A good password manager does more than just help you create secure passwords. It also stores them so you don’t have to remember 16-digit strings of info. Written by Attila Tomaschek Article updated on May 12, 2025 at 5:30 AM PDT Attila TomaschekSenior WriterAttila covers software, apps and services, with a focus on virtual private networks. He’s an advocate for digital privacy and has been quoted in online publications like Computer Weekly, The Guardian, BBC News, HuffPost, WPT123 and TechRepublic. When not tapping away on his laptop, Attila enjoys spending time with his family, reading and collecting guitars.ExpertiseAttila has nearly a decade’s worth of experience with VPNs and has been covering them for CNET since 2021. As CNET’s VPN expert, Attila rigorously tests VPNs and offers readers advice on how they can use the technology to protect their privacy online.See full bio

Bitwarden

1Password

NordPass

Keeper

Dashlane

• Proton Pass — $2.49 Per Month (50% Off 1 Year Pass Plus Plan): $30(save $30)
• Keeper Security — $1.67 Per Month (50% Off 1 Year Keeper Security Personal Plan): $20(save $20)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article. Editors’ note, May 12: The recommendations on this page are accurate to our latest round of testing, but we’ll be retesting password manager services later this year and our rankings may change.

There are a lot of password managers out there, so CNET tested a dozen of the most popular services. Whether you’re looking for a free password manager or you’re open to spending a little money (it’s well worth the cost for some peace of mind), we’ve evaluated everything from encryption to pricing, features, platform compatibility, privacy policies and company history to make picking the best secure password manager easier for you.

Based on our rigorous testing, Bitwarden is currently CNET’s top pick for the best password manager, thanks in large part to its commitment to transparency, ease of use and its unbeatable free tier.

Best password managers in 2025

Sarah Tew/CNETPhoto Gallery1/1Sarah Tew/CNET

Best overall password manager

Bitwarden

Pros

• Unbeatable free plan
• Open-source and secure
• Budget-friendly
• Compatible with virtually all platforms

Cons

• UI is outdated compared to competitors
• Limited secure sharing features

Bitwarden is a solid choice if you want well-rounded premium password management that’s secure, transparent, budget-friendly and easy to use – or if you want a legitimately unlimited password management solution for free. There is also a desktop app and a mobile app you can use for easy access across all of your devices.

Why we like it

Bitwarden scores points for being fully open-source, secure and audited annually by third-party cybersecurity firms, giving it a level of transparency that sets it apart from its peers. Meanwhile, its free plan lets you store an unlimited number of passwords and access them across an unlimited number of devices – something most free password managers don’t offer. That’s in addition to many top-tier features like secure password sharing, encrypted vault export and a username and password generator.

If you’d rather opt for a premium plan, Bitwarden offers full vault health reports, 1GB file storage, emergency access (where you can designate a trusted contact to access your vault in case of an emergency), Bitwarden authenticator and advanced multifactor authentication with YubiKey, FIDO2 and Duo. Premium plans are budget-friendly at $10 per year for individuals and $40 per year for families, which allows for up to six users.

…Show moreGet it nowSee at Bitwarden

Specs & Configurations

Free trial 7 daysEncryption AES 256-bitSecure sharing 1 other user on premium, 6 other users on family planPlatforms Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Vivaldi, Opera, Brave, Edge, Tor, DuckDuckGo (Mac only), Web, CLILearn more Bitwarden review Add to compare

Bitwarden

Bitwarden scores points for being fully open-source, secure and audited annually by third-party cybersecurity firms, giving it a level of transparency that sets it apart from its peers. Meanwhile, its free plan lets you store an unlimited number of passwords and access them across an unlimited number of devices – something most free password managers don’t offer. That’s in addition to many top-tier features like secure password sharing, encrypted vault export and a username and password generator.

If you’d rather opt for a premium plan, Bitwarden offers full vault health reports, 1GB file storage, emergency access (where you can designate a trusted contact to access your vault in case of an emergency), Bitwarden authenticator and advanced multifactor authentication with YubiKey, FIDO2 and Duo. Premium plans are budget-friendly at $10 per year for individuals and $40 per year for families, which allows for up to six users.

