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The Best Password Manager Deals This Week*
1Password
— Try a 1Password Individual Account for Free!
RoboForm
— $0.99 Per Month (60% Off 1-Year Premium Plan)
Dashlane
— $4.99 Per Month for 1-Year Premium Personal Plan
NordPass
— $1.49 Per Month (50% Off 2-Year Premium Plan)
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Nearly every website you visit, from dating apps to banking sites, insists you create a user account and think up a password. The problem? Human memory can’t keep up with dozens upon dozens of passwords. Some people get the idea of using the simplest possible password, like “123456789” or “password.” Others memorize one random password and use it for everything. Using either of those strategies is likely to make you a victim of identity theft. The smarter move is to use password manager software to remember complex passwords and unique passkeys for all the sites you need to log in to.We’ve tested and analyzed dozens of password managers so you can pick the one that best fits your needs. Read on for the top password managers we’ve tested, followed by an in-depth explanation of how these services work and how we evaluate them.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Bitwarden
Best Free Password Manager
Why We Picked ItBitwarden offers the best free tier for password management we’ve reviewed. Bitwarden is open-source software, and its code undergoes regular audits by independent researchers, making it less vulnerable to hacks and breaches. Bitwarden’s password manager is easy to use and does not limit the number of passwords you can store, nor does it prevent you from syncing your vault across devices, as many free password managers do. Who It’s ForFirst-time password manager users or anyone looking for a free password manager should consider Bitwarden. The Premium tier is inexpensive and includes excellent features, such as an actionable password health report, emergency access options, the ability to generate TOTP codes, and support for enhanced multi-factor authentication methods.
PROS
Free
Open-source
Passkey support
Emergency access option
Data breach monitoring
Password hygiene reports
CONS
Relatively expensive business tiers
SPECS
Name
Value
Import From Browsers
Two-Factor Authentication
Fill Web Forms
Multiple Form-Filling Identities
Actionable Password Strength Report
Digital Legacy
Product Category
Password Managers
Secure Password Sharing
Product Price Type
List
Learn More
Bitwarden Review
1Password
Best for New Users
Why We Picked It1Password offers apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. No matter the platform, its user interface is organized intuitively, making it easy to find the credentials you seek.Who It’s ForMost people will like 1Password because it’s easy to use and offers plenty of security, but we want to highlight the attention paid to new password manager users. A top-notch tutorial walks newbies through the potentially confusing importing and capturing process.
PROS
Excellent tutorial for new users
Watchtower alerts for password hygiene
Slick and attractive apps for mobile and desktop
Intuitive password organization
CONS
Lacks free password management tier
Limited import options
Missing true password inheritance features
SPECS
Name
Value
Import From Browsers
Two-Factor Authentication
Fill Web Forms
Multiple Form-Filling Identities
Actionable Password Strength Report
Digital Legacy
Product Category
Password Managers
Secure Password Sharing
Product Price Type
Direct
Learn More
1Password Review
Dashlane
Best Premium Password Manager
Why We Picked ItDashlane performs all the basic and advanced tasks we expect from a password manager. Plus, it comes with a VPN and a dark web monitor, deploys anti-phishing measures, retains a history of your logins, and scans your accounts for weak and compromised passwords.Who It’s ForDashlane’s top-tier plan is quite expensive, and its free plan is very restrictive. Still, we like its ultra-smooth password capture and replay system and host of slick yet easy-to-use features. It’s an excellent service if you can afford it.
PROS
Includes VPN and phishing alerts
Scans for compromised accounts
Retains full password history
Offers file storage
CONS
Expensive
Very restrictive free tier
Awkward emergency access procedure
SPECS
Name
Value
Import From Browsers
Two-Factor Authentication
Fill Web Forms
Multiple Form-Filling Identities
Actionable Password Strength Report
Digital Legacy
Product Category
Password Managers
Secure Password Sharing
Product Price Type
Direct
Learn More
Dashlane Review
Enpass Password Manager
Best for Local Vault Storage
Why We Picked ItWe like Enpass’ attractive and easy-to-use interface. The product is free for desktop users, and the subscription tiers are reasonably priced. Key features include data breach monitoring and a password auditing system. Who It’s ForPeople who (rightfully) don’t trust the security of the servers where most other password managers back up encrypted user credentials should consider Enpass. The app can store your passwords locally or via a third-party cloud storage option, though that same feature makes syncing credentials between devices less than seamless, which might be a roadblock for new users.
PROS
Free for desktop users
Offers local storage option
Includes data breach monitoring
CONS
Cross-device syncing isn’t seamless
Very limited free tier for mobile users
Lacks digital inheritance options
SPECS
Name
Value
Import From Browsers
Two-Factor Authentication
Fill Web Forms
Multiple Form-Filling Identities
Actionable Password Strength Report
Digital Legacy
Product Category
Password Managers
Secure Password Sharing
Product Price Type
Direct
Learn More
Enpass Password Manager Review
NordPass
Best for Business Account Administrators
Why We Picked ItNordPass, from the team behind NordVPN, is a streamlined, easy-to-use service for securely accessing your passwords via desktop and mobile apps or on the web. It has added some notable features over time, including a Data Breach Scanner, password health report, web vault, and a password inheritance option.Who It’s ForBusiness account users. NordPass for Business focuses on password hygiene with various tools to help administrators see which employees have weak, reused, or old passwords in their vaults.
