1Password vs Shortwave
The ultimate side-by-side head-to-head analysis for 2026.
Short answer
- Price: not directly comparable — 1Password is from $3/user/mo, Shortwave is free tier available.
- How to start: 1Password is from $3/user/mo, Shortwave 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 We do not publish a quality score, because we do not have one we can stand behind.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
Shortwave
Category
Productivity
Productivity
Base Price
$3/user/mo
Free tier
Public API
Yes
Yes
Mobile app
Yes
Yes
Open source / self-hostable
No
No
SSO (SAML)
Yes
Yes
Choose 1Password if:
Privacy-Conscious Users and Corporate Security Teams.
Choose Shortwave if:
Heavy Gmail users drowning in threads.
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).
Shortwave: pros & cons
- AI summaries of long threads
- Fast keyboard-driven interface
- Works on top of existing Gmail
- Gmail only
- Subscription on top of your mail account
- AI features require sending content to a model
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 Shortwave
A real improvement over the Gmail web client. Non-Gmail users are out of luck.