Many free password managers aren’t really safe. Most of them have weak security, have access to your vault, and some are actually spyware disguised as free password managers. However, there are still a few really safe and free password managers with solid security, easy-to-use apps, and features that help you manage all your passwords efficiently. I took the time to test dozens of free password managers and compiled a list of worthwhile ones. Dashlane’s free plan was my top pick because of its strong security and extra features. Download Dashlane Free!
Quick Guide: 5 Really Free and Safe Password Managers
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The Best Really Free and Safe Password Managers in January 2023
1. Dashlane — The Best Free Password Manager in 2023
Key Features: Dashlane is one of the best free password managers available. All Dashlane’s plans are packed with tons of security features like two-factor authentication (2FA) and military-grade AES-256 bit encryption, which is the most reliable form of encryption that banks and military organizations use to secure their data. I like how Dashlane’s free version has most of the features available on the premium plan. You use all the standard password manager features of Dashlane like generating secure passwords, auto-fill websites, dark web monitoring, emergency access, and password auditing on the free version. One downside to the free plan is that you can only store 50 passwords and can only use them on 1 device at a time. Another limitation is that you can only share passwords with only 5 users, whereas Dashlane Premium allows you to share passwords with unlimited users. I advise upgrading to the premium plan as it offers more features and zero restrictions. I had to upgrade to the premium plan because I have more than 50 passwords across different services, and the premium version supported unlimited passwords. It also supports dark web monitoring to check if my passwords have been compromised in a data breach, unlimited device syncing, an automatic password changer, and a VPN. Luckily, you can try Dashlane Premium for 30 days risk-free. I safely managed all my passwords when I signed up for the premium trial and was pleased with the overall service that I got. Download Dashlane Free
2. RoboForm — Auto-fills Complex Forms Seamlessly
Key Features: RoboForm is a great password manager with excellent auto-filling capabilities. Like Dashlane, it uses the military-grade AES-256 bit encryption to secure all the logins in your vault. I was happy to find that RoboForm’s free version doesn’t have as many restrictions as other popular password managers. It supports unlimited passwords, password auditing, password sharing, bookmark management, and it has native apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and browser extensions. I like how intuitive the apps are and how the browser extension was able auto-fill complex websites. However, there are still a few limitations with RoboForm Free. RoboForm Free doesn’t support two-factor authentication (2FA), so there’s no way to add an extra layer of protection should someone else know your master password. 2FA is an essential feature for a password manager. Your passwords are vulnerable, and your data could be compromised without it. RoboForm Free also doesn’t support cloud backup, secure folder sharing, web access, cannot grant emergency access, and only syncs on 1 device. Overall, RoboForm is a great free password manager that grants the freedom to use most of its features for free. However, the lack of some features doesn’t make it ideal for some users. I prefer a password manager that supports 2FA and syncs on all my devices. RoboForm Everywhere, the premium service, meets those needs and more, so I don’t mind paying a little cash. Luckily, RoboForm offers a 30-day money-back guarantee that allows you to test the full service risk-free. Download RoboForm Free
3. Keeper — Store Unlimited Passwords on 1 Device
Key Features: Keeper is a safe password manager with excellent security. It uses AES-256 bit encryption to secure all the data in your vault. It provides unlimited password storage, a secure password generator, and two-factor authentication (2FA), but I found its free version to be too limited and basic. The Keeper free version is limited to just 1 mobile device, offering only local data storage (passwords, logins, identity, and payments). This means that you don’t get to keep your passwords on an encrypted server as password managers like Dashlane offer, and, as a result, you’ll lose all your passwords if your device is damaged or stolen. While I could use Keeper Free to generate secure passwords and export passwords on my phone, the most disappointing thing I discovered is that you can’t use it to auto-fill or save logins. Worst still, there’s no emergency access, and you can’t use the browser extension, access it on the web, delete records and folders, or sync on multiple devices. Keeper’s Free version lacks too many features to efficiently manage all your passwords. To really get the best out of Keeper, you should . There are no restrictions on this plan, and it offers a generous 30-day trial period. Keeper Unlimited has a dark web monitor feature, secure file storage, auto-fills websites seamlessly, and doesn’t cost much compared to other premium options on this list. Download Keeper Free
4. Sticky Password — Supports 10+ Browser Extensions
Key Features: Sticky Password keeps all your passwords safe with AES-256 bit encryption. It is easy to use, featuring intuitive apps and browser extensions (up to 10, including rare browsers like Yandex, Seamonkey, and Pale Moon). Like RoboForm, Sticky Password’s free version offers unlimited encrypted password storage, secure notes, and two-factor authentication (2FA). Unlike Keeper, it allowed me to auto-fill web forms and auto-save logins. I also like that Sticky Password Free supports biometric login access, which means I don’t need to remember my master password to access my vault. I could also generate strong passwords and export my vault to a portable USB drive. This allowed me to conveniently use it at work on different Windows devices just by injecting the USB drive and entering my master password. Unlike providers such as Dashlane and RoboForm, which allow you to share your passwords with others, Sticky Password Free doesn’t support password sharing. It also doesn’t provide emergency access if you lose access to your account. If you need more features like syncing across multiple devices, cloud backup for your passwords, password sharing, emergency access, and contributing towards saving endangered manatees, you’ll have to subscribe to the premium plan. You’ll have access to a 30-day premium free trial when you sign up for a subscription. Download Sticky Password Free
5. LastPass — Unlimited Passwords and Device Syncing
Key Features: LastPass is a safe and easy-to-use password manager. The free version allowed me to store unlimited passwords and, to my surprise, sync across unlimited devices, though it has to be one device type — mobile or desktop. This was impressive as most other free password managers won’t even allow you to sync to other devices. Unlike Dashlane Free, which allows you to share passwords with 5 users, LastPass Free only supports sharing with 1 user. However, I found LastPass Free very easy to use. It allowed me to generate secure passwords, save and auto-fill logins, store my passwords in a secure vault, and use multi-factor authentication methods including 2FA apps, email, and LastPass’ built-in authenticator app to get an extra layer of protection. LastPass Free has a few limitations. There’s no security dashboard to check your password strength, and it doesn’t support dark web monitoring, emergency access, and hardware security keys like YubiKey or fingerprint authentication. If you want all these features, including 1GB of encrypted storage, you must upgrade to the premium plan. To get the best of LastPass, I recommend trying the premium version. You can do this by using the 30-day free trial to access all of LastPass’ advanced features. Download LastPass Free LastPass announced that one of its developer accounts was recently hacked and portions of source code and technical information were stolen. LastPass has ensured users that:
Your master password has not been compromised No data within your vault has been compromised There’s no evidence that your personal information was compromised
No action is required from LastPass users at this time. This is a good reminder to always follow best practices when setting up and using a password manager and to only use vetted companies.
