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Dropbox to launch free password manager, but there’s a catch

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Dropbox is about to launch a free password manager, a service that helps you sign into online sites and services hassle-free.

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Dropbox’s announcement came on Tuesday, March 16 — the very same day that LastPass placed some restrictions on the free version of its own password manager that mean some users will have to start paying for the service. Or look elsewhere.

Hoping to sweep up some of LastPass’s disgruntled customers (or ex-customers), Dropbox is putting the word out that its free password manager will land in “early April.”

But there’s a catch. You can only store up to 50 passwords with the service. If you need to store more, you’ll have to fork out for a Dropbox Plus, Family, or Professional plan that of course includes a slew of other benefits as part of the company’s well-established online storage service.

Dropbox’s free password manager — offered as part of the service’s Basic plan — will let you sync up to three devices, which can include, say, a computer and a smartphone. This marks it out from LastPass, which from this week only let free users sync its password manager to one type of device. LastPass users who want to sync to more than one type of device (ie. mobile and PC) now have to pay.

The question is, how many people are signed up to fewer than 50 sites and services that require passwords? Well, if that’s you, and you’re looking for a free password manager, then Dropbox’s offer looks to be a no-brainer.

Dropbox will release full details about the free version of its password manager in the coming weeks. If you want to know when it becomes available, let Dropbox know your email address and it will send you a notification.

If passwords are the bane of your life, then it probably means you’re yet to discover the benefits of using a password manager. Digital Trends has compiled a list of the best password managers currently available, many of which include free plans (with restrictions, of course!).

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