What do password managers do?

In today's digital world, our online identities are vulnerable to cyber-attacks more than ever before. One of the best ways to keep your online presence secure is by using strong passwords for every account you have. But remembering all those unique passwords can be a daunting task. This is where password managers come in handy.

Password managers help you store all your passwords in a secure digital vault and remember them for you. Password managers are incredibly valuable for both businesses and individuals.

In this article, we'll be taking a look at some of the five best password managers in 2023.

Advice on using password managers

It is ridiculous to expect people to come up with a unique strong passwords for every one of the dozens (or hundreds) of accounts that they sign in to. This usually means that people will use the same password for many accounts.

Reusing passwords is a problem because it means that, if your password is leaked on a website you don’t care much about (like a blog, for instance), hackers can use that to get into accounts you do care about (like your bank, for example).

Password managers solve this by creating incredibly strong passwords locked behind an account with just one “master” password. For this reason, it’s really important to use a very strong and unique (yet memorable) password for this account.

A clever way of doing this is to use a password made up of three or four normal words. For instance, “yellowdoghouse” is a very hard-to-guess password, and yet is easy to type and remember. Whatever you use, make sure you never use it for any other password.

LastPass

LastPass is a popular password manager (probably the most popular password manager) and has been around for over a decade. It offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of features. LastPass offers both free and paid versions of its service.

The free version offers password management and syncing across devices, while the premium version offers additional features like emergency access, multi-factor authentication, and priority tech support. The premium version costs £2.60 per month.

"Life is happening online. Work. Play. Family and friends. LastPass puts your digital life at your fingertips, simply and securely." - LastPass

Dashlane

Dashlane is another popular password manager that has been around for a while. It offers many features, including password management, autofill, and secure note-taking. Dashlane also offers a built-in VPN service for added security. Dashlane offers both free and paid versions of its service.

The free version offers password management and syncing across devices, while the premium version offers additional features like VPN, dark web monitoring, and identity theft protection. The premium version costs £2.21 per month (there is a sale on at the time of writing, but this may go up).

"Dashlane Password Manager has never been breached. And our zero-knowledge patented encryption means not even we can see your passwords." - Dashlane

1Password

1Password is a robust password manager that offers a wide range of features, including password management, autofill, and secure note-taking. 1Password also offers a built-in two-factor authentication system for added security. 1Password offers both personal and family plans.

The personal plan offers password management and syncing across devices, while the family plan offers password management and syncing across devices for up to five family members, as well as additional features like item history and advanced encryption. The personal plan costs $2.40 per month, while the family plan costs £4.01 per month. Their business plan costs £7.99 per user per month and benefits from added reporting, integrations and simple SSO.

"1Password is the easiest way to store and use strong passwords. Log in to sites and fill forms securely with a single click." - 1Password

Bitwarden:

Bitwarden is a relatively new password manager that has gained popularity due to its open-source nature. It offers many features, including password management, autofill, and secure note-taking. Bitwarden offers both free and paid versions of its service.

The free personal version offers password management and syncing across devices, while the premium version offers additional features like two-factor authentication, vault health reports, and priority customer support. Bitwarden offers premium personal plans from £0.80 per month, a family plan for £2.68, and business plans from £2.41 per user

"Drive collaboration, boost productivity, and experience the power of open source with Bitwarden, the easiest way to secure all your passwords and sensitive information." - Bitwarden

Keeper

Keeper is a serious, feature-rich “secret manager” that offers a wide range of advanced cyber security features. As well as password management, Keeper provides a wide range of infrastructure protections (such as access key management). Keeper also offers a built-in two-factor authentication system for added security. Keeper offers both personal and family plans.

The personal plan offers password management and syncing across devices, while the family plan offers password management and syncing across devices for up to five family members, as well as additional features like dark web monitoring and secure file storage. The personal plan costs £2.50 per month, while the family plan costs £6.00 per month. Business plans start from £2 per user per month.

Keeper should be considered by those who are serious about their company’s cyber security, but also by families who are willing to pay a bit more.

"Protecting millions of people and thousands of companies globally as the trusted and proven cybersecurity leader." - Keeper

The sum-up

Password managers are a really valuable tool for anyone who values online security.

With so many options available, it can be challenging to choose the best one for you. In this article, we've highlighted the five best password managers in 2023: LastPass, Dashlane, 1Password, Bitwarden, and Keeper.

Each of these password managers offers a unique set of features at various price points, so it's important to choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. Whichever password manager you choose, remember to always use unique, strong passwords for each account and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible to ensure your online security.

Notes: Prices are as advertised at the time of writing in April 2023. If a price was not available in GBP, it has been converted. Actual rates may differ. Monthly prices may also show a monthly rate when paid for annually, As this is a common practice.