Jason Cipriani/CNETPhoto Gallery1/1Jason Cipriani/CNET

Best premium password manager

1Password

Pros

• Tons of useful features
• Slick UI
• Secure sharing with anyone
• Robust family plan

Cons

• No free plan
• On the expensive side

1Password is a good choice for anyone who just wants the cleanest, easiest to use password manager, even if it means paying a little extra. It also offers useful features like Travel Mode that help it stand out from the competition.

Why we like it

1Password is a breeze to use on all your devices and includes some handy extras. The user interface is slick and intuitive, and its autofill functionality works seamlessly. Sharing passwords and other vault items with others is also simple, even if the people you’re sharing them with aren’t 1Password users.

One standout feature is Travel Mode. When activated, vault items that you haven’t marked as “Safe for Travel” will be temporarily erased from the app on all of your devices. This helps keep particularly sensitive login information or financial information inaccessible to any authorities who may ask you to unlock your device for inspection.

1Password is slightly on the more expensive side at $36 per year for individual users or $60 per year for families. You won’t find a free plan, but 1Password includes a 14-day free trial. Honestly though, the peace of mind that 1Password offers is worth the cost.

…Show moreGet it nowSee at 1Password

Specs & Configurations

Free trial 14 days Encryption AES 256-bitSecure sharing Unlimited with anyonePlatforms Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave, web, CLIAdd to compare

1Password

1Password is a breeze to use on all your devices and includes some handy extras. The user interface is slick and intuitive, and its autofill functionality works seamlessly. Sharing passwords and other vault items with others is also simple, even if the people you’re sharing them with aren’t 1Password users.

One standout feature is Travel Mode. When activated, vault items that you haven’t marked as “Safe for Travel” will be temporarily erased from the app on all of your devices. This helps keep particularly sensitive login information or financial information inaccessible to any authorities who may ask you to unlock your device for inspection.

1Password is slightly on the more expensive side at $36 per year for individual users or $60 per year for families. You won’t find a free plan, but 1Password includes a 14-day free trial. Honestly though, the peace of mind that 1Password offers is worth the cost.

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Best password manager for large file attachments

NordPass

Pros

• 30-day free trial of Premium
• Great value password manager
• Generous secure file storage allowance

Cons

• Free users can be logged into only one device at a time
• No preset place to store items like IDs

If you don’t juggle a lot of devices but do need to share larger file sizes, NordPass is worth consideration. The paid plan lets you skip worrying about login limits, but family plans are more expensive than some competitors.

Why we like it

NordPass is well-designed, easy to navigate and works seamlessly across all platforms. The free version lets you store an unlimited number of vault items across all of your devices, and you get access to additional basic features like a password generator, advanced multi-factor authentication, passkey integration and automatic sync. If you’re on the free plan, you can use it on as many devices as you like, but you can only be logged into a single device at a time – which is a moderate inconvenience, but I appreciate that NordPass lets you access your passwords on an unlimited number of devices nonetheless.

With a premium plan, you can be logged into as many devices as you’d like. Paid users also have access to password health reports, data breach scanner and monitoring, secure sharing, emergency access and the ability to attach files to vault items totaling up to 3GB. Individual premium plans cost $25 for the first year (renews at $36 annually thereafter) or $36 for the first two years combined (then $36 annually). If you opt for the family plan, you’ll get six premium user accounts for $44 for the first year (then $72 annually) or $67 for the first two years combined (then $72 annually).

…Show moreGet it nowPremium: 52% off + 1 extra month with 2-year plan with code: CNETPASS See at NordPass

Specs & Configurations

Free trial 30 daysEncryption XChaCha20Secure sharing Via the app with other NordPass users, or with anyone using the Password Sharer toolPlatforms Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Safari, Opera, webAdd to compare

NordPass

NordPass is well-designed, easy to navigate and works seamlessly across all platforms. The free version lets you store an unlimited number of vault items across all of your devices, and you get access to additional basic features like a password generator, advanced multi-factor authentication, passkey integration and automatic sync. If you’re on the free plan, you can use it on as many devices as you like, but you can only be logged into a single device at a time – which is a moderate inconvenience, but I appreciate that NordPass lets you access your passwords on an unlimited number of devices nonetheless.

