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Rubenking The Best Password Managers for 2019 Still using your kid's birthday as your universal password? You're heading toward trouble. With a password manager, you can have a unique and strong password for every secure website. We've evaluated two dozen of the best password managers to help you choose. Everyone Needs a Password Manager Passwords are the bane of online existence.
It seems like everywhere you go, every site you visit, you need a password. Some people solve the problem by using simple, memorable passwords. Others just use the same password on every site—simple! Too simple; those folks are just asking for trouble. Simple, memorable passwords are easy for hackers to guess. And if you use the same password on many sites, even a strong one, a security breach on one site exposes all your logins. That's where the third user type comes in, the people who rely on a password manager to create and remember a strong, unique password for every website.
Don't be a dupe; start using a password manager right away. We've evaluated dozens of password managers so you can compare features and choose the one that's best for you. All of the products in the chart above earned at least 3.5 stars, and all of them cost money (though you can use some of them for free if you accept certain limitations). If you don't want to spend money and don't want limitations, don't worry.
We've rounded up in a separate article. Most of the free tools lack the most advanced features, but they get the job done. Whether free or paid, a password manager is something everybody needs. The Password Basics The typical password manager installs as a browser plug-in to handle password capture and replay. When you log in to a secure site, it offers to save your credentials. When you return to that site, it offers to automatically fill in those credentials. And, if you've saved multiple logins for the same site, the password manager offers you multiple account login options.
Most also offer a browser toolbar menu of saved logins, so you can go straight to a saved site and log in automatically. Some products detect password-change events and offer to update the existing record. Some even record your credentials during the process of signing up for a new secure website. On the flip side, a password manager that doesn't include password capture and replay automation needs to offset that lack with significant other assets. Getting all of your existing passwords into the password manager is a good first step. Next, you need to identify the weak and duplicate passwords and replace them with tough ones. Many password managers flag weak and duplicate passwords, and some offer help with the update process.
The very best ones can automate the password-change process for you. When you create a new secure account or update a weak password, you don't want to strain your brain trying to come up with something strong and unique. You don't have to remember it. All but one of our top-rated products include a built-in. Make sure your generated passwords are at least 16 characters long; all too many products default to a shorter length.
Entering a password like @2a&AY8mePu8HU@H on your smartphone's tiny keyboard can be tough. Fortunately, almost all of our top password managers can sync across all of your Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. A few even let you authenticate on iOS or Android with your fingerprint or face rather than typing the master password.
Most include some form of two-factor authentication, be it biometric, SMS-based, Google Authenticator, or something else entirely. Fill Forms Automatically Since most password managers can auto-fill stored credentials, it's just a small step for them to automatically fill in personal data on Web forms—first and last name, email address, phone number, and so on. Most of the top-rated products include a Web form-filling component. The breadth and flexibility of their personal data collections vary, as does their accuracy when matching Web form fields with their stored items. Even if they miss a field or two, the ones they do fill are ones you don't have to type. Think about how many sites you go to that want all the same information; this feature is a huge time-saver. Some websites offer to save your address, credit card details, and so on, for convenience.
If you accept that offer, you've put your personal data at risk. Who knows if the site is storing your deets securely?. Just let the password manager fill the form each time. Different products handle form filling in their own ways. Some immediately fill all recognized fields, some wait for you to click in a field, some pop up and ask what you'd prefer. You'll even find products that offer your choice of credit cards using realistic images with the correct color and bank logo! Advanced Password-Management Features Given that all these products take care of basic password management tasks, how can one product stand out from the pack?
One handy advanced feature is managing passwords for applications, not just websites. Another is provision of a secure browser, designed to protect sensitive transactions and invoked automatically when you visit a financial site. And of course automating the password change process is a big plus.
As noted, these top products let you sync your passwords across all of your devices. Some of them also include a built-in mechanism for securely sharing passwords with other users. Some let you share a login without making the password visible, some let you revoke sharing, and with some the sharing goes both ways—that is, if the recipient makes a change it will change the original. On a grimmer note, what happens to your secure accounts after you've died? A growing number of products include some provision for a digital legacy, a method to transfer your logins to a trusted individual in the event of your death or incapacity. Logging in with your secure username and password to a website that doesn't use a secure HTTPS connection is a big no-no.
Some password managers even warn you about insecure login pages. Even when you do use HTTPS, sniffers and snoops can still learn some things about your activity, such as the simple fact that you're logging in to the secure site, and the IP address from which you're connecting.
Running your secure connections through a virtual private network, or, adds an additional layer of protection. Dashlane now includes a simple built-in VPN, and RememBear comes from the same source as the well-regarded TunnelBear VPN. What's Not Here As I mentioned, every product in the chart above earned at least a 3.5-star rating. Those with three stars are still good, but they're not quite up there with the very best. Anything that scored under three stars is just not good enough to make the cut. If you're looking for a particular password manager that isn't in this table, I have probably reviewed it, but found it wanting in some way.
Note that the blurbs below include everything with a three-star rating or better. As mentioned earlier, you also won't find any free password managershere, because they have their own, separate roundup.
