Happy 18th birthday, 1Password!

It was a side project that was meant to take three weeks. We had built a tool to fill a need we had - saving passwords and everything else you need to submit on webpages, so they could be stored and shared securely. Along the way, we could use this tool to test how well that information was filled into the page. We did all that so we could get back to building websites and doing our other projects faster.

We knew that other people might also like what we had built. But what surprised us was the passion of the community! As soon as we launched 1Passwd on MacUpdate and Version Tracker, we were welcomed with open arms, kicking off what would become an amazing journey to where we are today.

Over the last 18 years, it’s been our customers who have continued to inspire and drive us forward, and to continue to make 1Password the most-loved password manager. It was a different world 18 years ago - macOS (then Mac OS X) was still a niche operating system, the only pocket calculator you had was a Casio, and your Nokia flip phone was there to make emergency phone calls.

It’s been our customers who have continued to inspire and drive us forward.

When we launched, we were Mac exclusive. It was “just” a tool that we thought other developers might like to use - and use it they did! The suggestions and feedback from our customers created a positive feedback loop for us: build something, release it, listen to our users, then iterate on it and release it again.

It was our customers who demanded a Windows version. They were using our password manager on multiple machines and wanted that convenience and security everywhere they were. When Steve Jobs introduced the world to the iPhone, our customers wanted us there too. The 1Password community was everywhere, and they wanted us there with them, from browsers to Android phones, from Linux systems to iPads - everywhere!

As our customers grew and changed, we did as well. We continued our positive feedback loop and continued to iterate, evolving 1Password into the company we are now. One of our biggest moments was in 2016, when we launched our own hosting service. This was because our users didn’t just want us on every device and platform – they wanted us at home and at work.

We had managed to build something that businesses across the world were relying on.

Sharing passwords within a work environment was something we were working on as well, as 1Password had grown to over 100 team members. From a three-week side project, we had managed to build something that businesses across the world were relying on to make the secure choice the easy choice.

The evolution to a business product challenged us to create new ways for 1Password to be there for our users – one that could provide solutions for an individual, for a family, and all kinds of organizations, from small teams all the way up to giant enterprise customers.

I was born on the 2nd of the month, so I didn’t know what a “champagne birthday” was until a friend turned 14 years old on the 14th of the month. If you’re not familiar, it’s called a champagne birthday because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to celebrate your age matching the same number as the day you were born.

While 1Password isn’t technically a person, it’s definitely taken on a life of its own and I’m excited to be celebrating its own champagne birthday, as 1Password (well, 1Passwd) officially joined the world on June 18th, eighteen years ago! 🍾🥳

So, here we are 18 years later celebrating this milestone with you all! We’ve worked on 1Password for much longer than the original three week plan, and this journey has taken us farther than Roustem, Dave, Natalia, and myself could’ve ever imagined. From the four of us offering 1Passwrd on a single platform, to 1Password being a world class company with almost 1,200 people, operating on every platform, with over 150,000 business and millions of users.

Thank you for being a part of our journey.

As our team looks towards the future, with new products like 1Password Extended Access Management, we continue to be passionate about what we started. It’s all about building security and convenience in one easy to use tool, where it becomes second nature to save it in 1Password and make the right choice when securing yourself online.

The world has changed significantly in the last 18 years. I’m grateful that for many of you, 1Password has become essential to your lives as well. Thank you for being a part of our journey! We truly appreciate the support and the ongoing push to make sure we’re giving you the solutions you need to make your life an easier, more secure one.

Sara Teare

Founder of 1Password