Quick Comparison
| Aspect | LLM Secrets | 1Password CLI | Better For |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI protection | ✓ Designed to prevent Claude/Copilot from reading values via process isolation | ✗ Not designed to hide secrets from AI tools; values may appear in logs/terminal | LLM Secrets |
| Primary goal | Hide secrets from AI tools by encrypting .env files and using subprocess isolation | Store/retrieve any secrets (passwords, API keys, documents) with cloud sync | Depends on need |
| Secret storage | ✓ Local .env.encrypted files (AES-256-CBC) per project; no cloud by default | Cloud vault with optional local cache; encrypted at rest in 1Password servers | LLM Secrets (privacy) |
| Secret access | ✓ scrt run -- <cmd> injects secrets into isolated subprocesses; AI sees only $env:NAME |
op run -- <cmd> injects secrets; tools can see values unless explicitly isolated |
LLM Secrets |
| Platform | Windows 10/11 only (requires Windows Hello) | ✓ Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux) | 1Password |
| Team collaboration | Single-user focused | ✓ Built for teams with shared vaults | 1Password |
| License | ✓ AGPL-3.0 (fully open source) | Commercial (subscription) | LLM Secrets |
| Authentication | Windows Hello (biometric/PIN) + optional KeePass | Biometrics (Touch ID/Face ID), device auth, master password | Comparable |
Summary
Both tools serve legitimate purposes, but they solve different problems:
- LLM Secrets is purpose-built for the AI coding assistant era, ensuring that tools like Claude Code can use your secrets without ever seeing them.
- 1Password CLI is a mature, cross-platform secrets manager that excels at team collaboration and managing diverse secret types.
If you're primarily concerned about AI tools accessing your development secrets, LLM Secrets provides architecture-level protection that general-purpose password managers don't offer.
Key Differences Explained
Threat Model Focus
LLM Secrets specifically prevents AI coding assistants from accessing plaintext secrets by decrypting only in isolated subprocesses and never returning values to the parent process. 1Password CLI focuses on secure storage and retrieval but doesn't isolate secrets from AI tools.
Workflow
LLM Secrets encrypts project-local .env files and requires scrt run to inject secrets. 1Password CLI uses a centralized vault and injects secrets via op run or environment variables.
Recovery
LLM Secrets provides a one-time 44-character master key backup and optional recovery password. 1Password relies on account recovery and emergency kits.
Scope
LLM Secrets is tailored for development environments with .env files; 1Password manages broader secret types (SSH keys, credit cards, documents).
When to Choose Which
Choose LLM Secrets if:
- You work on Windows
- You use AI coding assistants like Claude Code or GitHub Copilot
- You want to ensure secrets in .env files are never visible to AI tools
- You prefer local-only storage without cloud sync
- You want open-source cryptography you can audit
Choose 1Password CLI if:
- You need cross-platform support (macOS, Linux)
- You want cloud sync across multiple devices
- You need a general-purpose vault for diverse secret types beyond .env
- You're already using 1Password for password management
- You work in a team environment with shared secrets
Important Notes
LLM Secrets' subprocess isolation is its core security innovation against AI tools. Secrets are decrypted only in an isolated subprocess environment and never returned to the parent process where Claude Code or other AI assistants operate.
1Password CLI can inject secrets, but it doesn't prevent AI tools from reading values if they monitor the terminal or logs. If AI security is your primary concern, LLM Secrets provides stronger guarantees.
LLM Secrets is fully open source under AGPL-3.0, allowing you to audit the entire codebase including encryption implementation. 1Password is closed-source.
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