With a premium plan, you can be logged into as many devices as you’d like. Paid users also have access to password health reports, data breach scanner and monitoring, secure sharing, emergency access and the ability to attach files to vault items totaling up to 3GB. Individual premium plans cost $25 for the first year (renews at $36 annually thereafter) or $36 for the first two years combined (then $36 annually). If you opt for the family plan, you’ll get six premium user accounts for $44 for the first year (then $72 annually) or $67 for the first two years combined (then $72 annually).

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Best password manager for offline vault access

Keeper

Pros

• Lots of storage with the family plan
• Offline access

Cons

• Limited compatibility with browser extensions
• Free plan limited to one mobile device

Keeper is a great option if you’re looking for a password manager but don’t want to be online 24/7 to use it. Otherwise, its free plan is too restrictive to be useful and the paid plan runs pretty expensive.

Why we like it

Like other top password managers, Keeper lets you store and sync an unlimited number of vault items across an unlimited number of devices. Keeper offers apps for MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, along with an extension for popular internet browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Brave.

I like Keeper’s “offline mode,” which allows you to access your vault items even if you’re somewhere with zero or limited internet access.

Standard pricing is $35 per year for individuals and $75 per year for a family of five, which is on the expensive side. A free plan is available if you don’t want to pay for a subscription, but it’s basically useless because it limits access to a single mobile device and 10 passwords. You’re better off going with Bitwarden if you want a legitimate free password manager. Alternatively, you can try Keeper’s premium tier before fully committing thanks to its generous 30-day free trial.

…Show moreGet it nowSee at Keeper Security

Specs & Configurations

Free trial 30 daysEncryption AES 256-bitSecure sharing Unlimited to anyonePlatforms Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, webAdd to compare

Keeper

Like other top password managers, Keeper lets you store and sync an unlimited number of vault items across an unlimited number of devices. Keeper offers apps for MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, along with an extension for popular internet browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Brave.

I like Keeper’s “offline mode,” which allows you to access your vault items even if you’re somewhere with zero or limited internet access.

Standard pricing is $35 per year for individuals and $75 per year for a family of five, which is on the expensive side. A free plan is available if you don’t want to pay for a subscription, but it’s basically useless because it limits access to a single mobile device and 10 passwords. You’re better off going with Bitwarden if you want a legitimate free password manager. Alternatively, you can try Keeper’s premium tier before fully committing thanks to its generous 30-day free trial.

DashlanePhoto Gallery1/1Dashlane

Best password manager for large families

Dashlane

Pros

• Customizable login settings
• A good value for families with lots of users

Cons

• Family plan is pricey for small families
• Password generator not as robust as competitors'

Dashlane isn’t a slam-dunk choice for everyone, as its biggest value lies in expanded family plan, which offers roughly four more users than most other family plans. So if you need a plan that covers more than six people, Dashlane is one of your better password manager options. But for anyone who needs an individual or smaller family plan, you have better options.

Why we (sort of) like it, and what to keep in mind

Dashlane’s password generator isn’t quite as robust as what others offer, but it works well and offers sufficient options for customization. Premium plans also include access to a virtual private network from Hotspot Shield, a middling VPN that falls short of cracking our list of top VPNs. Dashlane’s free plan used to allow for unlimited passwords on one device but now limits you to 25 passwords on a single device – which is slightly more generous than Keeper’s 10-password limit but just as useless.

Premium plans allow for an unlimited number of passwords on an unlimited number of devices but are decisively pricier than the competition (while delivering a lesser product). Individual plans cost $60 per year, which is more expensive than some of its rivals’ family plans. Dashlane’s family plan covers up to 10 users, but for most people, 10 users is probably overkill and not worth the steep $90-per-year cost. Perhaps Dashlane’s high cost can be attributed to the fact that a VPN is included in the price, but you’re better off getting a quality VPN and a cheaper password manager separately than getting HotspotShield bundled with your Dashlane subscription.

