Best Password Manager
Multi-factor authentication, internet monitoring
Yes
$0 - $4/month (per user for business plans)
256-bit AES encryption
Yes
$0 - $8/month (per user for business plans)
256-bit AES encryption, optional Secret Automation
No
$2 - $20/month (flat rate for business plans)
AES 256-bit encryption
Yes
$0 - $6/month
256-bit AES encryption
Yes
Free
If you have a habit of forgetting your passwords, you might be tempted to use the same password for every account. But that leaves your identity, finances and important information vulnerable to hackers. A password manager will store all of your passwords for you, so you don't have to worry about keeping track of them.
This review looks into five of the most popular password managers available in 2023. The right password manager app for your needs will help you protect your personal information, keep your finances secure, and let you forget all of your passwords without getting locked out of your accounts.
Our Top Picks for Best Password Manager
- LastPass - Best For Individual Users
- NordPass - Best For Businesses
- Norton Password Manager - Best Free Trial Offer
- Dashlane - Best For Extra Features
- OnePassword - Best Family Plan
Best Password Manager Reviews
The best password managers can generate and securely store unlimited passwords for all your accounts. They can also make it easier to log into your accounts with autofill and integration across multiple devices. But not all of these apps are created equal — some are best for businesses, while others offer free protection for multiple mobile devices.
The right password manager for you depends on your priorities. Below are the pros, cons and highlights of five popular password managers to help you decide which is best for your needs.
Why we chose it: LastPass is a simple, intuitive password manager app with a free version for one device. It also offers Families, Premium, Teams and Business plans for an additional fee. ($3 – $6 per month, billed annually).
If you want a straightforward password manager for your home computer or laptop, consider LastPass. This service protects your passwords by storing them in a secure cloud vault. The vault uses AES 256-bit encryption, a secure algorithm that converts text into a cipher, to guard your passwords against hackers. LastPass works with most devices and operating systems, including Windows, Chrome OS, Android and IOS.
It's worth noting that LastPass has a minor public history of breaches. The breaches occurred in 2015 and 2022. According to LastPass, some of its users' data was accessed in the breach and the company has since encouraged customers to change their passwords. Despite these breaches on the record, LastPass is still considered one of the most secure password manager tools for an individual account.
This service is best for affordable, single-user password storage. The free plan tier allows you to generate and store passwords in a secure personal vault, set up two-factor authentication and automatically log into your accounts. You can't share passwords between a desktop and mobile device with the free tier — this plan is for one device at a time.
If you want to share passwords with multiple people, you can upgrade to LastPass Premium, or LastPass Families, which includes private vaults for up to six people. LastPass also offers a Teams and Business plan for business owners. However, considering LastPass's history of breaches, this might not be the best service for a business owner who wants comprehensive security for their employees.
Why we chose it: NordPass offers a comprehensive business plan for up to 250 users. This password manager allows you to create secure groups to share passwords and other private information with your team members.
NordPass allows you to store your passwords in a single master account. As a business owner, you can monitor the master account, share information with your employees and create groups for secure sharing across devices. NordPass offers multi-factor authentication for additional security. This app also functions as an offline password manager so that you can access your passwords in a power outage or when you're not connected to Wi-Fi.
Another standout feature of NordPass is that it scans the internet for potential data leaks. With this service, you'll receive an alert any time there is a potential breach of your company's data. NordPass will also identify re-used or weak passwords to ensure your accounts are as secure as possible.
The NordPass app is compatible with Android and IOS devices and the service receives 4 - 4.5 star ratings on multiple review platforms. The Business plan is available for $3.99 monthly per user — however, its free trial is relatively short, so you may not be able to fully test the product before you sign up for a subscription. NordPass Business requires at least five users and no more than 250. Because the monthly rate goes up with each user, this plan may be pricey for a larger business. Businesses with more than 250 employees can also upgrade to the Enterprise plan for an additional monthly fee.
NordPass also offers a free plan for individual users but it doesn't come with as many comprehensive security features like internet monitoring. The Premium and Family plans ($2.69 – $3.69 per month) offer similar features to the Business plan for a small annual fee. While NordPass stands out as a good option for businesses, it can also be a great password manager for home use if you're willing to pay for a higher-tier plan.
Why we chose it: Norton Password Manager is free to download and use even if you don't have a Norton 360 subscription. You can use this app to manage unlimited passwords across multiple devices easily.
Norton Password Manager is included with most Norton 360 cybersecurity plans. But you can also use this freeware as a standalone product without buying a Norton subscription. This password manager is a fully online service that integrates with your browser. It generates passwords and stores them in a secure vault with 256-bit AES encryption. Passwords and auto-logins can automatically integrate between your desktop and mobile devices.
