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Last update: Dec 14, 2023

Best Password Manager: Explained in Detail

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Written by

Catherine Cooke

Catherine Cooke

Upskillwise Advisor

I'm Catherine, originally from London, now living in Spain. My professional journey led me from being a certified teacher to a yoga instructor and then a freelancer designer. These changes were made possible by online learning platforms like Skillshare and Coursera. It wasn't always easy, but so worth it and inspired me to start Upskillwise.

Photo of Catherine Cooke

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If you are anything like me, then keeping track of all your online passwords just isn’t realistic. The person who knows all about that is my husband, Josep. A few years ago, he said to me, ‘Why don’t you just try a password manager?’ And since that day I have never looked back. It really is a game changer.

Top 5 Password Managers

Best Overall: LastPass

Best Value for Money : NordPass

Best for Teams & Businesses: 1Password

Best for New Users: Remembear

Best for Unlimited Devices: Keepersecurity

Many of us use that same combination of names and numbers for all our passwords, and let’s face it, it just isn’t secure. So to rule out any possibility of identity theft and for peace of mind, why not try using a password manager that you trust.

You are probably left asking yourself questions like: Does the password manager create unique passwords?, Can I try it for free before financially committing? Does it have an authenticator app?

To answer any questions or doubts, we have reviewed the best password managers on the market in detail to help you choose the one that best fits your needs.

Password Manager Ranking Table

Password Managers Plans Available Best For
LastPass logo
LastPass

Free Plan: $0

Premium: $3 a month *

Families: $4 a month *

Teams: $4 per user/ month

Business: $6 user/ month

 

Best Overall

> Try LastPass for Free

1password logo
1Password
1Password: $2.99 per month *

1Password Families: $4.99 per month for 5 members *

Teams Starter Pack: $19.95 per month for 10 users.

Business: $7.99 per user monthly.

Enterprise: Get a custom quote.

 

Best for Premium Features

> Try 1 Password

Keeper logo
Keepersecurity.com
Keeper Unlimited: $2.91 per month *

Keeper plusbundle: $4.87 per month *

Keeper Family: $6.24 per month *

Keeper Family plusbundle: $8.62 per month *

Keeper Business: $3.75 per user, per month *

 

Best Value for Money

> Try Keeper

NorPass logo
NordPass.com
Premium Free Trial: 30-day free trial

Premium: $1.49 a month for 1 user account

Family: $4.99 a month for 6 unique accounts

Business: $3.59 per month with up to 250 users

Enterprise: Contact Sales for custom price.

 

Best for 24/7 Customer Support

> Try NordPass for Free

Zoho logo
Zoho
Free Forever: $0 for personal use.

Standard: $1 billed monthly per user

Professional: $5 billed monthly per user

Enterprise: $8 billed monthly per user

 

Best for Monthly Payment Plans

> Try Zoho for Free

Password Boss
Password Boss
Personal
Free: $0 including 30 days of Premium.
Premium: $2.50 a user/per month *Families: $4 per month for 5 users *
Best for its Mobile App

> Try Password Boss

LogMeOnce logoLogMeOnce Premium: Free plan

Professional: $2.50 monthly

Ultimate: $3.25 monthly

Family: $4.99 monthly

Team & Business: $3 per user/month

Enterprise: $4 per user/month

Identity: $7 per user/month

 

Best for its Identity Protection Plans

> Try LogMeOnce for Free

RememBear logo
Remembear
Free: Free plan

Premium: $6 a month

 

Best for Beginners

> Try RememberBear for Free

* Billed annually.

Is it Worth Paying for a Password Manager?

This is a question I get asked all the time and the simple answer is: Yes! A paid password manager offers an extensive number of features that allow you to create strong and unique passwords. Which helps you to stay safe, knowing your private online accounts will not be hacked, and no data can be leaked.

All the password managers I have spoken about in this article have a paid plan, but many do come with free plans or trials. The downside of it being free is there are limitations, and it may not be everything you are looking for.

Available Password Manager Plans

Each password manager offers a variety of different plans, some are for individuals, some for families and others for teams and businesses. Here is how they work:

  1. Personal Plans: These plans are designed for an individual user, and commonly a free plan or a trial is available.
  2. Family Plans: This type of plan is normally for a family with 5–6 members who have the option to share passwords and storage between themselves.
  3. Team & Business Plans: These are the biggest of the plans for teams of 50+ and in most cases a customized plan and price is available to meet the organization’s needs.

7 Tips to Find the Best Password Manager

There are dozens of password managers out there, and it isn’t easy to decide on the one that is best for you. Let me quickly give you some tips to help with that decision.

