One of the best ways to secure yourself online is to use a unique password for each site and service you subscribe to. That makes it hard to remember them all, but you wouldn’t need to worry about that if you had a decent password manager. But which one should you choose?
Although there are a lot of good ones out there, we scoured the web and have put together a list of the best password managers available today. All of them do a good job of storing your passwords, but we looked for advanced feature support, like syncing your web-based passwords across devices and changing them with a mere click. Other handy features include allowing automatic sign-ins to your favorite sites and granting you improved security in all facets of your data.
The best
LastPass (Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome)
LastPass is a fantastic password manager, and it’s free so long as you don’t mind getting by without the full suite of premium features. Once you’ve set up your master password, LastPass allows you to import all of your saved login credentials — usernames and passwords — from Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Safari.
It then helps you to delete information from your computer to keep it secure, prompting you to do little more than remember your super-secure master password. Other free LastPass features include two-factor authentication, free credit monitoring, multiple identities, and even an auto-fill feature designed to streamline your shopping. LastPass also stores your encrypted information on its cloud servers, meaning you can use LastPass on computers other than your personal PC and easily share passwords with family members. It even comes outfitted with a password generator for creating unique passwords.
Opting for the premium suite opens up a host of additional authentication options, stellar tech support, and the ability to sync information between your desktop and mobile devices. While LastPass is our favorite for its features and interface, we should remind you that it has experienced security vulnerabilities in the past. LastPass has shown due diligence in fixing them though, as well as releasing regular updates.
The rest
Dashlane (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Dashlane is intuitive and simple, bolstered by two-factor authentication and the ability to change a multitude of passwords spanning multiple sites with just a few clicks. The fact that Dashlane’s memory footprint gets smaller with every update is only a plus, as is its ability to securely store pivotal notes and share encrypted passwords with emergency contacts in case you have trouble with your account.
The software also allows you to store your passwords locally within an encrypted vault, or automatically sync them across your devices. Its digital wallet grants you a convenient means for tracking and making purchases at various online retailers (even if you don’t have a previous account set up with them).
You can use the software to easily scour your receipts if need be or, if you’re unfortunate enough to have an account on a site that’s hacked, you can set the app to automatically reset your password without ever having to navigate away from the interface. Business versions require an annual fee.
1Password (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Another extremely popular and reliable password manager is 1Password. Featuring a strong password generator, as well as username and password storage (including secure sharing), it excels when it comes to its intuitive user interface and the built-in “watchtower” service designed to notify you of ongoing website breaches. The software’s digital wallet also allows you to securely save everything from your logins and credit card information to sticky notes and network passwords.
The developers are so confident in its security that they offered $100,000 as a prize for anyone who could break it. The one-time purchase allows you to sync everything locally, but you can also use the software to sync your info between computers via Dropbox, iCloud, or another convenient method. Its biggest drawback is the lack of a free version, as well as the limited syncing options available through the one-time-purchase.
Keeper Security Password Manager (Mac, Windows, Linux)
Keeper Security offers a range of password solutions for enterprise, business, family, and personal levels, making it one of the most scalable password managers we’ve ever seen. It uses two-factor authentication and secure file storage to keep your information protected. Keeper also has a lot of practical features that personal users will greatly appreciate, including version history — which can restore previous versions of your records as needed in case something goes wrong — and emergency access for five different contacts that will be able to access your passwords.
Keeper also offers more flexibility than many password managers when it comes to what data you can store. Custom fields allow you to keep passport info, driver’s license numbers, and other important records in the app!
Sticky Password (Windows, Apple, Android, iOS)
From the creators of AVG Antivirus, Sticky Password is a free password manager that includes a premium version with extra cloud features. It boasts strong password generation, AES-256 encryption and very intuitive navigation, particularly for mobile devices.
Sticky supports a wide variety of browsers including outliers like Pale Moon, Yandex, and SeaMonkey on desktop (mobile is a bit more limited). You also have secure cloud-encrypted syncing options between devices that help protect sensitive data over a wireless connection. In addition to traditional sign-in options, Sticky supports both Face ID and fingerprint sign-ins for passwords. Sticky offers both simplicity and professional service, making it a strong choice for a new business.
Intel’s True Key
Born of a service Intel acquired in 2014, True Key has a particular focus on biometrics as an alternative to the master password, allowing you to sign in with your fingerprint or facial features instead of always relying on a keystroke password. Like other top password managers, the app is smart enough to tell when you are logging into a new account, and will auto-generate a new password for you and save your information. The software will also automatically sign you out and reset your old master password — and you can adjust the timeframe of both features to your convenience. Options are available to store addresses, credit cards, memberships, driver’s license numbers, and more. Intel has also been open about bugs and fixes when security patches are required.
