Topics 1Password

1Password

Proprietary cross-platform password manager

1Password is a proprietary password manager developed by AgileBits Inc. and associated service, which stores your passwords on AgileBits’ servers for a monthly fee.

• Proprietary: Free (as in freedom, not price) software puts the user in control by allowing you to use the software for any purpose, modify it, and redistribute it. Non-free or proprietary software, on the other hand, witholds one or more of these freedoms, giving the developer of the software unjust power over the users.

  Not only does 1Password come with a proprietary license, but the developers do not make the source code available, which means that, as a practical matter, the user cannot verify how the program works. For security-sensitive purposes, such as managing passwords and other secrets, this is highly problematic.

• Centralized: Centralized services are operated and controlled by a single entity, putting the operator in the position of gatekeeper with total power over your use of the service. Centralized systems also suffer from a single point of failure and are vulnerable to censorship both by the operator and by governments with jurisdiction over the operation of the service.

• Limited Interoperability: Interoperability increases freedom and usefulness by allowing different systems to work together. When a service is hostile to other services interoperating, particularly a communication service, this places users in a walled garden, which limits choice and can make it difficult to switch to or from an alternative.

  1Password uses a password database format that is incompatible with other password managers.

• Disallows Alternative Clients: Requires the use of sanctioned software clients with the provided service. This means that if the official client contains anti-features, for example, you cannot avoid them by using an alternative.