1Helm
Managed or Self-managed
Both options use Composio, the sign-in service 1Helm uses for apps. The only difference is whose account it runs on. Both are free, and you can switch any time.
The choice
The last step of signing up asks how your apps should connect. Nothing connects until you ask your helper to use an app.
| Managed | Self-managed | |
|---|---|---|
| Whose Composio account | 1Helm's | Yours |
| Setup | Nothing. Tap Connect when you want an app. | Your own Composio account. Free, and set up takes about 10 seconds with a Google Account. |
| Who can see the activity record | Composio and 1Helm | Composio and you, in your own Composio dashboard |
| If you leave 1Helm | We delete your connections | They stay in your Composio account |
| Cutting access | Disconnect apps in 1Helm, or remove access in the app's own account settings | The same, plus remove any app in your own Composio dashboard |
| App's own API, file attachments, When something happens | Yes | Not available |
Pick Managed if you just want it to work. Most people should. Pick Self-managed if you already use Composio, or you want your connections to live in an account only you control.
The same either way
- Both are free and reach the same apps.
- Composio does the signing in. When you connect Gmail, Google's screen says "Composio". 1Helm never sees your app passwords.
- Your helper only touches an app when you ask, or when a task you set up needs it.
- Composio keeps the sign-ins and a record of app activity (what was asked and what came back) so it can run the service.
- Composio holds sign-in tokens to act for you and, on our plan, keeps copies of app requests and responses for up to a year; never used for ads, selling or AI training.
What Self-managed doesn't have
A few things need 1Helm's side of Composio and don't work with your own account:
- Calling an app's own API. Your helper uses the app's actions instead.
- Attaching files from your Library to an app action. Your helper offers another way, like a link or the text itself. Files an app returns are still saved to your Library.
- When something happens workflows. Your helper offers a scheduled check instead.
How signing in works
Pick Self-managed and 1Helm shows these steps (you can open them again from How signing in works next to the sign-in button). Composio's page opens in a new tab:
- You'll see a page that asks you to sign in with GitHub, with Google, or with email.
- Under it is Sign up. Click Sign up (or sign in if you already have an account).
- Choose Google, GitHub or email. Google and GitHub are quickest.
- With email: create a password of at least 10 characters, then hit Confirm.
- You'll get a 6-digit code by email. Enter it, and you're back in 1Helm.
When you come back to the 1Helm tab, it notices the sign-in finished and shows ✓ Connected as your account. If it doesn't, tap I've signed in, check again.
Switching later
Settings → Connected accounts → How apps connect switches between Managed and Self-managed. You reconnect each app once on the new side, and until you do, your helper can't use it. Apps connected on 1Helm's account before you switched to Self-managed aren't used; Remove them clears them out.
- With Self-managed, connecting an app opens Composio's own page in a new tab and finishes when you come back to 1Helm.
- If your Composio sign-in ends, no app works until you sign in again: your helper shows a Reconnect Composio card, and Settings shows Sign in again.