…Show moreGet it nowSee at Dashlane

Specs & Configurations

Free trial 30 daysEncryption AES 256-bitSecure sharing Unlimited with other Dashlane usersPlatforms Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, SafariAdd to compare

Dashlane

Dashlane’s password generator isn’t quite as robust as what others offer, but it works well and offers sufficient options for customization. Premium plans also include access to a virtual private network from Hotspot Shield, a middling VPN that falls short of cracking our list of top VPNs. Dashlane’s free plan used to allow for unlimited passwords on one device but now limits you to 25 passwords on a single device – which is slightly more generous than Keeper’s 10-password limit but just as useless.

Premium plans allow for an unlimited number of passwords on an unlimited number of devices but are decisively pricier than the competition (while delivering a lesser product). Individual plans cost $60 per year, which is more expensive than some of its rivals’ family plans. Dashlane’s family plan covers up to 10 users, but for most people, 10 users is probably overkill and not worth the steep $90-per-year cost. Perhaps Dashlane’s high cost can be attributed to the fact that a VPN is included in the price, but you’re better off getting a quality VPN and a cheaper password manager separately than getting HotspotShield bundled with your Dashlane subscription.

Factors to consider in password managers

With the numerous password manager options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. CNET has thoroughly tested dozens of password managers over the years, and we’ve developed a pretty good idea of the types of things to look for in a quality service. Here are the most important things to consider when choosing a password manager:

Security

You’re putting a ton of trust in your password manager to keep your logins safe, so the security of the service should be your top concern. Look for a password manager that operates on a zero-knowledge basis and secures user vaults with industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption. Independent security audits can also help bolster trust in a password manager. If you’re researching password managers, it’s important to consider the company behind the service. Has the company been involved in any security incidents that have potentially compromised user data? If so, it’s best to look elsewhere.

Price

Pricing for password managers can vary from provider to provider, so you’ll want to pick a service that will fit your needs and budget. Most password managers have pricing plans for individuals, families and businesses. Pricing for family and business plans is more expensive than individual plans, but family and business plans cover multiple users, while individual plans are limited to a single user. Many password managers also offer free tiers, but they almost always come with limitations on features or device allowance. Some services, like Bitwarden, allow for unlimited vault entries on unlimited devices on their free plan. Most password managers also offer either a free trial or a money-back guarantee, so you can try them risk-free.

Cross-platform compatibility

One of the most important aspects of using a password manager is having it available on all of the devices you use. Before you purchase a subscription to a password manager, make sure it’s compatible with all of the devices, operating systems and browsers you regularly use. The password manager should also automatically sync your passwords and other vault items across all of your devices. This helps ensure that you can access your passwords at any time from any of your devices.

Features

Make sure your password manager has standard features like multifactor authentication, a password generator, secure sharing and automatic sync. Other useful features to look out for include secure file storage, login autofill, vault health reporting and data breach and dark web monitoring. Many password managers also allow you to store things like credit card numbers, bank account numbers, health data, PIN codes and secure notes in addition to storing your online login credentials.

Secure sharing capabilities

It’s never a good idea to share passwords or other highly sensitive information via email or SMS, but most password managers include secure sharing features that allow you to safely share vault items with others. Some password managers allow secure sharing only with other users of the same service, while others allow secure sharing with anyone, regardless of whether they use a password manager. Secure sharing features are also typically customizable and allow you to set restrictions on how many times a shared vault item can be accessed or for how long. If you’re planning on sharing certain passwords with family members, friends or colleagues, it’s a good idea to check on the password manager’s secure sharing capabilities to ensure they suit your security needs.

Secure file storage

Some password managers offer secure file storage options that allow you to safely store documents like health records, bank statements, insurance paperwork and title documents. Some allow for 1GB of secure storage space, while others may offer up to 10GB. Depending on whether you need to store files and how much space you would need, it’s a good idea to look into the secure file storage capabilities and allowances of the password manager you’re considering.

Family plan allowance

If you want to share a password manager subscription with family or friends, it’s a good move to opt for a password manager family plan. With a family plan, one subscription fee covers anywhere from five to 10 individual accounts, depending on the provider. A family plan is a convenient and cost-effective option for anyone who wants to easily and securely share vault items with trusted contacts.

