What is a Password Manager?
A Password Manager is a software used to remember your login details across various websites and apps.
Why do we need a password manager?
In earlier days people used simple passwords like “password”, “123456” etc. and also used the same password for various websites like Google, Facebook, Twitter etc. But nowadays, with the growing rate of online scams and hacking attempts, we need a good password manager software to create and remember strong passwords for various websites and applications.
So, What are the top 3 password managers?
With the growing popularity of password managers and new players coming into the scene every now and then, there is a large number of password management software currently in the market. But you should go with a reliable and functional one keeping in mind the simplicity and ease of use. As per our study, here is the list of the best 3 password managers out there currently:
1. Dashlane
Dashlane is a well-designed and fully functional password manager with a lot of advanced features. Around here since 2012, Dashlane offers all essential password management functions like secure password generation, unlimited password storage, secure password sharing, two-factor authentication, web form fills and syncing across devices like Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS. Dashlane also offers a VPN and a dark-web monitoring service. It is a bit expensive though. If you want a paid software and budget is not an issue, Dashlane at $4 per month is arguably the best premium password manager.
2. Lastpass
Lastpass, initially released in 2008, used to be our best choice for a free password manager, but in early 2021 they decided to restrict free users on only one device type: computer (desktop and laptop) or mobile (mobile, smart watch and tablet). Lastpass Premium is still one of the most reliable, secure and easy to use password manager with all core functionalities of a great password manager including secure password sharing, dark web monitoring and personal support. We recommend Lastpass if you don’t mind paying for their premium plan. Lastpass premium plan is less expensive than Dashlane at $3 per month.
3. Bitwarden
Now, if you want a free software, Bitwarden is our choice as the best free password manager. Debuted in 2016, Bitwarden has all the core functionalities of a good password manager. It is an open source software with Secure password generator, unlimited password storage, syncing across devices, web form fills and two factor authentication. We find Bitwarden very reliable and easy to use. Bitwarden has gained more popularity in recent times after Lastpass restricted syncing across device types in their free version. Though Bitwarden premium plans offer some fancy features like emergency access, extra 2FA options and encrypted file attachments, for most people their free plan is more than enough.
More choices:
If you want more choices for great password managers, Keeper Password Manager, Roboform, LogMeOnce, 1Password and True Key are some secure and reliable names. We have another article on the best FREE password managers, in case you just want to learn about the free but reliable options.