PROS
Supports multiple forms of multi-factor authentication
Secure password-sharing and inheritance options
Offers clipboard-clearing capabilities
Scans for compromised accounts
CONS
Inconsistent credential creation process
Limited free tier
SPECS
Name
Value
Import From Browsers
Two-Factor Authentication
Fill Web Forms
Multiple Form-Filling Identities
Actionable Password Strength Report
Digital Legacy
Product Category
Password Managers
Secure Password Sharing
Product Price Type
Direct
Learn More
NordPass Review
RoboForm
Best Form-Filling Capabilities
Why We Picked ItIt’s no surprise that RoboForm is excellent at filling web forms; that’s how the company got its start. Password management was added later, but the app does that very well, too. Who It’s ForIf you like your applications to look and function in an old-school way, RoboForm is for you. While the password manager’s file-based menu system for its Windows desktop client isn’t as slick or intuitive as the competition, it’s still a highly functional app. RoboForm’s web vault interface is more modern, however, with easy-to-read buttons for vault entries.
PROS
Diverse form-filling options
Smooth password capture and replay
Offers emergency access
CONS
Very limited free plan
Limited credential-sharing options
Few extra features
SPECS
Name
Value
Import From Browsers
Two-Factor Authentication
Fill Web Forms
Multiple Form-Filling Identities
Actionable Password Strength Report
Digital Legacy
Product Category
Password Managers
Secure Password Sharing
Product Price Type
Direct
Learn More
RoboForm Review
Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault
Best Emergency Access Options
Why We Picked ItKeeper is easy to use across a ton of platforms and browsers. It also offers features such as robust multi-factor authentication support, secure sharing, useful auditing tools, and full password histories. Who It’s ForKeeper is good for anyone who is looking for password protection, especially users with large families. The Keeper Family package includes five Keeper Unlimited Vaults. We don’t recommend Keeper’s free version, which limits you to creating and storing ten passwords on just one device and doesn’t include live customer support options.
PROS
Secure password-sharing, password hygiene, and emergency access options
Attractive apps and browser extensions
Retains app access and credential history
CONS
Very restrictive free tier
Some desirable features are paid add-ons
Importing credentials could be smoother
SPECS
Name
Value
Import From Browsers
Two-Factor Authentication
Fill Web Forms
Multiple Form-Filling Identities
Actionable Password Strength Report
Digital Legacy
Product Category
Password Managers
Secure Password Sharing
Product Price Type
Direct
Learn More
Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault Review
LogMeOnce
Best for Password Inheritance
Why We Picked ItLogMeOnce has a free version with no limit on the number of saved passwords or on the number of devices you use. The paid version offers many options for authentication and has a unique password inheritance feature that allows users to send notes to their loved ones about the credentials they’re about to access.Who It’s ForPeople who hate passwords. LogMeOnce began offering a passwordless login feature years ago, long before many competitors began adding the security feature to their products.
PROS
Free
Diverse MFA options
Unique emergency access tool
High-quality onboarding tutorial
CONS
Credential filling didn’t work with the Android app in testing
Awkward password-importing process
Cluttered web vault interface
SPECS
Name
Value
Import From Browsers
Two-Factor Authentication
Fill Web Forms
Multiple Form-Filling Identities
Actionable Password Strength Report
Digital Legacy
Product Category
Password Managers
Secure Password Sharing
Product Price Type
Direct
Learn More
LogMeOnce Review
Proton Pass
Best for No-Frills Password Management
Why We Picked ItDespite being quite new, Proton Pass has already emerged as a solid and secure password management option. We like the app’s minimalistic but eye-catching user interface and the fact that the free version offers unlimited syncing of passwords across all your devices.Who It’s ForFree users will get the most value out of this capable credential storage system. The premium version offers some interesting perks for those who need to maintain a high degree of personal security, like journalists or politicians, though it lacks features commonly bundled with competitors’ subscriptions, such as dark web monitoring, a VPN, and so on.
PROS
Free version
Includes email alias creation and storage
CONS
Awkward credential sharing
Short feature list
SPECS
Name
Value
Import From Browsers
Two-Factor Authentication
Fill Web Forms
Multiple Form-Filling Identities
Actionable Password Strength Report
Digital Legacy
Product Category
Password Managers
Secure Password Sharing
Product Price Type
Direct
Learn More
Proton Pass Review
Buying Guide: The Best Password Managers for 2024
The Best Password ProtectionPassword managers keep you safe, and they’re also convenient. With a password manager, you don’t have to remember a complex and unique password for each account. The password manager helps you generate new, random ones, stores them for you, and can even help you pass on your passwords to your loved ones after you die. When you sign up for a password manager, one of the first things to do is create a master password for your account. Your master password is used to encrypt the contents of your password vault, so you should make it difficult for anyone else to guess it. However, it can’t be so random you can’t remember it. Your master password is likely unrecoverable if you do. Read our tips on creating secure, complicated passwords for guidance.