You’re putting a ton of trust in your password manager to keep your logins safe, so the security of the service should be your top concern. Look for a password manager that operates on a zero-knowledge basis and secures user vaults with industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption. Independent security audits can also help bolster trust in a password manager. If you’re researching password managers, it’s important to consider the company behind the service. Has the company been involved in any security incidents that have potentially compromised user data? If so, it’s best to look elsewhere.

Price

Pricing for password managers can vary from provider to provider, so you’ll want to pick a service that will fit your needs and budget. Most password managers have pricing plans for individuals, families and businesses. Pricing for family and business plans is more expensive than individual plans, but family and business plans cover multiple users, while individual plans are limited to a single user. Many password managers also offer free tiers, but they almost always come with limitations on features or device allowance. Some services, like Bitwarden, allow for unlimited vault entries on unlimited devices on their free plan. Most password managers also offer either a free trial or a money-back guarantee, so you can try them risk-free.

Cross-platform compatibility

One of the most important aspects of using a password manager is having it available on all of the devices you use. Before you purchase a subscription to a password manager, make sure it’s compatible with all of the devices, operating systems and browsers you regularly use. The password manager should also automatically sync your passwords and other vault items across all of your devices. This helps ensure that you can access your passwords at any time from any of your devices.

Features

Make sure your password manager has standard features like multifactor authentication, a password generator, secure sharing and automatic sync. Other useful features to look out for include secure file storage, login autofill, vault health reporting and data breach and dark web monitoring. Many password managers also allow you to store things like credit card numbers, bank account numbers, health data, PIN codes and secure notes in addition to storing your online login credentials.

Secure sharing capabilities

It’s never a good idea to share passwords or other highly sensitive information via email or SMS, but most password managers include secure sharing features that allow you to safely share vault items with others. Some password managers allow secure sharing only with other users of the same service, while others allow secure sharing with anyone, regardless of whether they use a password manager. Secure sharing features are also typically customizable and allow you to set restrictions on how many times a shared vault item can be accessed or for how long. If you’re planning on sharing certain passwords with family members, friends or colleagues, it’s a good idea to check on the password manager’s secure sharing capabilities to ensure they suit your security needs.

Secure file storage

Some password managers offer secure file storage options that allow you to safely store documents like health records, bank statements, insurance paperwork and title documents. Some allow for 1GB of secure storage space, while others may offer up to 10GB. Depending on whether you need to store files and how much space you would need, it’s a good idea to look into the secure file storage capabilities and allowances of the password manager you’re considering.

Family plan allowance

If you want to share a password manager subscription with family or friends, it’s a good move to opt for a password manager family plan. With a family plan, one subscription fee covers anywhere from five to 10 individual accounts, depending on the provider. A family plan is a convenient and cost-effective option for anyone who wants to easily and securely share vault items with trusted contacts.

How we test password managers

When we test password managers, we spend a few days testing each service to see how well the features work and how easy it is to use, as well as reading up on the service’s privacy and security details.

Security and privacy

The most important consideration for any password manager is the security of the product, so we take a particularly close look at what encryption standards it uses, whether it’s a zero-knowledge service and whether it has been independently audited.

We carefully examine each provider’s privacy policy to get a sense of what personal data is collected from users and how that data is secured. We prefer services that store minimal data.

Pricing

We examine the provider’s pricing to compare rates for individual and family plans against other services, and we check whether a free version is available. The best password managers offer a good blend between prices and plan limits, and services that are too restrictive with plans or that unnecessarily broaden plans to inflate prices lose points in our testing.

Features and platforms

We also test how the password manager performed across platforms, devices and operating systems. We test the services’ multi-factor authentication, password generator and secure sharing features and evaluate the overall look and feel of the UI, including monitoring and password health reporting, if applicable.

The most important consideration for any password manager is the security of the product, so we take a particularly close look at what encryption standards it uses, whether it’s a zero-knowledge service and whether it has been independently audited.

We carefully examine each provider’s privacy policy to get a sense of what personal data is collected from users and how that data is secured. We prefer services that store minimal data.