The standout feature of Norton Password Manager is its ease of use. It offers an intuitive Safety Dashboard that allows you to store and view the passwords in your vault. However, if you lose the master password to your Norton Password Manager account, you won't be able to log back in — there is no password recovery service. This might be a downside if you don't have a secure place to store your master password.
Norton receives 3 - 4-star ratings across most third-party review platforms. There is no upgraded plan for businesses or families, so this isn't the right service for you if you want to add multiple members to your account.
Why we chose it: Along with the standard features of a password manager, Dashlane also offers extra features like a VPN, extensive login history, and dark web scanning for compromised passwords.
Dashlane is a comprehensive password manager with multiple bonus features. The free plan includes a browser extension for autofill and password generation, plus cloud storage for up to 50 passwords. It uses 256-bit AES encryption to protect your passwords and the company has no data breaches on its record.
All of Dashlane's plans come with a free VPN to boost your online security. But the free plan is limited — you'll have to upgrade to Dashlane's Starter plan at $2 per user per month to access unlimited storage and dark web monitoring to detect potential breaches. That's why this service is best for someone who's willing to pay a higher price for more bells and whistles.
Dashlane also offers a Team and Business plan with password sharing and group creation features. For home use, you can choose from Dashlane's Free, Advanced, Premium or Friends & Family plans ($0 – $7.50 per month, billed annually). These plans are billed annually at a flat rate (not per user), and the Friends & Family plan includes up to 10 separate accounts. You'll have to upgrade to the Premium plan for VPN access.
Dashlane receives high ratings on customer review platforms. Its wide range of features makes it a good choice for someone who spends a lot of time online and wants additional security. However, to get the most out of Dashlane's features, you'll have to upgrade to a paid plan, which can get expensive depending on the number of users you add.
Why we chose it: Many password managers charge a per-user rate to add multiple family members. OnePassword offers a flat-rate family plan with comprehensive security features.
OnePassword Families offers protection for up to five people. This plan comes with shared logins and passwords across multiple devices, plus a secure network for sharing notes, credit cards and other private information. As the account owner, you can choose which members of your family will have access to certain passwords. The plan is billed annually at $5 per month. You can also add more members to the Families plan for $1 per user per month.
This password manager is well-rated on multiple review platforms. Some third-party reviewers have named it the best overall password manager for individuals and families. According to customer reviews, the app is straightforward and easy to use, making it a good tool for anyone who hasn't used a password manager before. That simplicity can also make it a helpful resource for parents teaching their children about online security.
OnePassword uses 256-bit AES encryption to protect your passwords. It also has an optional Secrets Automation feature, which protects team logins for a business. The company also offers a Team Starter plan for up to ten users at a flat rate of $20 per month. The Business plan costs $8 per user per month, and the Enterprise plan can be customized to your business's needs (costs can vary for this plan).
All OnePassword plans are compatible with Windows, Mac, Android and IOS operating systems. Its autofill feature makes it easier to log into your accounts on multiple devices and prevents your sensitive information from being copied to clipboards or sites you haven't visited yet. This password manager is a good choice for someone who wants an affordable plan that will extend to their family's devices.
Other Password Managers We Considered
The five password managers reviewed above offer a wide range of services and can help protect your sensitive information online — but they aren't your only options. Here are a few more services we considered and why they didn't make it to the top of this list.
BitWarden
BitWarden is an open-source password manager that uses encryption to protect your passwords and other sensitive data, including notes and credit cards. Its free plan is easy to use and can integrate with multiple devices, but you'll get the most features with a paid plan, which charges a per-month, per-user rate.
KeePass
KeePass is a highly technical password manager. This service is free to use and compatible with virtually every operating system, but it requires a high degree of technical proficiency. This isn't the best password manager if you're looking for a simple, easy-to-use system.
Keeper
Keeper is a highly scalable password manager for businesses of all sizes. This is a good service for a growing business that regularly adds new members to its plan, but it doesn't come with a free tier and offers limited features with the lowest-paid plans.
Password Manager Guide
If you're interested in online security, a password manager is an important asset to look into. These services can manage passwords across multiple devices, generate strong passwords, detect weak passwords and store your sensitive information in an encrypted vault.
But every password manager has its own pros and cons. Before you download an app or subscribe to the most secure password manager you can find, you should have an idea of what you're looking for. This quick guide will walk you through the ins and outs of password managers to help you find the best service for your needs.
What Is A Password Manager?
A password manager is an app or browser extension that securely stores your passwords for you. These tools are used by individuals and businesses alike.
