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- 1Password — Try a 1Password Individual Account for Free!
- RoboForm — $0.99 Per Month (60% Off 1-Year Premium Plan)
- Dashlane — $4.99 Per Month for 1-Year Premium Personal Plan
- NordPass — $1.49 Per Month (50% Off 2-Year Premium Plan)
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Forgetting your login credentials can send you down the rabbit hole of figuring out the password reset procedure, and it always seems to happen when you're in a hurry. We know it's tempting to reset it to something simple or to memorize one password and use it everywhere. But the potential hits—financial and otherwise—resulting from using weak passwords could cost you plenty. For instance, a hacker can easily guess or brute-force a simple password. A data breach can expose whatever complex password you memorize, thus compromising each account using it. If you're on a tight budget and need password protection now, many of the best password managers we've reviewed offer free service plans. Below, we've identified the best free password managers to help you choose the right one.
Note that we're including the entire range of apps we've tested here instead of only our top picks. This is because the free password manager space is small. Furthermore, some big names that scored poorly would otherwise be left out, which would be a disservice to readers considering those apps.
Table of Contents
NordPass
Best Streamlined Password Management
Why We Picked It
NordPass, from the team behind NordVPN, is a streamlined, easy-to-use service for securely accessing your passwords via desktop and mobile apps or on the web. The service's free version logs you out when you switch devices and doesn't allow password sharing.
Who It's For
People hoping to secure their accounts with multi-factor authentication (MFA) should consider NordPass. Nord Security is one of the few companies that offers MFA options for all its customers.
PROS
- Supports multiple forms of multi-factor authentication
- Secure password-sharing and inheritance options
- Offers clipboard-clearing capabilities
- Scans for compromised accounts
CONS
- Inconsistent credential creation process
- Limited free tier
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Import From Browsers | |
| Two-Factor Authentication | |
| Fill Web Forms | |
| Multiple Form-Filling Identities | |
| Actionable Password Strength Report | |
| Digital Legacy | |
| Product Category | Password Managers |
| Secure Password Sharing | |
| Product Price Type | Direct |
LogMeOnce
Best Multi-Factor Authentication Options
Why We Picked It
LogMeOnce has a free version of its premium app with no limit on the number of saved passwords or on the number of devices you use. We especially like that it offers multiple choices for authenticating your identity when you sign in, which is a rarity among free password managers.
Who It's For
LogMeOnce is ideal for people who hate entering passwords every time they log in. The service has offered a passwordless login feature for years, long before many competitors began adding one to their products.
PROS
- Free
- Diverse MFA options
- Unique emergency access tool
- High-quality onboarding tutorial
CONS
- Credential filling didn't work with the Android app in testing
- Awkward password-importing process
- Cluttered web vault interface
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Import From Browsers | |
| Two-Factor Authentication | |
| Fill Web Forms | |
| Multiple Form-Filling Identities | |
| Actionable Password Strength Report | |
| Digital Legacy | |
| Product Category | Password Managers |
| Secure Password Sharing | |
| Product Price Type | Direct |
Proton Pass
Best No-Frills Password Management
Why We Picked It
Proton Pass is a solid and secure password management option. We like the app's minimalistic but eye-catching user interface, the fact that the free version offers unlimited syncing of passwords across all your devices, and the speed with which the company has improved its service.
Who It's For
Free users will get the most value out of this capable credential storage system. The premium version offers some interesting perks for those needing high security, like journalists or politicians, but lacks features commonly bundled with competitors' subscriptions (such as dark web monitoring, a VPN, and so on).
PROS
- Free version
- Includes email alias creation and storage
CONS
- Awkward credential sharing
- Short feature list
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Import From Browsers | |
| Two-Factor Authentication | |
| Fill Web Forms | |
| Multiple Form-Filling Identities | |
| Actionable Password Strength Report | |
| Digital Legacy | |
| Product Category | Password Managers |
| Secure Password Sharing | |
| Product Price Type | Direct |
Avira Password Manager
Best for Simple Password Storage
Why We Picked It
Avira Password Manager can sync your passwords across all platforms and offers MFA. It can also store notes and credit card information in user vaults for easy form-filling to speed up online shopping.