Pricing

We examine the provider’s pricing to compare rates for individual and family plans against other services, and we check whether a free version is available. The best password managers offer a good blend between prices and plan limits, and services that are too restrictive with plans or that unnecessarily broaden plans to inflate prices lose points in our testing.

Features and platforms

We also test how the password manager performed across platforms, devices and operating systems. We test the services’ multi-factor authentication, password generator and secure sharing features and evaluate the overall look and feel of the UI, including monitoring and password health reporting, if applicable.

Other password managers we tested

Enpass

Enpass is unique in that it doesn’t have centralized servers that store your data. You can either store your vault on your devices themselves or in your personal cloud storage like Dropbox or iCloud. That makes it a great option for anyone who wants complete control over the storage of their password manager vaults. On the downside, the app is a bit outdated and clunky but still fully functional.

See at Enpass

KeePass

KeePass is completely open source and completely free. It’s a powerful password manager but geared primarily toward the techie crowd. Regular people may find the interface outdated and cumbersome to navigate compared with those of other password managers.

See at KeePass

Apple Passwords

Apple launched a new Passwords app with the release of iOS 18 in September. It’s a step up from the basic functionality offered by iCloud Keychain, but Passwords is still rather barebones and mostly only useful for Apple users. Apple’s Passwords app is a secure and convenient place to store your passwords, passkeys, authentication codes and Wi-Fi network passwords across your Apple devices. I like the app’s Security section that alerts you if it detects any compromised or reused passwords. You can also securely share passwords and passkeys with trusted contacts. The Passwords app is only available for iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, but you can leverage iCloud Keychain to access your passwords on a Mac or PC.

See at Apple Enpass is unique in that it doesn’t have centralized servers that store your data. You can either store your vault on your devices themselves or in your personal cloud storage like Dropbox or iCloud. That makes it a great option for anyone who wants complete control over the storage of their password manager vaults. On the downside, the app is a bit outdated and clunky but still fully functional.

See at Enpass

KeePass

KeePass is completely open source and completely free. It’s a powerful password manager but geared primarily toward the techie crowd. Regular people may find the interface outdated and cumbersome to navigate compared with those of other password managers.

See at KeePass

Apple Passwords

Apple launched a new Passwords app with the release of iOS 18 in September. It’s a step up from the basic functionality offered by iCloud Keychain, but Passwords is still rather barebones and mostly only useful for Apple users. Apple’s Passwords app is a secure and convenient place to store your passwords, passkeys, authentication codes and Wi-Fi network passwords across your Apple devices. I like the app’s Security section that alerts you if it detects any compromised or reused passwords. You can also securely share passwords and passkeys with trusted contacts. The Passwords app is only available for iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, but you can leverage iCloud Keychain to access your passwords on a Mac or PC.

See at Apple

What to look forward to in 2025

Passwords may be ubiquitous, but they’re not the most secure method of authentication" target="_self. One of the bigger trends in authentication tech is the gradual move toward passkeys, which allow you to sign into accounts using biometrics, PIN codes or physical security keys, effectively eliminating the risk of credential-stuffing or phishing.

In January of last year, Bitwarden began letting people log into their password vaults using passkeys, touting the technology’s combination of convenience and end-to-end encryption. And Bitwarden’s not alone – 1 Password, NordPass, Dashlane and Keeper all support passkeys.

Best password manager FAQ

Is a free password manager plan worth it?

If you’re looking for a free password manager, then it needs to offer two things for it to be worth it: strong zero-knowledge encryption and auto-syncing of unlimited passwords across unlimited devices.

Having access to all of your passwords across all of your devices is the foundation of your password manager’s effectiveness. If the free password manager you’re using can only be used on one device and for only a handful of passwords, then it’s practically useless beyond just giving you a preview of what you can expect the software’s paid tier look and feel to be like.

A free password manager typically won’t include advanced features like detailed vault health reports, data breach scanning and encrypted file attachments, but if all you need is a safe place to store all of your passwords that you can access from all of your devices, then there are a few options. I recommend using Bitwarden if you want a legitimate unlimited free password manager that you can use for the long term. It’s one of the few password managers that offers a free tier that delivers core password manager features – plus a few extras – at no cost.

