If you're still reusing the same three passwords across every client portal, invoice tool, and bank login, the real risk isn't which password manager logo looks nicest. It's the price you're not tracking. As of August 2026, 1Password's individual plan is advertised at $2.99 a month, but that's a first-year-only promo for new customers on annual billing. After a price increase that took effect March 27, 2026, the plan renews at $3.99 a month, or $47.88 a year, a 33% jump from the previous $35.88 (source: techradar.com, 2026). Bitwarden's paid tier costs $1.65 a month billed annually, and its free plan already covers unlimited passwords across unlimited devices.
Why the surface-level comparison is misleading
Most "best password manager" roundups quote 1Password's promo rate as if it's the ongoing cost, because that's the number on the pricing page above the fold. It isn't. 1Password's own pricing page states the discount applies "for new 1Password customers only for the first year with annual billing" (source: 1password.com/pricing/personal, 2026). Existing subscribers renewing after March 27, 2026 pay $47.88 a year for Individual and $71.88 a year for Family, both up 33% from the prior rates, according to 1Password's own change announcement (source: techradar.com, 2026). None of that shows up in a screenshot of the promo banner.
The second blind spot runs the other way. NordPass markets itself as having a genuinely free plan, and it does, with unlimited passwords and passkeys at no cost. What the marketing doesn't lead with is that the free plan allows only one active device session at a time (source: support.nordpass.com, 2026). If you fill out a form on your laptop and then try to autofill the same login on your phone five minutes later, you'll get logged out of one or the other. For a solopreneur who moves between a laptop, a phone, and sometimes a client's shared computer, that's not a minor inconvenience, it's the plan not doing the one job you bought it for.
What each tool actually charges
1Password. No free plan. New customers see $2.99 a month billed annually for Individual, a first-year promo that reverts to $3.99 a month ($47.88 a year) at renewal. Family runs $4.49 a month as a promo, renewing at $5.99 a month ($71.88 a year) for up to 5 members (source: 1password.com/pricing/personal, techradar.com, 2026). Both plans include a 14-day free trial. The apps are genuinely well built, and Family sharing is easier to set up than Bitwarden's, but you're paying roughly double Bitwarden's price once the promo period ends.
Bitwarden. The free plan supports unlimited passwords and unlimited devices, plus encrypted sharing with one other person, two-factor login, and passkey storage. Premium costs $1.65 a month billed annually ($19.80 a year) and adds 5GB of encrypted file attachments, vault health reports that flag weak or reused passwords, an integrated authenticator for six-digit codes, and priority email support. For a solo user, the free plan alone often covers everything needed; Premium is worth it mainly for the built-in authenticator and breach alerts.
Dashlane. Dashlane discontinued its free plan in September 2025. It now offers a 14-day trial only. Premium costs $4.99 a month billed annually ($59.88 a year), and Family (up to 10 members) runs $7.49 a month (source: security.org, 2026). That makes it the most expensive individual plan of the four once you're past 1Password's promo year, without a free tier to fall back on if you decide not to renew.
NordPass. Free plan covers unlimited passwords and passkeys but limits you to one active device session at a time. Premium costs $1.59 a month on a 2-year commitment or $1.89 a month billed for 1 year, and removes the device restriction along with adding a data breach scanner, password health checks, and email masking (source: security.org, support.nordpass.com, 2026). At the 2-year rate, it's the cheapest paid plan of the four, but committing to 2 years upfront is a real trade-off if you're not sure you'll stick with it.
Comparison
| Tool | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan (solo) | What you actually get |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Password | None (14-day trial) | $3.99/month at renewal ($47.88/year) | Polished apps, easy family sharing, no free fallback |
| Bitwarden | Unlimited passwords, unlimited devices | $1.65/month ($19.80/year) | Open source, independently audited, built-in authenticator on paid tier |
| Dashlane | None (14-day trial) | $4.99/month ($59.88/year) | Most expensive of the four, no free tier to fall back on |
| NordPass | Unlimited passwords, 1 device session | $1.59/month on 2-year plan | Cheapest paid tier, but free plan breaks across multiple devices |
The decision that actually matters
If you want free and actually usable across a laptop and a phone at the same time, Bitwarden is the only one of the four that does that without a paywall. It's open source, it's been independently audited, and the free plan isn't a stripped-down trial dressed up as a product.
If you've already decided to pay and want the most polished experience with easy family sharing, 1Password earns its price, but budget for the $47.88-a-year renewal rate, not the $2.99-a-month number on the landing page. Set a calendar reminder for your renewal date so the jump doesn't catch you off guard.
If you're genuinely a one-device operation, work entirely from a single laptop, and want the lowest possible cost, NordPass's free plan or its $1.59-a-month 2-year rate both undercut everyone else. The moment you add a second device you use regularly, that math changes fast.
Dashlane is the hardest of the four to recommend for a solopreneur specifically. It costs more than 1Password's renewal rate, more than Bitwarden by 3x, and offers no free plan to fall back on if you decide it's not worth the price.
FAQ
Is 1Password worth it in 2026?
It depends on which price you're comparing. The advertised $2.99 a month rate is a first-year promo for new customers only, billed annually. After a price increase that took effect March 27, 2026, the individual plan renews at $3.99 a month ($47.88 a year), a 33% jump from the previous $35.88 a year. If the polished apps and family sharing are worth that renewal price to you, it's a solid tool. If not, Bitwarden's paid plan costs less than half as much.
What's the best free password manager for solopreneurs?
Bitwarden. Its free plan includes unlimited passwords and unlimited devices, which is rare among free tiers. NordPass also has a free plan, but it restricts you to one active device session at a time, so switching from your laptop to your phone logs you out of the other.
Does NordPass have a free plan?
Yes, and it covers unlimited passwords and passkeys with autosave and autofill. The catch is device access: the free plan allows only one active session at a time, so it works if you use a single device for everything, but not if you split work between a laptop and a phone.
Is Bitwarden safe to use for client and business logins?
Yes. Bitwarden is open source and has undergone independent third-party security audits, which is more transparency than most closed-source competitors offer. The free plan already supports two-factor login, encrypted sharing with one other person, and passkey storage.
What happened to Dashlane's free plan?
Dashlane discontinued its free tier in September 2025. It now offers only a 14-day free trial before you're billed. The individual Premium plan costs $4.99 a month billed annually, and the family plan (up to 10 members) runs $7.49 a month.
A password manager is one piece of keeping client data secure, not the whole job. If you haven't looked at what else is quietly renewing on your card, auditing your software subscriptions takes about 30 minutes and usually turns up at least one tool worth cutting. And if client files themselves need a safer home than your downloads folder, our cloud storage comparison covers that ground too.
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