1Password

What it is

1Password stores credentials in encrypted vaults and fills them in when you need them. For a business the important part is the sharing model: a vault per team or per client, so access is granted and revoked as a group rather than by sending a password in a chat message that stays searchable forever.

All plans use end-to-end AES 256-bit encryption, generate strong passwords, autofill across devices, and raise alerts on breaches, weak passwords and team usage. Business tiers add role-based vault sharing, integration with identity providers such as Okta and Azure AD, and custom reporting.

Who it's for (and who it isn't)

It fits every business with more than one person, which is a strong claim and an honest one. Shared logins in a spreadsheet or a chat history is the most common security weakness in small companies, and it is also the easiest to fix.

There is no real "not for" case on function, only on choice: if your team already lives in a platform with a competent built-in manager and actually uses it, adding a second tool creates two places to look. The failure to avoid is having a password manager that half the team ignores while credentials continue to circulate in messages.

Pricing

1Password is paid, with a 14-day free trial on all plans and no free tier. Individual is $2.99 per month paid annually, or $3.99 monthly. Families is $4.49 per month paid annually, or $5.99 monthly. The Teams Starter Pack is $24.95 paid annually and includes 10 members. Business is $8.99 per user per month paid annually.

The Teams Starter Pack is the notable line: 10 members for $24.95 paid annually is a small enough number that cost is not a real objection for a small company, and it is worth comparing against Business per-user pricing based on how many people you actually have.

Set it up

Official guide: Administrators: Get started with 1Password

1. Sign up for 1Password on the Teams Starter Pack, which costs $24.95 for 10 members paid annually. Every plan has a 14-day free trial. When you create the account you become the account owner, the person with full administrative rights. Your team account now exists and you own it.
2. Install the 1Password browser extension (the add-on that saves and fills in your passwords) and pin it to your browser toolbar. Then sign in to it with your new account. You now see the 1Password icon in your toolbar.
3. Create a vault, which is a container for passwords and documents that you choose who can open. In the sidebar select "Vaults", then "New Vault". Choose "Custom", type a name such as the name of one team or client, and select "Create Vault". You now see the vault on all your devices.
4. Save your first password. Go to a website you sign in to, enter your username and password and sign in. 1Password offers to save the login. Check that the vault you just made is selected, then select "Save". The login is now saved in that vault.
5. Invite your team. On 1Password.com, select "Invitations" in the sidebar, then "Invite by email". Enter the email addresses and select "Invite". This emails each person an invitation. The Starter Pack covers 10 members, so invite at most 9 other people. After each person signs up, confirm their account on the same page. You now see the people you invited on the Invitations page.
6. Give people access to the vault. Select "Vaults", then the vault's name. Select "People", then "Manage". Enter a team member's name, select them in the dropdown, and select "Save". You now see a list of the people the vault is shared with.
7. Add a second owner, because you cannot recover your own account. Select "Groups" in the sidebar, then "Owners". Select "People", then "Manage". Select a colleague you trust who has already confirmed their account, and select "Update Group Members". Owners have full administrative rights. Your colleague is now a second owner.

When this works, the team's shared passwords sit in a vault that only the people you chose can open, and a second owner can help if you are ever locked out.

Strengths and limitations

The strength is the ratio of risk removed to money spent. Few purchases at this price meaningfully reduce the chance of a business-ending incident, and shared vaults fix the specific practice that causes most small-company breaches.

The limitations are adoption and the single point of concentration. A password manager only helps if everyone uses it, and partial adoption leaves the old habits running alongside. Consolidating every credential in one system also means the master password and recovery process matter enormously, so set those up carefully rather than quickly.