Best password manager From Bitwarden to Lastpass
Remembering every password can be a pain. Also, cybersecurity experts recommend that you use a separate, complex, and unique password for each account you access. Frankly, managing so many passwords can be overwhelming, and this is where password managers come in. Password managers typically store your password in an encrypted “vault” so you can retrieve it across multiple devices and browsers. This vault is usually protected by a ‘master password’ which is used to encrypt all other passwords for various different services. These same password managers will recommend that you make this master password as secure and strong as possible.
While password managers make it easy for users to create and store multiple strong passwords, they also offer a single point of failure for malicious actors to exploit: someone with access to your master password can access all of your accounts. Therefore, it is important to make the master password as strong as possible and protect it well. Other than that, we have put together a list of some good password managers that you should consider using.
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iCloud Keychain
If you primarily use Apple devices to browse the Internet, you may not need to look any further than the iCloud Keychain feature developed by the iPhone maker itself. Once users set up Keychain with their Apple ID, they can keep their passwords and other secure information up to date across all devices.
While this feature is free if you’re an Apple user, remember that you can only use it if your devices meet some system requirements. For iPhone, iPad, and now discontinued iPod Touch, it would be at least iOS 15. On Mac devices, you need to update to macOS Monterey 12. Apple Watches need to update to watchOS 8.
You can turn on iCloud Keychain in iOS by going to Settings > tapping your Apple ID > iCloud and then making sure iCloud Keychain is turned on. An advantage here is that the passwords you create on MacOS are also accessible on the iPhone. Apple Keychain will also tell you which passwords can be easily compromised on Mac and iOS devices. You can always delete or update these easy-to-guess passwords too.
Google password manager
If you have an Android phone, on the other hand, Google Password Manager may be the right choice. Just like its Apple counterpart, Google Password Manager can be used to store and manage passwords on devices using Android phones or the Google Chrome browser.
But unlike any other service on the list, there’s a chance you’ve already used Google Password Manager without even knowing it. If you have stored passwords that you enter in the Google Chrome browser, you may have noticed a dialog box that appears asking if you want to store the password.
If you clicked Yes, you have stored them in Google’s password manager. With the service, you can access your passwords in all browsers by signing in with your Google account. If you choose not to save your password on a site, it will appear in the “rejected sites and apps” list in your password manager settings, and you’ll need to remove that entry if you want to save passwords on that site again.
guardian
Bitwarden is a free and open source password manager that allows the storage of passwords and other sensitive information in an encrypted vault. The service is available in various forms, including a web interface, a desktop app, a browser extension, and a command line interface. While the service’s personal plan is free, it also offers paid premium plans for both individuals and organizations with additional features like file sharing.
The free plan should be enough for most individual users and allows you to share an unlimited number of passwords that can be synced across multiple devices for free. Bitwarden has apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux and offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari, and others.
Also, since it is an open source platform, Bitwarden’s code is available for anyone to inspect, penetration test, and fix. The client comes with a password generator that allows you to generate new strong passwords. It also comes with a data breach tool that checks many sources to see if your password has been compromised.
last pass
Lastpass allows users to securely store an unlimited number of passwords on their service. But you can only access these on one type of device. Lastpass identifies two types of devices: desktop and mobile. Desktop includes all browsers running on desktops and laptops, and mobile includes all other devices.
If you want to use LastPass and bypass this limitation, you can choose the LastPass premium plan for individuals which costs $3 per month. In India, the premium plan costs Rs 2,990 per year on iOS. The premium version also offers 1 GB of free file storage, as well as the ability to securely share passwords with others. The paid version also comes with a dark web monitoring and security dashboard, where Lastpass says it sends users a notification if their passwords have been leaked on the dark web. Both the free and paid version come with multi-factor authentication.
Dashlane
Dashlane is a password manager that offers additional security features, including dark web scanning for data leaks and a secure VPN. One drawback to Dashlane is the fact that the free version of the service limits users to storing only 50 passwords. Also, additional security features are only available with a paid plan.
With the free plan, users can also securely share passwords with up to 5 accounts. Dashlane’s premium individual plan costs $3.99 per month and offers dark web monitoring for up to 5 email IDs. There’s also a family pack that offers password management for up to six premium accounts, costing $5.99 a month. Users can also save on premium packages by paying approximately $39 and $72 per year.
1 Password
1Password is a password manager that was initially offered as a password manager for Mac computers. But now it has spread to other devices. One drawback to 1Password is the fact that it doesn’t offer a free subscription. But users can take advantage of a 14-day free trial to see if they like it or not.
The premium individual plan comes with unlimited password storage, 1 GB of secure document storage, and the ability to securely share passwords with others. 1Password Watchtower is a feature that alerts users to compromised websites and vulnerable passwords. An individual subscription starts at $2.99 billed annually, while a family plan for 5 members is $2.50 billed annually.
