So, what is the best password manager? There are several ones out there that offer various features, some of which are free and others which are not. Some password managers require you to purchase a paid subscription before you can use them at all, though that generally means they have the tech to make your money worth it.
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We’ve taken these features, both free and paid, into consideration in order to come up with a list of 6 popular and trusted password managers that you may want to try.
Best free password managers
Sticky Password
Sticky Password is a popular password manager. It includes standard password managing functions, form auto-fillers (for both log-in information and stuff like address or credit card details), a random password generator, and client-side encryption (so not even Sticky Password knows how to get at your passwords). However, it doesn’t have any security testing features to speak of. Also, you need a paid subscription in order to back up your passwords to “the cloud”, or share your information on Sticky Password across all of the devices that you use it on.
Dashlane
Dashlane is another popular and secure password manager. Like LastPass, it has features such as a form auto-filler, a security tester, and a random password generator. One of its downsides when compared to LastPass is that you have to have a paid subscription in order to get a secure cloud-based backup of your passwords, or access your passwords from the Dashlane website (instead of the device on which Dashlane is installed). However, an advantage is that your passwords are scrambled on your computer before they’re backed up on Dashlane, so nobody except you will know how to get at them.
LastPass
LastPass is one of the most popular and trusted password manager services. In addition to making it easy to store passwords and other log-in credentials as soon as you enter them into a website, LastPass has a ton of other neat features. These include the ability to automatically fill out information forms (such as address or credit card forms), a random password generator, and a test that checks how strong your passwords and overall Internet security are. Buying a paid subscription allows you to use LastPass on your mobile devices, and gives you priority access to customer service if you ever have a problem.
KeePass
KeePass is an open source password manager (which means people can look inside and see how it works), and it’s also totally free. It allows passwords to be organized into different groups, and even imported from or exported to a spreadsheet. It also allows for filling out information forms by pressing a certain sequence of buttons, and contains an automatic password generator. Its main downsides are that it doesn’t offer backups in “the cloud”, and that the interface takes a little getting used to.
Best paid password managers
RoboForm
RoboForm is a password manager that features many of the same features as LastPass and Dashlane, including a form auto-filler and random password generator. However, it places a higher priority on being user-friendly, with no advertisements, a handy “start page” to let you get to your favourite websites quickly, and a search bar that puts a search engine at your fingertips Unfortunately, the free version only allows you to save log-in information for up to 10 accounts. And, similar to Dashlane, you need a paid subscription to store a backup of your passwords in “the cloud”, or be able to use the same information in RoboForm across all of your devices that use it.
PasswordBox
PasswordBox is a somewhat unique password manager. In addition to having standard password storing and secure sharing functions, it also has a notable feature called the Legacy Locker. This allows you to let someone else access your passwords on your behalf if something happens to you. The main disadvantages of PasswordBox are that its free version only allows you to store a certain number of log-in credentials (though the paid version removes this), and that it doesn’t have a feature that allows you to check your password strength. It also doesn’t have a feature that automatically fills out web page information forms for you.
Overall, we’d recommend Dashlane or Sticky Password if you want lots of features for not a lot of money, RoboForm or PasswordBox if ease of use is your top concern, and KeePass if you’re a little more tech-savvy and just want something that’s simple but functional. Of course, we’d love to know what you think of these password managers if you’ve used them, or perhaps some other ones that you’d recommend as alternatives. Leave a comment below, or give us a shout on our Facebook or Twitter pages!