Quick Comparison Table: 2023’s Best Free Password Managers
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How I Tested and Ranked the Best Free and Safe Password Managers in 2023
Strong security — Using a free password manager with security features is risky. So, I focused on curating the free password managers with solid encryption like AES-256 bit, zero-knowledge security architecture, and 2FA options for extra layers of protection. Quality features — Even though free password managers mainly offer basic features, I prioritized finding the password managers with a fair amount of features that will allow me to manage my passwords with fewer restrictions. Ease of use — I selected the password managers that are intuitive and user-friendly. I chose those that are supported across popular operating systems and browser extensions. Free trial or money-back guarantee — I shortlisted the best password managers with either a free trial or money-back guarantee alongside the free plans. This was to help me try the premium versions for free to help me decide if it was worth upgrading to.
Is it safe to use a free password manager?
Not really. Most free password managers have security flaws, lack transparency, and can easily compromise your passwords, but there are still a few reliable free password managers with excellent security features. These free password managers offer military-grade encryption and multi-factor authentication to ensure that you get another layer of protection. I curated a list of top free password managers with excellent security features. Brands like Dashlane and LastPass offer zero-knowledge security architecture (no one apart from you knows what’s in your vault), two-factor authentication (2FA), biometric login, SMS, and email authentication. With these features, you can safely store and manage all your passwords from an encrypted vault accessible by only you.
Can I use my browser or device’s free password manager?
Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it over third-party free password managers for various reasons. Browsers like Chrome and Microsoft Edge have built-in password managers, likewise iOS, Android, and macOS devices. However, built-in password managers lack advanced security and various features that would help you conveniently manage your passwords. For instance, most built-in passwords don’t offer two-factor authentication (2FA), password auditing, and dark web monitoring. All the password managers on my list are secured with AES-256 bit encryption, which is relied upon by military organizations for data security. You wouldn’t want to find out that your Gmail account was compromised and consequently all the passwords attached to it on the Chrome browser. 2FA prevents this by providing an additional layer of protection. Likewise, top free password managers like Dashlane and RoboForm allow you to check the strength of your passwords for weak or reused passwords, which you don’t get with most built-in password managers. So, you can be assured that all your passwords are kept in a secured vault away from the reach of hackers.
Are free password managers any good?
Not quite. Most free password managers have weak security and lackluster features, but I compiled a list of really free password managers. These free password managers offer quality features that help you manage your passwords securely and conveniently. Among the quality features of the brands on my list are encrypted password vaults, password sharing, password auditing, emergency access, and dozens of other great features. However, free password managers could be really limiting. For instance, Dashlane Free supports only 50 passwords in your vault, and most free versions of password managers like RoboForm Free and Sticky Password Free only work on 1 device. This is why I always recommend upgrading to the premium version of a password manager if you want fewer limitations. Moreover, all the password managers on my list offer a generous free trial and money-back guarantees that allow you to try all the premium features for free before committing. Download Dashlane Free!
Getting Started With a Free Password Manager
A password manager is essential to ensure that your passwords are secured and safe. Apart from built-in password managers, which aren’t that safe, free versions of premium password managers offer military-grade security, top-grade features, and other valuable extras. I curated a list of the really free and safe password managers out of a dozen options. These free password managers offer tons of features that allow you to generate secure passwords, store your passwords in an encrypted vault, share passwords with other users, audit passwords for vulnerabilities, and more advanced features. After testing multiple free password managers, I found Dashlane to be the best free password manager. It offers excellent security and many quality features. I was able to keep my passwords safe, auto-fill web forms, and share my passwords with my friends. However, like the other free password managers on my list, you’ll find a few limitations for each free version, like not being able to sync your passwords on different devices. That’s why I encourage upgrading to a premium plan to get unlimited storage, unlimited device syncing, unlimited sharing, advanced security options like hardware security keys, and more. Luckily, all the password managers on my list offer at least a 30-day free trial and pricing plans that aren’t costly. I recommend checking them out and using the free trial to get started without limitations. Download Dashlane Free!
