RoboForm vs. 1Password: Which Password Manager Wins in 2025?

RoboForm and 1Password both made our list of the best password managers of 2025. Choosing between them is like picking between two five-star restaurants — both will satisfy your cravings, but each one has its own special flavor.

We spent the last four weeks testing RoboForm and 1Password side by side. We examined everything from their security architecture to how they perform in everyday use. We concluded that overall, RoboForm is the better password manager thanks to its more affordable pricing and superb form-filling ability. 1Password put up a good fight, though. Let’s see which flavor is right for you.

RoboForm vs. 1Password: Security

RoboForm and 1Password both encrypt password vaults using 256-bit AES, which is the gold standard. It’s the same encryption the U.S. government uses for classified data.

Both apps use what’s called a zero-knowledge setup. That means even though your data passes through their servers, neither company can actually see what’s in your vault. Everything is end-to-end encrypted, and only your master password (which only you know) can unlock that encryption.

Where RoboForm Wins

RoboForm has a slight edge for privacy-conscious users because of its optional local-only mode. In this mode, nothing is backed up on RoboForm’s servers. All your data is stored on your device. This makes the zero-knowledge setup even stronger, but at the same time, it limits cross-device syncing. We don’t recommend the local-only mode if you plan to use your password manager on multiple devices.

Where 1Password Wins

1Password takes security a step further with its Secret Key system. It’s a 34-character code you must enter alongside your master password when signing in on a new device. We think this dual-layer approach is effective. Even if someone else manages to obtain your master password, they won’t be able to access your vault without the Secret Key. Just make sure to keep a copy of your Secret Key.

App Interface and User Experience

RoboForm and 1Password both have apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. We logged hundreds of hours testing them on all those platforms and found that both have excellent apps. They worked great on desktops, especially if you stick to their browser extensions. The mobile apps also performed well. In fact, we listed both options as two of the best password managers for Android and best password managers for iOS.

Where RoboForm Wins

From what we saw, RoboForm prioritizes functionality over design, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We noticed that the software loads faster than 1Password, especially on an old Windows 10 laptop we used for testing. The straightforward design also meant less clicking to accomplish common tasks such as saving new passwords. Saving new logins takes two clicks with RoboForm versus three clicks with 1Password.

Where 1Password Wins

1Password’s interface felt like a premium product from the moment we opened it. It has clean lines, animations that look nice but not too distracting, and a color-coded system that makes finding specific features intuitive. We found the Watchtower feature particularly useful. It checks for weak, reused, or potentially compromised passwords, color-coded to show order of priority.

Auto-Filling and Form-Filling

This is where RoboForm truly shined. We tested both password managers across 50 popular websites and 25 complex web forms, including tax software, healthcare portals, and multi-page checkout processes. RoboForm correctly filled 94 percent of fields on the first attempt, while 1Password managed 81 percent. The difference became especially apparent with non-standard forms. RoboForm was able to adapt to unusual layouts that trip up other password managers.

We also liked that RoboForm allowed us to create multiple identity profiles, especially since we use aliases when signing up for online shopping accounts, newsletters, and other high-risk websites. 1Password handled basic form-filling well, but it lacked RoboForm’s depth.

Cross-Platform Syncing

Of course, we also tested both password managers’ auto-fill features on multiple devices. For that, we first checked how well they can sync data across different platforms.

1Password synced almost instantly when the connection was strong, usually under two seconds. But when we tested on slower hotel Wi-Fi, RoboForm held up better and synced changes in under five seconds, while 1Password sometimes timed out.

Overall, both handled cross-platform syncing well, but if you’re a frequent traveler, or if you frequently use devices over public Wi-Fi, we recommend going with RoboForm for a smoother experience.

Password Generation and Management

Both RoboForm and 1Password can generate strong passwords, but their approaches differ.

1Password offers more granular control. We could specify exact character requirements, such as including or excluding special characters. The icing on the cake is that 1Password remembers those preferences based on the type of website (e.g. banking sites get 20-character passwords, while forums get 12 characters).

RoboForm offered us the same level of customizability, but since it can’t remember website preferences, we found ourselves manually adjusting settings more often. On the bright side, RoboForm more reliably captures password changes. It caught 98 percent of password changes automatically (49 out of 50), while 1Password caught only 92 percent (46 out of 50).

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Advanced Features

Beyond basic password storage, auto-filling, and password generation, we also tested RoboForm and 1Password’s more advanced features. We found one noteworthy feature from each manager that could sway your decision.

RoboForm’s Desktop Application

To us, RoboForm’s desktop application stood out. It’s one of the very few Windows password manager apps that can auto-fill login credentials into third-party apps, like Outlook or Slack. Most desktop apps we tested require that you manually copy and paste passwords from the vault or use the browser extension.

We did notice that the app auto-fill feature isn’t as reliable as RoboForm’s website/browser auto-fill. Some apps require that you “attach” RoboForm. Look for the banner at the bottom of the app window; that’s where the “attach” button usually shows up. Once you attach RoboForm to the app, subsequent logins will be automatic.

1Password’s Travel Mode

We found 1Password’s Travel Mode to be its most outstanding extra feature. It’s the digital equivalent of leaving your confidential documents safely at home when you’re traveling.  You can mark data in your vault (documents, files, passwords, etc.) as “safe for travel,” and when you turn on Travel Mode, only that data will remain on your device.

Travel Mode can potentially come in handy in restrictive countries or if you travel for work. If your device is stolen, lost, or confiscated, only data you marked safe for travel will be accessible, even if someone manages to unlock your vault. You can only restore all the hidden data via the web app dashboard.

>> Related: Best Password Managers for Business and Professionals

Other Similarities

To highlight our other findings, we found that RoboForm and 1Password both have core features that perform well.

• Both support multi-factor authentication on mobile devices and biometric login on desktops/laptops.
• They offer secure password sharing, which works particularly well if you have a family or business account.
• They both look out for weak, reused, and compromised passwords.

Other Differences

One key difference is that RoboForm offers a free password manager. You can use it on only one device at a time, but it can store unlimited passwords. Compared to Dashlane’s free password manager with space for only 25 passwords, that’s a huge advantage.

With 1Password, there’s only a 14-day free trial available. We recommend using it to test if 1Password can work out for you, but it’s not a long-term solution at all.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we found both RoboForm and 1Password adequate for most password storage and management needs. We think RoboForm offers better value overall. It’s more affordable than 1Password, yet it outperformed most password managers we tested in terms of auto-filling and form-filling.

That said, we believe that 1Password is a more premium option. The price reflects that, but so does the overall user experience. It’s not the easiest to use for beginners, but we think power users looking for customizability will like 1Password’s tool more than RoboForm.