MoatKeyA 1Password alternative for families: MoatKey, compared honestly
1Password is an established, widely used password manager. MoatKey is newer and smaller. If you are weighing 1Password Family against MoatKey, this page says where each one is stronger, so you can decide without a sales pitch.
Short version: choose 1Password if you want a long track record, published independent audits and apps on more platforms. Look at MoatKey if shared two-factor codes and per-Castle sharing matter more to your household, and you accept that MoatKey has not had an independent audit yet.
Side by side
| 1Password | MoatKey | |
|---|---|---|
| Family size | Family plan: up to five members, each with a private vault, plus shared vaults | Family plan: up to 6 people, with shared Castles for any group |
| Platforms | Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Android; extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and Safari | iPhone, iPad, Android, and Chrome and Edge extensions |
| Independent audits | Says it publishes the results of independent audits and runs a bug bounty | None yet. Internal security review only |
| Recovery | Emergency Kit and recovery codes; family admins can help members recover accounts | Emergency Kit with a Recovery Key; nobody at MoatKey can reset your master password |
| Two-factor codes | Items can include a two-factor code field | Built-in authenticator; a shared Castle can show everyone the current code |
| Passkeys | Stores and tracks passkeys | Beta, browser extension only |
| Pricing | Check 1Password’s pricing page for current pricing. MoatKey’s free and paid plans are on the MoatKey page. | |
Where 1Password is stronger
- Track record and audits. 1Password says it is assessed by independent experts and publishes the results of independent audits, and it points to a large bug bounty. MoatKey has neither yet.
- More platforms. 1Password lists desktop apps for Mac, Windows and Linux, an Apple Watch app, and extensions for Firefox and Safari. MoatKey has none of those today.
- Sharing with people who have no account. 1Password says you can share items with anyone, even people without 1Password, with automatic expiration and one-time viewing.
- Extras. It lists Watchtower alerts, developer tools such as SSH keys and a command-line tool, and storage for important documents.
- Family recovery help. 1Password says family admins can help members recover accounts. In MoatKey no one, including us, can reset your master password.
Where MoatKey is different
- Castles. A Castle is an encrypted space you share with exactly the people you pick, as Viewer, Editor or Castle Admin. Removing someone changes the Castle’s key.
- Shared two-factor codes. The whole Castle can see the current code, generated on each member’s own device, so a login never waits for whoever owns the phone. See authenticator codes.
- Safety numbers. Before someone joins a shared Castle, you can compare numbers on a call so nobody can slip in a swapped key. How it works.
- Hybrid post-quantum sharing. Castle keys are sealed for each member with X25519 and ML-KEM-768 together, and key changes are signed with ML-DSA. This is a design choice, not a claim about overall strength.
- A free plan. Up to 50 saved items, built-in authenticator codes, a password generator and import.
MoatKey’s honest limits
- MoatKey had an internal security review on October 1, 2026. It has not had an independent audit yet. We plan one and will say so on the Security page when it is done.
- If you forget your master password and lose your Emergency Kit, we cannot recover your vault. Nobody can.
- MoatKey is newer, with a shorter history and fewer platforms and integrations than 1Password.
- Passkeys are in beta and browser-only. The Team plan is available in the browser extension.
Switching
MoatKey’s import reads exports from Chrome, Edge and Bitwarden, plus text and other CSV files that have a password column. 1Password is not a named import source, so a 1Password CSV may or may not map cleanly: try a small file first. 1Password’s help explains its export options.
- Export from 1Password to a file, using their instructions.
- In the MoatKey extension, open Tools → Import and choose the file (on Android, Settings → Import passwords).
- Check the count, import, then delete the export file. It holds your passwords in plain text.
MoatKey can also export an unencrypted CSV in Bitwarden’s format, which 1Password lists among the formats it can import (any app that exports a CSV), so leaving is possible too. Dungeon items and passkeys are left out of the CSV.
Questions
Is MoatKey a good 1Password alternative for a family?
It can be, if your household wants shared Castles and shared two-factor codes and is comfortable with a newer product. If you want published independent audit results and more platforms, 1Password is the stronger choice today.
Has MoatKey had an independent audit?
No. MoatKey has had an internal security review only. We plan an independent audit and will say so on our Security page when it is done.
Can MoatKey reset my master password if I forget it?
No. We cannot read your vault and have no master key. Your Emergency Kit is the way back in. If you lose both, nobody can open the vault.
Does MoatKey work on a Mac or in Firefox?
Not as separate apps. MoatKey runs as a Chrome and Edge extension (it also works in other Chrome-based browsers) and on iPhone, iPad and Android.
How much does it cost compared with 1Password?
We do not quote other companies’ prices. Check 1Password’s pricing page for current pricing. MoatKey’s prices are on the MoatKey page.
Try MoatKey free
MoatKey is out now on iPhone, iPad, Android, Chrome and Edge.
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1Password, Bitwarden and LastPass are trademarks of their respective owners. G3NO SYSTEMS is not affiliated with them. Facts about other products come from their own public pages, checked November 7, 2026, and may have changed since.