1Password 5 for iOS 8 has been released with Browser plug in support. And it is now Free to use, though requires a paid upgrade of $9.99 to Pro for some important features.

    •    Create the full range of items including Bank Accounts, Email Accounts, Memberships, Passports, Reward Programs, Wireless Routers, Software Licenses, and many more.
    •    Organize your items with folders and tags.
    •    Create and add Multiple Vaults.
    •    Add custom fields to all items.
    •    Support a great company with world-class human-powered customer service that loves you. Yes, including you.

Still the new features alone make me think that SplashID may be on it’s way out as my Password manager of choice:

•     App Extensions – Use 1Password to log into a growing list of your favorite apps and even update your passwords—all with just a tap!
•     Safari + 1Password – You read that right. Just like our in-app 1Browser, you can now fill 1Password Logins directly within Safari! Ooh, speaking of thumbs…
•     Unlock with Touch ID – After unlocking with your Master Password, get back into your vault in 1Password, Safari, and your favorite apps with just your thumb on devices with Touch ID. Check Settings > Security to learn how this works and pick your auto-lock time.
•     Sync now goes to 11 – We rebuilt iCloud sync using Apple’s new CloudKit and it is awesome. Wi-Fi Sync will be automatic and sync attachments with the forthcoming 1Password 5 for Mac, and it’s just plain also awesomer.
•     Adaptive UI – Whether you’re on an iPhone 4S, iPad Air, or a brand new iPhone 6 Plus, 1Password’s interface is dressed for the occasion.
•     So much more – Resume editing items after unlocking 1Password. A brand new Welcome Aboard process makes it even easier to set sail with 1Password. Backup restoration has you covered. And all that is just page one.

And to have the browser extensions choice is just awesome. Now I just wish my iPhone 5C and iPad AIR had Touch ID for unlocking!

SplashID has announced that Version 8 is coming soon, according to their blog.

And they list the new features:

– Brand new optimized apps for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and the web
– Updated UI enabling more functionality on a single screen
– Advanced list view
– Automatic backup feature
– New full featured browser plug-ins for Chrome, Safari, and Firefox
– Security dashboard featuring alerts and one step fixes for outdated passwords, weak passwords, and duplicated passwords

No mention is made of iOS 8 Plug In. And if that is the case, both LastPass and 1Password will be having that as a feature, and if that is the case it looks like I might be changing password managers!

Honestly I am kind of excited about 1Password not being cloud based at all, so that might just be what I move to, because I would like to have most of my data off the cloud, but I do use LastPass a lot, so I might move to 1Password and LastPass instead of SplashID and LastPass as I currently use. I like the idea of having one completely offline, that syncs via the computer to my iOS devices. And if 1Password works well maybe I will consider giving up on LastPass altogether, though I do love it’s security checks.

I have been a long time user of Password managers, just for the convenience. And with internet security crumbling around us, we might need them even more. I actually use 2 password managers, but might have to consider changing up based on future features, many of which have been announced.

Now about the two programs I use and why.

For web browser based password management I have used LastPass for years. Now Cloud based security has always scared me, but they use plug in based encryption, and 2 Step Verification (I used Google Authenticator to get a second password to log in). It is a great paid service (yearly fee) and offers security checks on passwords and warns of security breaches, but the interface is a bit archaic, and it does seem to have many problems with ending up with many different password entries for many web sites, and it can be hard to tell which one is correct. It has an iOS APP, but doesn’t integrate with iOS Safari as it does with browsers on Android, so I don’t like it’s interface, and use another solution. I do already use it’s sister app Xmarks to sync bookmarks though so I have always gotten a discount for both!

For an iOS and Mac based password manager I used Spashdata‘s Splash ID Safe. It has Mac and Windows based apps, as well as iOS Android and many other apps. I went with Splash ID as I had been using their apps since old Palm Pilot days. Now originally you could buy Splash ID and it synced via iTunes sync (or Android syncing) to your phone, and kept in sync with your computer with your passwords. It never had problems with multiple entries as it did not work as a browser based system, so you enter everything, and can organize it easily as you see fit. And yes I do enter all my passwords in it, and then let LastPass also have my passwords. Of course now it has moved to a cloud based system, though you can chose to not go cloud, but to sync between devices you need Cloud, which I have always felt it was less secure, but now it has 2 pass verification, but I still prefred to have something online.

Now there has been a 3rd solution for a long time, which I do not use which is 1Password. It is browser, App and Phone based, kind of combining 1Pass and SplashiD safe (i now LastPass has iOS and Android apps, but I never liked it much, and the iOS one can’t integrate with your browser anyway, though it can on android) but without the cloud based solutions, so it is more secure, though less portable to say a work computer. Still this does mean more security, which I do like, and it can do iCloud, Dropbox or WIFI only sync.