Depending on your password manager, it might use 256-bit AES encryption, a secure algorithm, to protect your passwords in a cloud vault. Some password managers come with additional security measures like dark web monitoring, weak password detection or a VPN to boost your online security. That said, it's important to understand that a password manager is not the same thing as an identity protection service. These tools don't offer credit monitoring and other services to protect every aspect of your identity online — but they can help to secure your accounts and save you from the hassle of memorizing multiple complex passwords.
If you want to protect your individual accounts like your banking, investments, social media and more, a free password manager should do the trick. If you own a business, investing in a comprehensive password manager for teams might be worthwhile.
How Does A Password Manager Work?
Consider every app and platform you log into on a daily basis. You could be vulnerable to hackers and identity thieves if you don't use a different secure password for every account. But it's hard to memorize that many unique passwords — and writing them down on a spreadsheet or physical paper isn't secure, either.
That's where a password manager comes in. This tool will store all of your passwords in a secure vault that only you (or any other members of your account with the right permissions) can access. You'll be able to log into the account with a master password or two-factor authentication. Some password managers offer autofill and automatic login services so you can log into your accounts faster on a trusted device.
Your password manager might also have tools to help you generate unique codes and detect weak passwords or passwords that have leaked on the dark web. Everything is stored online, so you don't have to worry about losing track of your spreadsheet or list.
The Pros Of Password Managers
There are plenty of reasons to use a password manager. Whether you're a freelancer, business owner, or just someone who takes cybersecurity seriously, you'll get peace of mind with unhackable passwords and easy syncing across multiple devices.
Unhackable Passwords
A password manager will help you create completely unique passwords that are much more difficult to hack. To be clear, there is no such thing as a 100% unhackable password. But you can significantly improve your online security by generating unique codes for each password and storing them in an encrypted cloud vault.
Easy Access To Online Accounts On Multiple Devices
Some of the best password manager apps let you integrate your accounts across multiple devices. So, if your password manager uses autofill to log into your bank on your private desktop, it can also log you in on your phone.
This integration makes it easier to access your accounts wherever you go quickly. It also boosts your security — you won't have to rely on biometrics or a PIN alone when you log into your accounts from a mobile device.
The Cons Of Password Managers
Are password managers safe? Yes — for the most part. These tools are helpful for individuals and businesses, but they aren't a must-have when it comes to protecting your identity online. You might not want to use a password manager if you're worried about losing your master password or if you have a more comprehensive identity protection service.
May Be Difficult To Recover A Lost Master Password
If you're the kind of person who always forgets your passwords, a password manager can be a huge help. There's just one problem: you need a master password to access the cloud vault where your passwords are stored.
Some password managers have no recovery service if you lose or forget your master password. That means you'll have to make new passwords for all your accounts. It isn't the end of the world, but it can be a nuisance. To counter this issue, you might want to look for a password manager that offers password recovery or has an alternative login option to access your vault.
Doesn't Protect Against Other Online Security Threats
You might not need a password manager if you already use an identity protection service or another online security tool. These services often come with their own tools for managing passwords.
If you don't have an identity protection service, you should know that a password manager won't protect all aspects of your online security. These tools don't offer credit monitoring, social media monitoring and other services to secure your identity online.
Password Manager FAQ
How We Chose the Best Password Manager
This review examined five of the most popular password managers in 2023. To narrow down these choices, we compared the best password managers across a variety of crucial factors. Those features include:
- Security: We looked for password managers that offer a high level of security. Even the best free password manager should use 256-bit AES encryption to protect your passwords from hackers.
- Plan options: The best password managers have multiple plan offerings, starting with a free plan. Team and business plans offer more security tools for a higher annual price.
- Third-party ratings and reviews: We looked for password managers that received positive reviews across multiple third-party review platforms.
- Additional features: The best password managers offer additional features on top of password generation and storage. Those features might include password sharing, group creation, autofill and automatic login, VPN, monitoring services and more.
- Fair pricing: Some password managers offer a free plan with limited features. We looked for services that offer a fair price for the features offered — a higher-priced plan should offer more comprehensive features than other options.
- Ease of use: Your password manager should be easy to understand and use. These tools are designed for everyday use and don't need to be highly technical to provide a high level of security.
- Customer service: The best password managers are straightforward and easy to use. However, responsive customer service can be helpful when you have a question or are concerned about a security breach.
Summary of Digg's Best Password Manager
- LastPass - Best For Individual Users
- NordPass - Best For Businesses
- Norton Password Manager - Best Free Trial Offer
- Dashlane - Best For Extra Features
- OnePassword - Best Family Plan
