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LastPass is scaling back its free tier. Find out if you need to pay

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LastPass currently offers a free tier that lets a single user access its password manager service on all their mobile devices and computers. But that’s about to change.

Starting March 16, the company will limit its free tier to only one device type, either mobile or computer. So if you select to keep the free tier for mobile, you’ll be asked to pay a fee to continue using the service on computers, and vice versa.

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LastPass defines “mobile” as mobile phones, smartwatches, and tablets, and “computers” as desktops and laptops.

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LastPass’ two paid tiers currently include Premium, which starts at $3 a month, and Families, which costs $4 a month and can be used by up to six people. If you’re good to go with Premium, the company is running a limited-time deal costing $2.25 a month (billed annually).

LastPass, which has 20 million users globally, said in a message on its website that free users will have their preferred device type automatically set according to their first login on or after March 16, 2021.

If you’re not happy with the assigned device type, or you’re not sure which is the best fit, you’ll have three opportunities to change it.

“Please note that all of your devices sync automatically, so you’ll never lose access to anything stored in your Vault or be locked out of your account due to these changes, regardless of whether you use computers or mobile devices to access LastPass,” the Virginia-based company said.

If you decide to stick with LastPass’ free tier rather than pay to retain access to both device types, you’ll also lose access to email support starting May 17, 2021, meaning that you’ll have to find answers to questions via the company’s online support center or community pages, or other places such as external forums.

If you’re currently a LastPass user and feel it’s a good time to check out its competitors, Digital Trends has a recently updated article looking at the best password managers currently available. In a separate post, we take a closer look at how LastPass compares with 1Password, another popular online service for those looking to end the headache of dealing with numerous passwords.

And if you do decide to leave LastPass, here’s how to take your passwords with you.

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Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
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