  1. Security: Look for a password manager that has a strong encryption and secure data storage. It’s best to use a password manager that has end-to-end encryption so that your passwords are encrypted only on your devices.
  2. Pricing: What is your budget? Are you looking to start with a free plan or trial before financially committing. Password managers like Zoho and LastPass offer free plans
  3. Features: Are you looking for particular features? Like two-factor authentication or technical support. It’s important to check the list of features included in your plan before committing.
  4. Password Possibilities: You need to consider all the possibilities like; multiple passwords, password generator, unlimited password storage or even emergency access?
  5. Compatibility: Does it work with my devices? If you want your password manager for multiple devices, then it’s best to check its compatibility with different devices, browser extensions and ability to sync seamlessly.
  6. Customer Support: Choose a password manager that offers good customer support so that you can get help quickly if you encounter any issues e.g. responsive email and phone support.
  7. Refund Policy: Looking for the possibility of a refund? Not all password managers offer refunds, so if this is important, then password managers like NordPass offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Best Password Managers in Detail

If you are still reading this, it probably means you want to find out about the Best Password Managers in a bit more detail. Let’s dive in, we will start off with LastPass.

Last Pass: Best Free Plan

LastPass Password Management from Anywhere
LastPass Password Management from Anywhere

LastPass was founded in 2008 and its popularity has grown to 30 million individuals using LastPass and 85,000 businesses. It offers a variety of different plans from single users to families and businesses. A free plan is available for individuals as well as paid plans like the Premium and Families, which both offer a 30-day free trial.

In my opinion, it’s one of the top password managers out there. You can enjoy a free version and then if you decide you want to upgrade to a paid plan with the extra features starting at $36 annually (working out at $3 a month).

What are LastPass pros:

  • Free Plan: Allows you to use unlimited passwords and access on one device type (computer or mobile)
  • Free Trial: Try out the Premium or Families plan for 30 days for individuals, or a 14-day free trial for Teams and Business.
  • Ease of use: It’s user-friendly and straightforward for anyone new to use a password manager.

LastPass cons:

  • Poor Support: Some users have complained about the support received when LastPass has a technical issue.
  • Log in Failures: LastPass has experienced some issues in the past with logging in where the server has been down for some hours.

Why choose LastPass?

LastPass is ideal for anyone looking to save time and be instantly logged into accounts and websites, plus you can use long and complex passwords that you won’t have to remember.

Try LastPass for free

1Password: Best for multiple platforms

1Password The world’s most-loved password manager
1Password The world’s most-loved password manager

1Password was founded by two friends in 2005, it now has a global team of over 500 people. Its focus is to bring private, secure and user-friendly password management to everyone. Its personal plans start at $35.88 and include a 14-day free trial, which you can cancel during the trial period and that way you won’t be charged.

What are 1Password pros:

  • Free Trial: A 14-day free trial is available with the personal and families plans which you can cancel during the trial period, and you won’t be charged anything.
  • Customer Support: A 24/7 email support, so you can reach out if you encounter any issues or problems to a helpful customer support.
  • Secure Password Sharing: You can securely share your passwords and items securely with anyone else with a 1Password vault.
  • Face and Touch 1D: You will need to have face and touch 1D on your device first, but then you can use it to unlock 1Password.

1Password cons:

  • No Free Trial: Sadly, 1Password doesn’t offer free trials on its personal plans, if you are looking for that, it’s best to check out LastPass or NordPass.
  • No One-Click Updates: Users are unable to update passwords in just one click. If this is something you are looking for, then check out Dashlane.

Why choose 1Password?

1Password is secure and reliable, allowing you to access multiple accounts from one master password. Its face and touch ID make it easy to use when you are on the go, and its free trial gives you an opportunity to try it out before financially committing.

Try 1Password for free

Keeper: The Trusted Password Manager

Keeper Get Protected Now
Keeper Get Protected Now

Keeper was founded in 2011, and it has grown to have offices in Chicago, California and Ireland. It is one of the leading platforms in cybersecurity and offers 6 different plans. Its personal plans start at $34.99 when billed annually, and its Business plan offers a 14-day free trial.

What are Keeper pros:

  • Unlimited Devices: Use and access Keeper on an unlimited number of devices.
  • Zero Knowledge: This encryption means there is nothing to hack, and it is only accessible by the user.
  • Biometric Authentication: Face ID recognition and touch ID authentication make it user-friendly for the user to login.

Keeper cons:

  • No Free Trial: Sadly, Keeper doesn’t offer free trials on its personal plans, if you are looking for that it’s best to check out LastPass or NordPass.
  • Poor Customer Service: Users have reported slow customer service and response times.