Who It's For
Anyone seeking free, capable password management from a prominent company in the cybersecurity industry will appreciate Avira's password manager.
PROS
- Syncs passwords across all your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices.
- Two-factor authentication.
- Free.
CONS
- Doesn't fill web forms.
- Lacks secure sharing, digital inheritance.
- Security status details require upgrade to paid edition.
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Import From Browsers | |
| Two-Factor Authentication | |
| Fill Web Forms | |
| Multiple Form-Filling Identities | |
| Actionable Password Strength Report | |
| Digital Legacy | |
| Product Category | |
| Secure Password Sharing | |
| Product Price Type |
KeePass
Best for DIY Password Management
Why We Picked It
KeePass is a free open-source password manager with a 20-year history. This is not a password manager for beginners or users unfamiliar with old-school file management systems. Its plug-ins page offers a treasure trove of options for people who want to tinker with the application.
Who It's For
KeePass is an excellent password manager for those who value flexibility and the ability to customize the password management experience. You can, for example, upload it to a USB stick and run it without installing it on your computer.
PROS
- Can set password update reminders
- Stores password history
- Strong security settings
- Local credential storage
- Highly customizable using plug-ins
CONS
- Cannot automatically capture credentials
- Setup is not user friendly
- Unattractive, outdated interface
- Default generated passwords do not contain special characters
- Auto-Type did not handle multipage logins in testing
- No mobile support
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Import From Browsers | |
| Two-Factor Authentication | |
| Fill Web Forms | |
| Multiple Form-Filling Identities | |
| Actionable Password Strength Report | |
| Digital Legacy | |
| Product Category | |
| Secure Password Sharing | |
| Product Price Type |
Norton Password Manager
Best for Mobile Authentication
Why We Picked It
Norton Password Manager is a free password manager that can sync your passwords across all platforms and has password hygiene tools to help you identify weak or previously used passwords in your vault. Keep in mind that the company experienced a data security incident in late 2022 that affected Norton Password Manager user accounts.
Who It's For
Norton is appropriate for anyone who doesn't want to have to remember their master password. Norton Password Manager allows passwordless authentication, meaning users can unlock their vaults using their mobile device as an authenticator.
PROS
- Passwordless vault entry
- Comprehensive vault safety dashboard
- Free
CONS
- No credential sharing
- No emergency access options
- Limited browser extension choices
- No support for MFA apps or hardware keys
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Import From Browsers | |
| Two-Factor Authentication | |
| Fill Web Forms | |
| Multiple Form-Filling Identities | |
| Actionable Password Strength Report | |
| Digital Legacy | |
| Product Category | |
| Secure Password Sharing | |
| Product Price Type |
Bitwarden
Best Overall
Why We Picked It
Bitwarden has the best free tier for password management we've reviewed. Bitwarden is open-source software, and its code undergoes regular audits by independent researchers, making it less vulnerable to hacks and breaches.
Who It's For
First-time password manager users or anyone looking for a free password manager should consider Bitwarden. Its password manager is easy to use and doesn't limit the number of passwords you can store, nor does it prevent you from syncing your vault across devices, as many free password managers do.
PROS
- Free
- Open-source
- Passkey support
- Emergency access option
- Data breach monitoring
- Password hygiene reports
CONS
- Relatively expensive business tiers
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Import From Browsers | |
| Two-Factor Authentication | |
| Fill Web Forms | |
| Multiple Form-Filling Identities | |
| Actionable Password Strength Report | |
| Digital Legacy | |
| Product Category | Password Managers |
| Secure Password Sharing | |
| Product Price Type | List |
Are There Free Editions of Paid Password Managers?