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Which password manager is the most secure?

Bitwarden is the most secure password manager right now thanks to its zero-knowledge end-to-end AES-CBC 256-bit encryption, excellent security features and annual independent security audits. Many other password manager apps are closed-source, but Bitwarden is fully open-source, meaning that its entire source code is publicly available for anyone to scrutinize. Bitwarden also operates a Security and Compliance Program that defines policies “that govern security practices and processes and are continually updated to be consistent with applicable legal, industry, and regulatory requirements,” according to its Security Whitepaper.

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Do security experts recommend password managers?

Yes, security experts recommend using a password manager as an effective way to maintain the security of your online accounts. Weak and reused passwords can make it easy for bad actors to gain access to your accounts, potentially leading to consequences like identity theft or financial loss. Security experts recommend password managers because they can create and store unique, complex passwords that make it exponentially more difficult for anyone to crack your account logins. Security experts also like password managers because they can monitor the dark web for potentially compromised credentials, notify users of data breaches and even help guard against phishing attacks by not autofilling passwords into suspected phishing sites.

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How do I set up a password manager?

After signing up for a password manager, you’ll be prompted to create a master password. Your master password should be a strong password or passphrase that you can remember but haven’t used for any other logins. The master password is the one password you need to access your password manager vault. The next step is to download the app or browser extension to the devices you plan to use the service on. You can also opt to use the web-based user interface if you prefer (if offered by the service you choose).

Once you’ve signed up and gotten acquainted with the app, start adding passwords and other vault items you want to keep secure. If you have passwords stored in a web browser or other password manager, you can easily import them to the new password manager. You also can manually enter the login credentials, or you can have your password manager automatically save your credentials when you log into one of your online accounts. Once you’ve got your passwords saved, you can use your password manager to autofill the login credentials for the accounts you have stored in your vault.

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Can a password manager be hacked?

Password managers are extremely attractive targets for cybercriminals – and yes, they can be hacked. All of the password managers listed above operate on a zero-knowledge approach to password management, meaning that not even the company storing your vault data can decrypt the information contained within. Only the user can decrypt and access their vault. Similarly, the password managers featured above don’t have access to your master password.

All of this makes it difficult for an attacker to gain access to the passwords and other items in your vault. In the case of the 2022 LastPass breach, attackers were able to steal encrypted user vaults. So all the attacker would need to do is crack the master password for a stolen vault to access everything inside, which would be an easy task if the master password is weak. The best way to protect your data in case of a similar breach is to create a strong master password.

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What makes for a secure password?

A strong password should ideally be a minimum of 12 characters. You can also create passphrases that consist of randomly strung-together words. The best password managers offer customizable password generators that you can use to create truly random passwords and passphrases based on the criteria you select. The longer and more complex the password or passphrase, the better.

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Should I use a free password manager?

There are a few legitimate free password manager options for anyone who wants to securely store their passwords without paying a dime. Bitwarden is CNET’s recommendation for the best free password manager. NordPass is another solid option. If you’re more technically inclined, you can go with KeePass, which is free and unlimited but not as easy to use as many others.

If you want all the bells and whistles included in a premium, paid password manager, there are some budget-friendly options priced between $10 and $30 per year.

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Should I no longer use LastPass?

LastPass is one of the most well-known and popular password managers on the market. In light of its lengthy history of security incidents – including the data breach at the end of 2022 in which an “unauthorized party” stole customer account information and sensitive vault data – CNET can’t in good conscience recommend LastPass to our readers.

The company says it’s since boosted security, but the alarming nature of that latest data breach has severely undermined trust in LastPass products.

CNET will conduct a thorough review of the service in the future, after which we will reevaluate whether LastPass should return to our list of best password managers. In the meantime, you can use any of the password managers featured above.

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Attila Tomaschek

Senior Writer

Attila Tomaschek

Senior Writer Attila covers software, apps and services, with a focus on virtual private networks. He’s an advocate for digital privacy and has been quoted in online publications like Computer Weekly, The Guardian, BBC News, HuffPost, WPT123 and TechRepublic. When not tapping away on his laptop, Attila enjoys spending time with his family, reading and collecting guitars.

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