# Things to consider when picking a password and identity manager

As more of our daily lives goes online, good tools that can manage our passwords, identity, shopping, and other sensitive information are no longer just a convenience or luxury—they are now an absolute necessity. But there are a lot of important decisions to weigh when picking such a tool, so we’ve highlighted some of them for your consideration.

## Security doesn’t have to sacrifice usability

Keeping your data safe should be the ultimate goal of any password and identity manager. But obtaining that goal should not force you to jump through tedious hoops or completely change the way you work. That’s why 1Password’s powerful, integrated approach is designed with the ultimate goal of making your life both more secure and convenient.

When shopping for a password and identity manager, ask yourself: does it integrate with my browser, or multiple browsers if I ever need to switch? Can I login or fill forms with a single menu option or keyboard shortcut? Is my data really secure sitting on some small startup company’s servers, or encrypted and protected from prying eyes on my own computer?

## Do I own my data?

If you are considering using a web service for your password and identity management needs, you should probably go over their terms of service and privacy policies with a fine-toothed comb. That goes double-so if the service is given away for “free,” because companies still need to make money to pay their employees one way or another. If you aren’t paying directly for a product or service, the company has to use an alternative business model that could include advertising or selling anonymous usage statistics to other businesses. There’s nothing

## Where is my data, and do I always have access to it?

## How often are updates released?

## Is it really ready for my needs?

Some tools were originally designed to only store one username and password entry for each site. As we put more of our lives online, many users increasingly need to create multiple logins for a single site, encrypted notes to protect free-form information, multiple contact cards for managing both personal and business identities, and more.

Many tools have attempted to answer customers by bolting on new features or adding tools you’ll never need. Few have taken a serious, deeply integrated approach to meeting the 21st century need to make our online lives both more secure and convenient.

## Does it just store my information, or is my identity truly secure?

## Can it protect me from phishing and other scams?

## Can I talk to someone?

## Is there a sustainable business model?

There are many ways to run a software business these days, though some of them are more sustainable than others. Selling licenses in exchange for updates and customer support still works well for most software developers, while some new companies are experimenting with the “free” business model. The approach is to give away some products or features for free, but then charge “premium” subscriptions to customers who want more features or flexibility.

Since companies still need to make money one way or another to pay their employees, answer support questions, and generally keep the lights on, “free” is rarely free. If you aren’t paying directly for a product or service, companies typically use an alternative business model that could include advertising or selling anonymous usage statistics to other businesses.

## Can I get my money back?