1Password vs Bear
The ultimate side-by-side head-to-head analysis for 2026.
Short answer
- Price: not directly comparable — 1Password is from $3/user/mo, Bear is free tier available.
- How to start: 1Password is from $3/user/mo, Bear is free tier available.
These lines are generated from the pricing we track, not from a paid placement. We do not publish a quality score, because we do not have one we can stand behind. They cannot tell you which tool fits your workflow — the sections below are there for that. How we score tools.
1Password
Bear
Category
Productivity
Productivity
Base Price
$3/user/mo
Free tier
Public API
Yes
No
Mobile app
Yes
Yes
Open source / self-hostable
No
No
SSO (SAML)
Yes
No
Choose 1Password if:
Privacy-Conscious Users and Corporate Security Teams.
Choose Bear if:
Apple users who write a lot and want the app to disappear.
1Password: pros & cons
- Impeccable Security Record: Holds the most prestigious security certifications in the industry.
- Cross-Device Sync: Works instantly across phones, computers, and all major browsers.
- Family Sharing: Securely share specific vaults with other family members or team members.
- Travel Mode: Temporarily remove sensitive vaults from your device while crossing borders.
- No Free Tier: Requires a paid subscription after the initial trial period.
- Feature Depth: The sheer number of tools can be overkill for very casual users.
- Master Password: If you lose your master password, there is no way to recover your data (for security).
Bear: pros & cons
- Beautiful, distraction-free writing
- Tag organisation instead of folders
- Fast and native
- Apple platforms only
- Sync requires the subscription
- Limited collaboration
Our verdict on 1Password
If you don't want to leave your digital security to chance, this is the best solution on the market.
Our verdict on Bear
One of the nicest writing apps anywhere. Cross-platform teams cannot use it.