If you see a paid password manager with features you like, you might be able to check it out during a free trial or use a free, feature-limited version of the premium password manager. All of the free password managers on this list are feature-limited versions of a company's premium password manager.
For example, some companies let you create and store passwords but not sync them across your devices, share credentials, or set up a password inheritance contact without subscribing to the premium service. Some services—Bitwarden is a good example—are less stingy with their free versions.
This list doesn't include free password managers that limit the number of credentials you can store in your vault or don't allow cross-platform syncing. For example, Dashlane's free version limits subscribers to 25 stored logins, and Keeper's free tier only works on a single mobile device.
What Does a Free Password Manager Do?
For most people, getting started means installing a password manager's apps for desktop and mobile, along with an extension for your browser of choice. When you log in to a secure site, the password manager captures the username and password and saves them to your vault. The best password managers capture your credentials during account creation, and when you change your password online, they offer to update the stored password for that site.
When you revisit a site, most password managers can automatically fill in the saved data. If you have more than one set of credentials, you can choose which to use. Another handy (and common) feature of most of these browser extensions is that clicking an entry sends you directly to the site and logs you in.
Many of us are just as likely to log into a secure site from a mobile device as from a desktop computer, so finding a password manager that syncs your credentials between all your devices is vital. Most password managers use encrypted cloud storage to sync between devices. Some keep your data local, syncing between databases on different devices without keeping anything in the cloud. The real benefit of having your password manager on your phone is that you can autofill credentials for any mobile apps you use.
Simple Tricks to Remember Insanely Secure Passwords
One great thing about free password managers is that you can try several and find out which one you like best. If you're thinking of doing such a survey, look for products that can import from other password managers. Otherwise, you have to go through the password capture process again for each candidate.
What Else Can Password Managers Do?
The point of adding a password manager app to your security arsenal is to replace each weak and duplicate password with an unguessable, strong password. But where do you get those strong passwords? Most of these apps have a password generator, many of which give you control of things like password length and which character sets to use. The very best ones perform password auditing to ease the process of identifying and fixing poor passwords.
Automatically filling in usernames and passwords isn't so different from filling in other data in web forms. Many paid password managers can streamline the process of filling forms with personal data, such as addresses or payment card details. Among other features password managers offer is storage space for secure documents, though the allotted storage is typically insufficient to replace a dedicated cloud storage service.
In addition to using your passwords on multiple devices, you may want to share logins with other users. Some free password managers do not support secure sharing. It's also uncommon for free password managers to let you define an inheritor for your passwords, someone who will receive them in the event of your demise.
Are Free Password Managers Secure?
When you put all your passwords into one repository, you'd better be extremely careful to protect that repository. That's where your master password comes in. This is the password used to encrypt the contents of your password vault, so it needs to be as strong as possible. On the flip side, it is unlikely you can recover it if you forget it. Store your master password in a secure place or risk permanently losing access to your password manager.
How Your Password Was Stolen
Setting up multi-factor authentication is another way to mitigate the risk of possible attacks. Multi-factor authentication could be biometric, requiring a fingerprint, facial recognition, or even voice recognition. Some password managers rely on mobile authenticator apps; others use SMS-based methods or hardware security keys to authenticate. Allowing access only from registered, trusted devices is yet another form of multi-factor authentication.
Should You Use a Passkey Instead of a Password Manager?
Passkeys are a relatively new way to log in around the web. Instead of using an email address and password combination, you create a unique key for each website and store it on your device.
I recently interviewed Steve Won, the chief product officer at 1Password, about the benefits of more people using passkeys. He told me that passkeys could solve serious security issues by replacing traditional username and password combinations.
"If we reduce 30% of our footprint of passwords being used on the web, Won explained, "It makes a meaningful dent in terms of our surface area of attack."
However, widespread passkey adoption will take time, so experts recommend keeping your password manager and using it to store passkeys, too. Many of the password managers we've tested, including Bitwarden, allow customers to store passkeys in their password manager vault. Try out passkeys by creating one for one of these websites.