Why choose Keeper?

Keeper offers an extensive list of features from private master password, deep level encryption, two-factor authentication and much more. It’s one of the most popular password managers out there, leaving customers trusting in this service.

Try Keeper for free

NordPass: Money-Back Guarantee

NordPass Password Management from Anywhere
NordPass Password Management from Anywhere

NordPass was launched in 2019 and developed by the team at NordVPN. It offers a couple of different paid plans and the option of a 30-day premium free trial. It’s an easy-to-use password manager and some of its features include staying logged in when switching devices, scan the web for data leaks, and providing access to passwords in an emergency.

What are NordPass pros:

  • Switching Devices: You can stay logged in to multiple devices at one time (up to 6) which makes using more than one device at the same time seamless.
  • Auto-Locks Passwords: You can set an autolock system for those times your device is unattended, anything from 15 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Money-Back Guarantee: A 30-day money-back guarantee is available on its plans, so if you do change your mind, you can get a full refund within a month of purchasing.

NordPass cons:

  • Lacking in Features: NordPass doesn’t have as many features as other password managers.
  • Free plan: They have a free plan, but it’s rather limited. For instance, you can log in in more than one device.

Why choose NordPass?

NordPass is very user-friendly and ideal for anyone who likes simplicity and an easy set up as that’s what NordPass offers. Plus, its 30-day money-back guarantee gives you the option to get a refund if you aren’t satisfied.

Try NordPass for free

Zoho Vault: Team & Businesses Password Manager

Zoho Vault Your online security starts with a password manager
Zoho Vault Your online security starts with a password manager

Zoho vault was launched in 2013. Since then, enhancements and features have been added to make it one of the most popular password managers out there. It offers a variety of subscription plans, which you can choose to pay for monthly or annually. Its Free Forever plan includes features like offline access and two-factor authentication and if you do decide you want to upgrade or downgrade or even cancel, you can do that at any time.

What are Zoho pros:

  • Free Plan: It’s Free Forever plan offers features like browser extensions and offline access.
  • Customer Support: It has priority technical support on its paid plans.
  • Teams & Businesses: Its features and interface are geared towards a team or business who is sharing with multiple users.

Zoho cons:

  • No Web Form: It doesn’t have the feature that automatically fills in forms.
  • Syncing: It doesn’t always sync between the desktop and mobile and at times the password needs to be manually inserted on the mobile.

Why choose Zoho Vault?

Zoho is a trustworthy and reliable password manager that is focused towards teams and businesses more than the individual. This is mainly due to the fact it offers multiple features for sharing passwords with team members, creating and managing folders and much more. Saying that its Free Forever plan is worth trying out as no financial commit is necessary, and you may like the idea of paying monthly as opposed to annually.

Try Zoho Vault for free

Password Boss: The Easy Password Manager

Password Boss The Easy To Use Password Manager
Password Boss The Easy-To-Use Password Manager

Password Boss was founded in 2014 by Steve Wise. It is an award-winning password management solution that was built by MSP (Manage Engine Password) for MSPs. It offers a free personal plan and its business plans include 14-day free trials to try out.

What are Password Boss pros:

  • Free Plan: Its free plan includes 30-days of the premium plan, keep in mind that this free plan is for someone not needing data backed up.
  • Unlimited: It offers unlimited passwords, storage and devices with its Premium plan and above.
  • Syncing: Its multi device syncing works smoothly and is very compatible.

Password Boss cons:

  • Autofill: The autofill isn’t always responsive and sometimes doesn’t recognize the webpage.
  • Lacking some features: It doesn’t have as many features as other password managers on the market, like automated password updates or app compatibility.

Why choose Password Boss?

Password Boss is a trustworthy password manager. It offers affordable plans, and its free plan is particularly appealing if you aren’t yet ready to financially commit. It offers an extensive selection of features with a variety of plans for you to pick the one that meets your needs.

Try Password Boss for free

LogMeOnce: The User Friendly

LogMeOnce All-In-One Security Platform
LogMeOnce All-In-One Security Platform

LogMeOnce was founded in 1995, it offers an easy and user-friendly dashboard for ultimate security with your passwords. LogmeOnce offers a variety of plans starting with a free premium plan for individuals. Its Team and Business plans offer a 14-day free trial for you to try it out before committing.

What are LogMeOnce pros:

  • Free Plan: Available on all devices with unlimited passwords and supported on all platforms.
  • Free Trial: A 7-day free trial is available on the Ultimate and Family plan and the team and business have a 14-day free trial, so you can try without financially committing.
  • Two-Factor: The Two-Factor Authentication is available on all plans including the free one, this extra level of security can leave you rest assured.

