On the surface, all password managers essentially fulfill the same functions — they generate and store passwords. In creating our list of recommendations for the best password manager, we dug deeper, comparing software on what matters most, including encryption, device compatibility, extra tools, and more.
Security
Since a password manager is first and foremost a security tool, it should come with all of the most up-to-date standard security features. This includes the highest level of available encryption (256-bit AES with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512); two-factor authentication, such as biometric logins or multi-factor authentication, and a password generator.
Device Compatibility
You likely access your online accounts from multiple devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, as well as through different web browsers. Therefore, your password manager should not only be compatible with various devices, operating systems and browsers, it should also sync seamlessly between them all.
Unlimited Storage
Considering the number of passwords people have, and how many devices they use, we only included password managers that offer unlimited password storage, and the ability to sync an unlimited number of devices.
Added Features
We looked beyond the basics to find password managers that offer additional features to help increase functionality and security. For example, we paid special attention to password managers that include a strength audit tool to identify weak, reused, or compromised passwords. Other special features we looked for include password sharing for families, and password inheritance capabilities.
Why we didn’t consider price
Most password managers offer various subscription plans that range from free to around $20 per month. While free plans may be sufficient for some, those that need more functionality may find paid plans better suited for their needs. We included free and paid password managers to give you the widest array to choose from, so you can find the one that works best for you.
Best Password Manager Reviews
1Password
1Password offers industry-leading privacy and security for businesses with hundreds to thousands of employees. In addition to immensely secure password and information sharing, their enterprise level Business Plan offers a range of options and helps you secure your team within minutes; deployment and on-boarding is efficient and streamlined, even with popular identity providers and Slack.
Their Advanced Protection allows Admins to determine how and where 1Password can be used. It also allows them to set Master Passwords, enforce 2-factor authentication, create firewalls, and require all apps to be up-to-date.
Admins get an overview of all activity (including alerts for sign-in attempts) and can generate reports with custom analytics to give you insights into how your business is using 1Password. They’ll also receive Domain Breach reports to help protect your business from external data breaches. These reports allow Admins to see which company emails have been compromised and where other important information may have been exposed.
1Password Families is included in their Business Plan to encourage your team members to practice security both at work and in their homes.
Business Plan: $7.99/user monthly Unlimited Unlimited passwords, items, and 1 GB document storage Devices: MacOS, Windows, Linux
Dashlane
Many password manager users need premium features, but don’t necessarily want to pay premium prices. These users may want to explore Dashlane, which offers a Premium plan for $4.99 per month, and a Premium Plus plan for $9.99 per month.
Both are among the most affordable, comprehensive top-tier password management solutions available. Standard features for each plan include unlimited password storage, unlimited devices; form and payment autofill; personalized security alerts, and two-factor authentication. The Premium plan has added security features like dark web monitoring and alerts and VPN for wifi protection.
Free: $0/month
Premium: $4.99
Premium Plus: $9.99
Keeper
Keeper offers a robust, secure password manager with a variety of features at an affordable price, particularly for students, who can take advantage of a 50% discount. There are also plans available for families and businesses.
With a subscription to Keeper, users get access to unlimited password storage and the ability to sync unlimited devices; fingerprint and face ID log-in; secure record sharing; emergency access; 24/7 customer support, and more.
Keeper employs the zero-knowledge model, they have no way of accessing any of their users’ master passwords nor their users’ encryption keys to decrypt their data. Users also have the option to bundle password manager and private messaging services.
Keeper’s private messenger allows users to retract and self-destruct messages; create a private media gallery, and provide 20GB of secure file storage. When subscribers get a password manager/private messenger bundle, Keeper also includes BreachWatch dark web monitoring (which is also available separately as an add-on). These tools give users the peace of mind of knowing their information is private and secured.
Keeper Password Manager Features
Keeper Unlimited: $2.91/month
Keeper Plus Bundle: $4.87/month
Roboform
While RoboForm does offer a very comprehensive Free plan, their Everywhere individual plan, which is $1.99 per month, is worth a look. This plan offers a significant array of features that you may not find elsewhere, at a significantly lower price. RoboForm is compatible with all common operating systems and web browsers, and you can sync an unlimited number of devices. Y
ou can review your passwords using their password audit feature, and create new passwords when current ones are deemed weak or compromised.
Other features include emergency access, so you can give a trusted contact access to your account in the event of an emergency; cloud back-up; secure password sharing, and a bookmark manager to help you keep all of your websites organized. RoboForm’s security includes two-factor authentication and 256-bit AES encryption with PBKDF2 SHA-256.
RoboForm Password Manager Features
Free: $0/month
Individual: $23.88/year
Family: $47.75 Paid: Unlimited
LastPass
LastPass understands that, as much as users want to secure their passwords and private information, sometimes things have to be shared. When that’s the case, LastPass users can take comfort in knowing that they are transmitting sensitive information securely with one-to-one and one-to-many sharing options.
This is just one of the many features LastPass offers across it’s Free, Premium, and Family plans (Business plans are also available). Regardless of the plan, all users get a secure vault in which they can easily store any sensitive data; unlimited access across all devices; a password generator, and auto-fill functionality.
Security features include multi-factor authentication; a password security audit, and secure notes where you can digitally back up important information and documents like passports, driver’s licenses, credit cards, and more. If you’re unsure whether LastPass is right for you, they offer a 30-day free trial so you can get a feel for the software.