What Is a Password Manager, and Why Do I Need One?
Some password managers eliminate the need for a master password by offering a passwordless entry to your desktop or mobile vault. With passwordless technology, you can log in using a QR code with a third-party authenticator app, biometrics, a magic link, or a one-time password.As an additional precaution, you should set up multi-factor authentication to secure your password manager account, be it via biometrics, SMS, or time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) stored in an authenticator app. The best password managers support authentication via U2F or OTP-based hardware security keys, most of which are about the size of an actual key and made to go on your key ring.Before you commit to any password manager, you need to ensure it works on each device you use and doesn’t prevent you from syncing your passwords across all your devices. Although support for Windows and macOS platforms is given, several password managers now offer native Linux apps, too. The best password managers have browser extensions for every popular browser that can operate independently of a desktop app. How Does a Password Manager Work?Most people use a password manager primarily to manage website credentials. In practice, when you log in to a secure site, the password manager offers to save your credentials. When you return to that site, it offers to fill in those credentials. If you’ve saved multiple logins for the same site, the password manager lists all those options. Most password managers also offer a browser toolbar menu of saved logins, so you can go straight to a saved site and log in automatically.
What Is Two-Factor Authentication?
Some products detect when you change your password to an account and offer to update the existing password on file to the new one. Some record your credentials when you create a new account for a secure website. Entering your passwords into a password manager is a good first step. Next, you must identify weak and duplicate passwords and replace them with tough ones. Password managers can flag these bad passwords and help you improve them. Some password managers even check whether you have set up multi-factor authentication for those services in your vault that support it and whether your personal information appears in any data breaches.
(Credit: Bitwarden/PCMag)
When you create a new secure account or update a weak password, don’t strain your brain trying to develop a different password that is strong and unique. Let your password manager take care of it. Ensure your generated passwords are at least 20 characters long and include all the major character types: uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.What Are Important Password Manager Features?Most password managers can fill in personal data on web forms, such as first and last name, email address, phone number, bank cards, passport numbers, etc. Many password managers also can capture and fill in credentials for desktop applications.Most password managers include a built-in mechanism for securely sharing passwords with other users, but some go further with advanced permissions. For instance, a few password managers allow you to share a login without making the password visible, revoke sharing, or make the recipient an owner of the item.
It’s Surprisingly Easy to Be More Secure Online
On a grimmer note, what happens to your secure accounts after you die? Many products include some provision for a digital legacy, a method to transfer your logins to a trusted individual in the event of your death or incapacity.Some password management companies also offer versions of their products for businesses and teams. These products usually emphasize multi-factor authentication and offer single sign-on and advanced credential-sharing capabilities between team members. The best password managers let administrators see which employees use weak, reused, or compromised passwords for their work accounts.Password Security OptionsLogging in with your secure username and password to a website that doesn’t use a secure HTTPS connection is a big no-no. Some password managers warn you about insecure login pages. Running your secure connections through a virtual private network, or VPN, adds a layer of protection. Dashlane includes a simple built-in VPN. NordPass comes from the same company behind NordVPN.Secure storage is an increasingly common feature among password managers, too. The storage allocation won’t replace the need for dedicated cloud storage and syncing service, but in many cases, it’s enough for storing important documents in an encrypted state.Although a password manager needs to offer advanced features, it should remain easy to use and avoid needless complexity. Users who get annoyed or baffled by a password manager may abandon it and go back to using sticky notes to store and share passwords or, worse, apply the same password everywhere. Note: If you get fed up with your current tool, we have a guide for switching to a new password manager.
Recommended by Our Editors
Password Managers vs. PasskeysPasskeys are the new way to log in to websites, eliminating the need for an email address and password combination. I say new and not better because it’s still too soon to tell whether passkeys are making a difference across the cybercrime landscape. In theory, widespread passkey adoption should make it harder for criminals to steal your credentials and get into your accounts since passkeys can’t be stolen by hacking into a company’s system. Many of the password managers we’ve tested, including Bitwarden, allow you to store passkeys in their password manager vault.But, as one expert told PCMag, passkeys are no substitute for healthy cybersecurity habits. “You have passkeys? That’s fantastic. But if I can access your device, I can likely find a way around those passkeys,” warned Trevor Hilligoss, vice president at SpyCloud, a cybersecurity company. Hilligoss told us that criminals have already found ways to get around passkey usage by exploiting flaws inherent to the online authenticating process. Cookie hijacking and using specialized malware-as-service tools make it easy for a determined criminal to get into your accounts. Still, some protection is better than none at all. 1Password offers an updated list of websites that support passkeys.What Is the Best Password Manager for 2024?Products on this list that do not earn an Editors’ Choice award have their merits, and we reevaluate password managers throughout the year. Click here to learn what criteria we are looking for when we test password managers.All the best password managers mentioned in this article cost money, though you can use some of them for free if you accept certain limitations. We’ve rounded up the best free password managers in a separate article.
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