LastPass is our Editors' Choice free password manager. The Top Password Management Software It's important for a password manager to offer all the advanced features, but it has to do so while retaining ease of use and avoiding needless complexity. Users who get annoyed or baffled by a password manager may well abandon it, going back to sticky notes, or to using the same password everywhere. Slick and polished Dashlane also boasts a ton of features. With its latest release, Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault has leapt into the winner's circle, with a full set of advanced features, a sleek and elegant user interface, and support for every popular platform and browser. Even the products not named as Editors' Choice have their merits; you may prefer one of them.
As mentioned, all of the products listed below earned at least three stars. Pros: Syncs across all your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. Offers all essential and advanced password management features.
Includes VPN protection. Scans Dark Web for compromised accounts. Captures online shopping receipts. Cons: Expensive, especially if you already have a VPN. Can't choose VPN server country. No special handling for nonstandard logins.
Limited support for Internet Explorer. Bottom Line: The well designed and executed Dashlane makes smart password management a breeze, and it now comes with a simple VPN built in. One caveat: The price is also going up. Pros: Supports all popular platforms and browsers.
Two-factor authentication. Secure password sharing and inheritance. Optional secure file storage. Retains full history of passwords and files. Fills web forms and app passwords. Cons: Web form filling somewhat limited. No fully automated password updates.
Bottom Line: With a strong focus on security, Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault works on all popular platforms and browsers. The latest edition brings a new look and all the advanced features you could want. Pros: Syncs across devices. Secure no-cloud Wi-Fi sync available. Captures oddball logins.
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Two-factor authentication. Manages application passwords. Online console manages trusted devices. Cons: Security Dashboard lists only the very weakest passwords. No online access to passwords.
Toni braxton and birdman engaged. No secure password sharing or digital inheritance. Bottom Line: Sticky Password Premium does everything you'd expect from a password manager, though it lacks advanced features such as digital inheritance. If you choose the unusual no-cloud Wi-Fi sync, your passwords never leave your home network. Pros: Syncs across many device types and browsers. Security Center identifies weak and duplicate passwords. Includes digital inheritance and secure sharing.
Comprehensive web form filling. Manages application passwords. Cons: Limited import capability. User interface can be confusing. Password generator defaults aren't optimal. Limited two-factor authentication.
Bottom Line: RoboForm 8 Everywhere adds new features like digital inheritance and secure file sharing to the venerable RoboForm's password management and form filling capabilities, but it hasn't quite caught up with the top products. Pros: Broad support for multi-factor authentication. Syncs passwords across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Can operate securely without a master password.
Cons: Lacks advanced features such as password sharing, inheritance, and automatic changing. No support for Internet Explorer on Windows or Safari on Mac. Bottom Line: McAfee's True Key password manager handles basic tasks, with a focus on multi-factor authentication, but it lacks secure sharing, password inheritance, and other advanced password management features.
Pros: Accessible from any browser, any platform. Actionable password strength report. Permits sharing and transferring of logins between users. Free edition available. Cons: Browser extensions only for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
Doesn't handle Gmail or other two-page logins. Lacks Web form filling ability. Doesn't import passwords from browsers.
Bottom Line: Zoho Vault does everything a password manager must, and there's even an impressive free version. However, it lacks form filling abilities and it can't handle passwords for some key sites, such as Gmail.
Pros: Offers many layers of security. Stores personal data as well as passwords. Password strength report. Can share logins. Password inheritance. Mobile apps available.
Cons: No password capture. Extensions for Chrome and Firefox only. Does not use personal data to fill forms. Tutorials out of date. Some user interface quirks. Bottom Line: Intuitive Password Advanced Edition overflows with features, yet lacks the basic ability to capture passwords at login. Some will appreciate its many abilities, but for most it's too complex.
Pros: Automated password capture and replay. Syncs among Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. Flags weak and duplicate passwords. Two-factor authentication.
Fills Web forms with personal data. Cons: Unusual per-device licensing can get expensive. Master password strength rating very lax. Doesn't handle nonstandard logins.
Form fill feature fared poorly in testing. No free trial. Bottom Line: Password Genie 5.2 performs its essential password-management tasks admirably and syncs across as many devices as your licenses permit. However, the best password managers do quite a bit more.
Pros: Handles basic password management tasks. Syncs across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. Amusing bear-themed user interface. Cons: Didn't handle all website logins in testing. No two-factor authentication, secure sharing, password inheritance, or actionable password strength report. Limited import options.
Bottom Line: With a whimsical user interface featuring animated bears, RememBear Premium makes managing passwords fun. It does everything a password manager must, but it doesn't go far beyond the basics. Pros: Syncs passwords and other personal data across Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. Optional Wi-Fi sync or no sync.
Reports duplicate, weak, and old passwords. Data sharing. Password generator.
Cons: Lacks automated password capture. No form filling. Password generator has some quirks. Data sharing could be more secure. Bottom Line: SplashData SplashID 8.1 stores your passwords and other personal data and syncs across all your devices, but it isn't as automated as most other password managers. Pros: Syncs passwords across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Enhanced features for mobile editions.
Captures and replays login credentials. Identifies weak and duplicate passwords. Fills Web forms. Secure browser. Cons: Can't handle nonstandard login pages or Web forms.
Lacks advanced features such as two-factor authentication and automated password update. Web form filling limited to a single profile. Rates some weak passwords as strong.
Bottom Line: Trend Micro Password Manager performs all the basic features of a password manager, and the current version significantly enhances mobile device support. It doesn't offer many advanced features, however.