LastPass Password Manager Features
Free: $0/month
Premium: $3/month
Family: $44/month Paid: Unlimited
NordPass
Many individuals may resist using or switching to a new password manager because of concerns that it will be time-consuming to set up. NordPass erases those concerns with an easy process that lets you import existing passwords in bulk from other platforms.
Overall, NordPass prides itself on simplicity, whether it is saving the password for the new account you just made, or letting you seamlessly access your passwords from any synced device, even if you are offline.
Other features include auto-fill, secure password sharing, folders, and OCR scanning technology to make identifying and saving sensitive documents even easier. Their random password generator lets users control the length and content of their passwords, so they can tailor passwords to specific website parameters. NordPass protects all of their users’ data with XChaCha20 encryption; zero-knowledge architecture; two-factor authentication, and automatic back-ups. Users can choose between a Free and a Premium plan, which comes with a money-back guarantee.
NordPass Password Manager Features
Free: $0/month
Premium: $2.49 Paid: 6
Free: 1 Paid: Unlimited
Enpass
Most password managers offer monthly subscriptions, but if you want to sign up with a service once and never worry about it again, Enpass may be your best bet. T
hey offer a lifetime subscription for a one-time fee of $41.99. This plan lets users add an unlimited number of devices, and save unlimited passwords, so you will never run out of storage, even as you create new accounts and replace computers, phones, and other devices.
The software even comes with support for smartwatches, a unique feature among password managers. Enpass never saves users’ data on their servers; all data is saved locally, although users can choose to sync their data with a cloud provider such as iCloud, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
In these cases, all data is encrypted with 256-bit AES with 100,000 rounds of PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 using the encryption engine SQLCipher, promising high-quality protection from a variety of potential intruders and attacks.
Enpass Password Manager Features
Free: $0/month
Subscription: $0.50/month
Lifetime: $41.99 Paid: Unlimited
Free: Unlimited Paid: Unlimited
LogMeOnce
Online shoppers who want to keep their credit card information as safe as possible may find that LogMeOnce is the right password manager for them. With the company’s free Premium plan, users can securely save up to three credit cards, while the Professional, Ultimate, and Family plans let users save an unlimited number of credit cards.
Regardless of the plan they select, all LogMeOnce users get unlimited passwords and devices; unlimited autofill functionality, and a password generator.
Paid plans, which range from $2.50 to $4.99 per month, include a robust array of features, including encrypted storage; emergency access; multi-factor authentication; and secure notes and password sharing.
Those who are considering subscribing to LogMeOnce can take advantage of their 7-day free trial to explore the password manager. Additionally, LogMeOnce customers will soon also be able to take advantage of additional products like cloud encryption, dark web monitoring, and cyber threat monitoring.
LogMeOnce Password Manager Features
Free: $0/month
Pro: $2.50/month
Ultimate: $3.25/month
F-Secure
For 30 years, F-Secure has been a global leader in cybersecurity. The company, based in Finland, works with clients and users around the world to create solutions that make the technology safer.
As a global company, all of F-Secure’s products are available in over 30 languages, including Italian, Portugeuse, Polish, Greek, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Korean. F-Secure currently offers two types of password managers, F-Secure KEY, which is exclusively a password manager, and F-Secure ID PROTECTION, which also includes protections against identity theft like dark web monitoring, data breach alerts, and expert support if your information is exposed.
Their password manager will automatically generate hard-to-guess passwords and is supported on a variety of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. While they do not offer a free version of their password manager, users can try the software free, with no credit card information needed for 30 days.
F-Secure Password Manager Features
Monthly: $4.99
Annual: $26.90 Unlimited Unlimited
Kaspersky Password Manager
Headquartered in Russia, Kaspersky is a multinational cybersecurity company that offers a wide range of security solutions for personal and professional use. Their password manager gives users a secure vault in which to store all of their important data, including passwords, credit cards, driver’s licenses, passports, and more.
Kaspersky password manager is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, as well as popular operating systems like Windows and macOS, and browsers including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.
User data is secured with 256-bit AES encryption, and Zero-Knowledge Security, meaning your personal information is never shared with the company itself. Recently, Kaspersky added a new automatic search feature that scans documents on users’ devices and prompts users to save those documents in their secure vault if the scan detects sensitive information.
In addition to the password manager, Kaspersky subscribers can take advantage of the company’s other security solutions including anti-virus software, cloud security, secure VPN connections, and more.
Kaspersky Password Manager Password Manager Features
Free: $0/month
Annual: $14.95/year Paid: Unlimited
Zoho Vault
Even those who are on a budget deserve the security and peace of mind of a comprehensive password manager. Luckily there’s Zoho Vault, which offers an extensive Free password manager plan, as well as several other low-cost options. The Free plan allows users to store unlimited passwords and notes; automatically log in to websites; create hard-to-guess passwords; access their account on- or offline; securely attach files and documents, and more. Zoho Vault offers extensions for all commonly-used browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, and is compatible with Android and iOS devices.
Their paid Standard and Professional plans have even more features, including secure password sharing; cloud back-ups; integration with G-Suite and Office 365; password expiration alerts, and more. Zoho Vault uses 256-bit AES encryption to ensure that all passwords and information are protected. They also offer a 15-day free trial to test out their product and its features.
Zoho Vault Password Manager Features
Free: $0/month
Standard: $.09/month
Pro: $3.60/month
Enterprise: $6.30/month Paid: Unlimited
(Edited for Startupanz.com as part of a content partnership with PasswordManager.com. First published here.)
