Using just one password for all your online accounts is risky business. In an increasingly online world, cybercrime is also on the rise. And password security is essential to keeping your digital properties and identity safe.
But instead of relying on a dedicated password notebook, which could easily get lost or stolen, why not use a password manager? This software is designed to remove the hard work of remembering dozens of unique passwords while helping you keep your online presence secure.
Read on to learn more about the world of password managers, as well as our picks for the best password managers to protect your accounts today!
A password manager is a software tool that stores your passwords and other sensitive login details for your online accounts. Your passwords are stored in a digital “vault” that can be accessed with your master password—the password you use to access your password manager.
That means you only need to memorize one password to access all your secure accounts. Password managers can also help you to generate strong passwords when opening new digital profiles.
How do password managers work?
Password managers rely on military-grade encryption to secure your information. All your saved passwords will be encrypted in the cloud, in your designated folder, or on your device as a local file. Encryption protects your passwords from hackers, so your online accounts are more secure.
Additionally, the companies behind good password managers implement zero-knowledge policies, ensuring that you are the only one who has access to your sensitive information.
The benefits of using password manager apps
There are many benefits to using a password manager app for your online accounts. Here are the ones I think you’ll most enjoy:
You won’t have to remember all the login details for every single account you own. Instead, you can store all your passwords securely in one place. And you only need to remember one password–your master password–to access them all.
Your password manager can generate strong passwords for you when you create accounts for social media, websites, etc. No need to boggle your brain struggling to include all the numbers and special characters your account requires.
On that note, you now have the mental freedom to create a unique password for each account you own. This means that if one account gets compromised, all your other accounts won’t fall like dominoes because you have a ‘favorite’ password.
For extra convenience, password managers detect the site you’re on when you open it and can automatically fill out the log-in form with the details you need to access your account–all you need to do is press ‘Enter.’
Now that I’ve sold you on the hype for password managers, let’s look at some of the best password manager apps in the game.
9 best password managers to keep your devices secure
Below, in no particular order, you’ll find a list of proven titans in the password management game.
Depending on your device, budget, and plan, some may work better for your needs than others. These tools are ideal for creating and storing strong passwords for all your online accounts.
Enough said, let’s dive into the 9 best password managers:
1Password is a popular password manager that allows you to protect your personal–as well as your business– passwords and accounts.
It also secures other sensitive information, such as your banking information and software licenses. And you can set up shared password accounts between family members or company departments.
Price: Starting from $2.99 per month (billed annually) for individual users
Best for: Most people with online accounts
2. Keeper
With both personal and business packages, Keeper is a trusted cybersecurity platform for preventing data breaches.
In addition to password management, Keeper provides secrets management for extra security. It also offers a free dark web scan to check if your passwords are circulating on the Deep Web.
Price: Starting from $2.92 per month for individual users, and from $2 per user per month for businesses.
Best for: Businesses and individuals working with sensitive documents
3. Bitwarden
Bitwarden is a convenient and secure password manager tool that is free for individual users and has affordable pricing options for families and businesses.
Its BitWarden Send feature allows users to send data directly to other users. This means you can securely share vital information – such as passwords and banking details – without the threat of hackers.
Price: Free for individual users. Family plans start from $3.33 per month, and Business plans from $4 per user per month.
Best for: Individuals or startups looking for security at an affordable budget
4. Dashlane
Dashlane password manager allows you to manage your passwords across any device or platform, securely share your passwords, and monitor dark web activity to check if your personal data is compromised.
You can also secure financial, medical, and private information, such as passport scans and doctor’s reports.
Price: Starting from $3.33 per month for individual users, $4.99 per month for a Family plan, and $8 per user per month for a Business plan. A free trial is available for both individuals and Business plan users.
Best for: Businesses looking for robust password management features
5. Roboform
RoboForm stores your passwords and allows users to save time with one-click logins and form-filling. It also features an internal scanner that lets you know whether any of your passwords have recently been compromised.
A feature that makes RoboForm unique is its passkey support, which allows users to securely log into websites without using passwords.