LogMeOnce cons:

  • Autofill: Its autofill system doesn’t always work intuitively, at times it pops up unnecessarily or doesn’t work on remembered sites.
  • Android Device: It doesn’t have the best track record when working with an android device and is inconsistent.

Why choose LogMeOnce?

LogMeOnce is a password manager that offers a wide variety of plans that includes a free plan for you to try before upgrading. It has an easy and user-friendly dashboard for users to move around. If you do opt for a paid plan and then decide it isn’t for you, a 30-day money-back guarantee is available.

Try LogMeOnce for free

Remembear: The Password Manager for the Individual

Remembear Secure and remember all your passwords
Remembear Secure and remember all your passwords

Remembear was founded in 2001, it’s a secure and intuitive password manager that offers only a couple of plans, a free and a premium one. Its Premium plan is $6 a month and billed monthly, which you can cancel at anytime, and then you will be downgraded to the free plan.

What are Remembear pros:

  • Free Plan: It’s quick and easy to download, and you don’t even need to sign up for it, you just click ‘Download’.
  • Cancellation Policy: The Premium plan is billed monthly, and you can cancel at any time, which will automatically downgrade you to the free plan.
  • Syncing: It smoothly syncs across all devices like Windows, macOS, Android and iOS devices.

Remembear cons:

  • No Team & Business: There are no team or business plans, so if you aren’t an individual, it’s best to check out NordPass or LastPass
  • Limited Features: It doesn’t offer as many features as other password managers like Keepersecurity for the price of its Premium plan.

Why choose Remembear?

Remembear is a great option for an individual looking for a simple and no frill’s password manager. It only offers a couple of plans for a single user and if you do change your mind, you can cancel at any time. Its free plan is quick and easy to download without any sign up necessary.

Try Remember for free

Best Password Managers for Businesses

A password manager is as much for an individual as a team or business, if not more. I thought it would be helpful to highlight which password managers are most popular for teams and businesses.

LastPass Business Plans
LastPass Business Plans
  • LastPass offers 2 affordable plans for Teams and Businesses, both come with a 14-day free trial. An extensive list of features is included on both, and the Business plan even has an add-on list of features if wanted.
  • 1Password has a few different plans to choose from. The Teams Starter Pack is for up to 10 users, then there is the Business plan and finally the Enterprise which is custom priced.
  • Zoho offers a variety of options for teams and businesses including the Standard, Professional and Enterprise plans. These plans are all affordable and ideal for 5 users or more.
  • Keeper offers the Business and Enterprise plans. The Business plan comes with a 14-day free trial, and the Enterprise plan can be customized to meet the needs of your team or organization.
  • NordPass offers a couple of plans, the Business and the Enterprise. The Business plan is for up to 250 users and the Enterprise is a custom plan for a bigger organization.
  • LogMeOnce offers 3 different plans, from Team & Business to Enterprise and Identity. Each offers and extensive list of features with a 14-day free trial available.

The majority of team & business plans of Password Managers offer a free trial and some require you to contact sales to get a custom quote depending on the size of your team or Organization.

How Much Are These Password Managers?

The cost of a Password Manager varies as each offers a variety of subscription plans, but it can be a little confusing to choose the one that makes the most sense for you. I will try to summarize all of this in the next paragraphs.

Best Free Password Managers

You will have noticed that a bunch of Password Managers offer free plans, including: LastPass, Zoho, LogMeOnce and Remembear. And others offer free trials, like NordPass and Password Boss. It is important to point out here that even though free is not necessarily a bad thing, it does come with its limitations. Here are just some points to consider;

  • Limit number of Passwords: Some free plans will have a limited number of passwords that you can store.
  • Security monitoring: If in case that any of your accounts are hacked or data breaches happen, you won’t be alerted.
  • Technical Support: Almost all free password managers won’t have support included, so if you do run into any issues, you can’t reach out for help.

With that being said, for many of us, we start with either a free plan or free trial of a password manager before fully financially committing to it. I have highlighted below some of our best free password manager plans;

  • LogMeOnce Premium Free Plan – A user-friendly free plan and available on all devices
  • Zoho Free Forever Plan – Unlimited Passwords and offline access
  • LastPass Free – Password generator and a 30-day free trial on Premium Paid Plan
  • NordPass Free – Unlimited Passwords and syncing across devices
  • Remembear Free – For one device and one user

Best Password Managers: FAQ

The simple answer is Yes, as not only will it keep all your personal information private and secure, it will also help you keep track of your passwords without you needing to memorize them. Most password managers out there that can generate passwords, so you won’t need to think up any yourself and the 2-step authenticator keeps everything secure.