the card number, ID Guard Offline app can automatically identify the card issuer, card organization and so on. It is easier than ever to store payment card information.
Pro Anti malicious fraud
When you use autofill, the app can identify fake apps, display the requested information, automatically match the filling account, etc.
These security designs can prevent malicious apps or websites from defrauding your password with hidden password boxes, forged login interfaces, etc.
Pro Biometric or master password authentication
Every time you open the app, you are required to authenticate with biometric. If you have set a master password for extra protection, you can also unlock the app by entering the correct master password.
Pro Verifiable security technologies
They shared a lot of blogs to show how to verify their security technologies like security chip encryption, true offline, autofill phishing detection, extension security design, etc.
Check out tech blogs.
Pro Find back master password
With other password managers, if you forget your master password, your can't unlock your database forever. But this app is different. It allows you to send your master password to your friends in encrypted form in case you forget it. Friends help save the encrypted master password but cannot decrypt it, let alone access your database.
Pro Excellent password generator
Its password generator allows you to fine control special characters to satisfy complex password requirements like containing certain symbols, the same characters cannot be sequential.
See here.
Pro No ads, no tracking
Neither the app nor the extension has trackers.
You need to be careful if you’re using a password manager with trackers. Because hackers may attack these trackers to steal your passwords.
See this
Pro Supports multiple platforms
The app supports iOS and Android. The extension supports Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
The extension only can be used with the help of the app because all your data is safely stored in the app on your phone with secure chip encryption and sandbox isolation, while the extension does not keep any data.
See this
Pro Clean and intuitive UI
After unlocking the app, you will see all the stored accounts' logos and names on the main interface. Tap a tag, like Tools, you can see the accounts with that tag.
Pro Import & export
Support importing CSV files exported from Chrome/Edge/Firefox/Safari/Myki or importing them with zip encryption mode.
You can also export your data from ID Guard Offline app in CSV or JSON format with password encryption.
Pro Timeline (account history)
Automatically record the changing histories of your accounts. This feature would be very helpful if you are using some platforms that ask for the last 3 passwords when changing a new one.
Pro Add multiple tags
The app will automatically tag your stored accounts to help you manage them by categories. You can also add custom tags.
Pro Password meter
When you enter a password to save, the app will automatically detect its strength and let you know if it is a weak password.
Pro Auto-lock
To prevent someone from peeking at your passwords when you walk away temporarily, ID Guard Offline app will auto-lock if no interaction within 30 seconds.
Pro Easy to use
So easy to use some features, like 1 tap to add account, 2 taps to autofill password.
The first time you open the app, it will ask you to use biometric authentication or set a master password as the protection method to protect your data. After finishing that step, you can go into the app’s main interface and start using it. It's straightforward to use without extra setup or redundant introductions.
Pro Minimum permissions
- Access camera: Scan QR code to save or fill passwords.
- Use fingerprint hardware: Use fingerprint recognition to authenticate user (Cannot steal fingerprint data).
- Appear on top of other apps: An autofill bar will appear on top of the input box when autofill is enabled.
- Foreground service: Display the autofill bar when using accessibility service and let user know which app is displaying the floating bar.
- Google Play billing service: Unlock PRO features on Google Play. Google Play connects to the network to authorize user.
- Hide overlay windows: Hide overlay windows to prevent overlay attacks (Android 12+).
No FULL NETWORK ACCESS. TRUE offline. Minimize the attack surface and can never leak any data or be attacked via the network.
Check its permissions on Google Play
Pro Add custom logos
They pre-downloaded and packaged numerous platforms’ logos into the app. When you enter an app name to use its template to save a new account, the app will automatically show you the appropriate logo.
You can also select a picture from your system albums as your custom logo. And yet, if you are an Android user, you can pick logos from the installed apps on your phone.
See this
Pro No signup or login
Neither require sign-up and login nor collect personal information. They have no idea who you are, let alone bother you with ad tracking or promotional emails.
Cons
Con Not open source (free/libre)
This application is proprietary, and thus cannot be modified, freely distributed, or trusted to be secure.
Con Inability to fill password sometimes
You have to fill twice to make it work.
Con Default is subscription model
It's really hard to find out how to obtain a full license.
Con Support sucks
Support does sometimes does not read requests thoroughly, and offers ham-baked or non-workable sulutions.
Con Unintuitive and slow responding UI
A hot mess of desktop applications and browser plugins that are supposed to work together, but don't always do. Browser plugins frequently become unresponsive and are very basic in comparison to other solutions.
Con Lack of Google Drive sync
Only icloud, wifi and Dropbox support.
Con Tough/impossible to get on Chromebook
Con Does not auto-fill and generate passwords in Microsoft Edge for Windows 10
The 1Password Edge extension doesn't work as well as in other browsers, as it can't auto-fill and generate passwords. Only LastPass seems to have a fully-functional browser plugin for the Edge browser at this time.
Con Unreasonably high price
It has a high monthly subscription price.
Con Closed source
Not being open source means that you have to trust them for what they say. Trusting someone with all your passwords is never a good idea.
Con Lack of desktop clients
It might seem that whole world is "mobile" now. But that's not true. A lot of people use their notebooks or even desktop computers to work from. Lack of Linux and Windows clients holds this back.
But it has an extension that supports Chrome, Firefox and Edge. You can autofill passwords on desktop browsers with the help of the app.
Here is a post to share how the extension works.
Another post to introduce the extension's security designs.
Con Chinese company
ID Guard Offline is owned by Bluespace Tech, a company based in Guangdong, China.