Price: $0 for use on a single device, and starting from $2.49 per month on premium accounts
Best for: Individual users and family users who want to keep their online accounts secure
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iCloud Keychain is the password management solution for Apple devices. Rather than an app, it’s a setting you can activate on your iPhone, iPad, or Macbook, free of charge.
When you do, you protect your information with end-to-end encryption. And when you update passwords and other login details, the data is updated across all your devices. You can also securely share passwords and passkeys with people you trust.
Price: Free for Apple device users
Best for: Apple users who want a basic password management solution
7. LogMeOnce
LogMeOnce boasts a suite of multiple patented products, including their Passwordless password management software.
The Passwordless system allows you to log into your online accounts using QR codes and even selfies, ensuring that the right user accesses the account they need.
Their other products include an identity theft protection platform, cloud storage encrypter, and Passwordless MFA, in addition to their encrypted password management.
Price: Starting from $0 for individuals, $4.99 per month for families, and $7.99 per user per month for businesses
Best for: Individuals who prefer not to use passwords to protect their accounts
8. Password Boss
Password Boss is a password manager designed for managed service providers (or MSPs) – companies that manage the IT infrastructure of other companies. That being said, their robust security system works just as well for other businesses and individual users.
With Password Boss, you can store business and personal items separately, customize your business’s security best practices, and delete data from stolen or compromised devices. All from the easy-to-set-up admin console.
Price: $29.99 per year for individual users, and starting from $3 per user per month for businesses (with a custom quote for MSPs).
Best for: MSPs and businesses looking for enterprise-level password management
9. NordPass
Created by cybersecurity veteran Nord Security, NordPass is a robust password manager that also offers secure encryption for passkeys, credit card information, and other sensitive online information.
NordPass also monitors your company accounts in real-time to notify you of data breaches.
Price: Starting from $0 for individuals, $.2.79 per month for family plans, and $1.79 per user per month for businesses
Best for: SMBs looking for a simple and robust password protection solution.
Best practices for secure password management
While you can—and should—outsource your secure password creation and management to a great password manager app, it helps to understand the best practices for managing your passwords in your professional and personal life.
Below are some of the basics of sound password management.
Use different passwords for different accounts: Prevent one compromised account from endangering your other digital spaces by creating a unique password for each.
Don’t share your password or login credentials, even when asked: If someone—even if they appear to be your bank or profile manager—asks you for your password, it’s likely to be a scam.
Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible: Add an extra layer of security by requiring an extra step to log into your account, such as entering a passcode sent to your phone.
Make sure your passwords are sufficiently complex and long: Use capital letters, punctuation, and special characters.
If it’s a pain to create complex passwords, your alternatives are:
Creating long passwords: Aim for 16 characters and above
Passwords that are hard to guess but easy to remember: For example, your password could be the first line of your favorite song (e.g. “is this the real life”) – most accounts will allow you to use spaces in your password.
Try to increase complexity where you can: If we use the example above, you can add complexity with capital letters and punctuation – “Is this the REAL life?” is a lot harder to guess now.
FAQs about password managers
Still have some unanswered questions about password managers? Here are some frequently asked questions and answers.
Are password managers 100% safe?
Password manager technology is based on encryption, which is the highest form of cybersecurity. Therefore, password managers are almost always safe. While no system is perfect, there are more risks involved in not using a password manager to secure your online accounts.
How do you know if a password manager is secure?
Find out if the password manager uses secure encryption. You want your password managers to use 256-bit AES, 128-bit AES, or XChaCha20 encryption – these are military-grade encryption levels.
Another important thing to look at is the data privacy policy–or zero-knowledge policy–of the company that provides your password manager. The company and its employees should not know anything about your data or passwords.
Have password managers ever been breached?
Unfortunately, password managers have not been completely safe from cybercrime. Many password managers have been hacked in the past, including OneLogin, LastPass, and Keeper, among other password manager tools.
Secure your digital property with a great password manager
With the increasing rate of cybercrime, a sound password system is a must for keeping your data and online identity protected. A good password manager can help you minimize the risk of data breaches and make your online experience much safer.
We hope you found this list of best password managers useful! I encourage you to choose one that fits your budget and goals and secure your online profiles today.
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