Both NordPass Business and 1Password Business are excellent password managers for small teams. The choice comes down to price, security architecture preferences, and how much admin control you need. We tested both with teams of 5–50 people.
| Criteria | NordPass Business | 1Password Business |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | ★ 4.7 Winner | ★ 4.4 |
| Security architecture | XChaCha20 Winner | AES-256 |
| Ease of onboarding | Very easy Winner | Easy |
| Admin controls | Good | Excellent Winner |
| Passkey support | ✓ Full Winner | ✓ Full |
| Starting price | $1.79/user/mo Winner | $7.99/user/mo |
Both tools are zero-knowledge — neither company can read your passwords. The difference is in the encryption algorithm used.
NordPass uses XChaCha20, a modern algorithm that's considered more resistant to timing attacks than AES-256 and performs better on devices without hardware AES acceleration (older hardware, mobile devices). 1Password uses AES-256-GCM, which is equally secure and battle-tested over decades.
In practice, both are unbreakable with current computing power. The XChaCha20 advantage is mostly theoretical for SMBs, but it does reflect NordPass's commitment to using cutting-edge cryptography.
Zero-knowledge means: even if NordPass or 1Password's servers were breached, attackers would only get encrypted data they can't read. Your master password never leaves your device unencrypted.
NordPass wins on onboarding simplicity. Setting up a new team member takes under 3 minutes — they receive an invite email, install the browser extension, and are prompted through vault setup. The interface is clean and minimal, which reduces training overhead for non-technical staff.
1Password is also intuitive but has more features visible upfront, which can overwhelm users who just need to save passwords. Its Travel Mode (hiding vaults when crossing borders) and Watchtower breach monitoring are genuinely useful features — but add complexity that many small teams won't use.
This is where 1Password pulls ahead. Its admin console gives IT administrators granular control: you can set which vaults specific users or groups can access, enforce password policies (minimum length, complexity, rotation), and get detailed audit logs of who accessed what credential and when.
NordPass Business has solid admin features — user management, shared vaults, activity logs — but they're less granular. For most SMBs of 5–30 people, this isn't a problem. For larger teams or those in regulated industries where you need detailed access audit trails, 1Password's admin tooling is genuinely better.
The price gap is significant:
That's a $744/year difference for 10 users. For an SMB, that's meaningful money. NordPass delivers 90% of the value at 22% of the price. Unless you specifically need 1Password's advanced admin features, the economics strongly favour NordPass.
Try NordPass Business free for 14 daysFrom $1.79/user/mo · We may earn a commission
Choose NordPass Business if you want the best value for a team of 5–30 people, prioritise ease of onboarding, and don't need granular vault permission controls.
Choose 1Password Business if you have a larger team, work in a regulated industry requiring detailed audit logs, or need advanced admin controls and Travel Mode.