2021's Best Password Managers

Our password managers help you create strong passwords for all your online accounts and alert you if any data has been compromised.

From dating apps to hyper-secure banking websites, almost every website you visit requires you to create a user account and create a password. With dozens and dozens of passwords, the human brain can't keep up. People sometimes use passwords that are easy to remember, such as "123456789" or "password." Others memorize one superbly random password and use it everywhere. Either way, you are likely to become the latest victim of identity theft.

Don't let this happen to you. Make use of your password manager's features and use a password manager. You don't have to remember unique, strong passwords for all your accounts when you use a password manager. You can even generate new, random passwords with the password manager. Although some of them are free if you accept certain limitations, all of the best password managers that were chosen for this article are paid. Don't worry if you don't want to spend money or have limitations. In a separate article, we compiled a list of the best free password managers.

We have tested and analyzed dozens of password managers so that you can pick the one best suited to your needs. Not satisfied? No problem. You can export your saved data or import from other products, making switching password managers easier.

Secure Your Passwords on Every Platform

A master password is one of the first things you need to create when you sign up for a password manager. You should make your master password difficult for anyone to guess or figure out since it encrypts the contents of your password vault. Nevertheless, you can't make it so random that you forget it; if you do, your master password is probably unrecoverable. Find out how to make a complex, secure password in our article.

As an additional precaution, you should set up multi-factor authentication to protect your password manager account, whether it be biometrics, SMS-based, or time-based one-time passwords (TOTPs) stored in an authenticator app. Most password managers support authentication via U2F- or OTP-based hardware security keys, which are typically about the size of a key and attach to your keyring.

You should make sure that any password manager you use works on all the devices you use and doesn't prevent you from syncing your passwords across all those devices. Several password managers now offer native Linux applications, in addition to support for Windows and macOS. Most password managers have browser extensions for every popular browser that work independently of a desktop application.

Mobile support is a must for any modern password manager, since most people frequently access secure sites and apps through their mobile devices. Almost all features and experiences translate well to mobile platforms, but no one wants to enter passwords like @2a&AY8mePu8HU@H on their smartphone's tiny keyboard. The good news is that password manager apps generally let you authenticate with your fingerprint or face, and then they fill in your username and password for you.

The Password Basics

Password managers are used primarily to manage website credentials. When you log into a secure site, the password manager will save your credentials. It will automatically fill in your credentials the next time you visit the site. If you have saved more than one login for the same site, the password manager lists them all. Additionally, most password managers offer browser toolbar menus of saved logins, so you can immediately log in to a saved site.

Some products offer to update your existing password on file when you change the password for an account. Some secure websites record your credentials when you create a new account. Password managers that do not automatically capture passwords are not the most convenient.

It is a good idea to enter all of your existing passwords into a password manager. Next, you need to identify weak and duplicate passwords and replace them with stronger passwords. You can use password managers to help you identify bad passwords and change them. The PCMag survey found that 70% of respondents reuse passwords for their accounts, so getting rid of used passwords is one of the most effective ways to improve your personal security. Password managers may even check whether you have set up multi-factor authentication for the services in your vault that support it and whether your personal information appears in any data breaches.

Don't strain your brain to come up with a strong and unique password when creating a new account or updating an old one. Let your password manager handle it. Remembering your password is not necessary. Your passwords should have at least 20 characters, including uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. There are too many products that use shorter passwords by default.

Fill Forms Automatically

Since most password managers can automatically fill in stored credentials, it's just a small step to automate the filling in of personal data on web forms, such as first and last name, email address, phone number, bank cards, passport numbers, and so on. When shopping online, you can find password managers that show you realistic images of credit cards with the correct color and bank logo so you can select the payment option you want. A secure encrypted vault is much safer than storing payment and identity details on a website or browser.

A web form-filling component is included in most of the top-rated products. Their data collections vary in scope and flexibility, as well as in their ability to accurately match web form fields with items stored in their systems. They fill in the fields you don't have to type, even if they miss a field or two. How many sites do you visit that ask you for the same information? It saves a lot of time to have a password manager do it for you. Form filling is handled differently by each password manager. Some handle it automatically, others require input.

Advanced Password-Management Features

In light of the fact that all of these products manage passwords, how do they differ from one another?

A handy advanced feature is the ability to capture and fill in credentials for desktop applications as well as websites. In most password managers, credentials can be filled in on mobile apps, but not on desktop apps.

Another advanced feature is a secure browser that automatically launches when you visit financial websites, designed to protect sensitive information.

Some password managers provide advanced permissions for securely sharing passwords with other users. You can, for instance, share a login without making the password visible, revoke sharing, or make the recipient the owner of the item in a few password managers.

How do your secure accounts fare after your death? More and more products include some provision for transferring your logins to a trusted individual in the event of your death or incapacity.

Using your secure username and password to log in to a website that doesn't use a secure HTTPS connection is a big no-no. Some password managers alert you to insecure login pages. Even when you use HTTPS, sniffers and snoopers can still learn some information about your activity, such as the fact that you're logging into the secure site, or the IP address from which you're connecting. Using a virtual private network, or VPN, protects your secure connections. This feature is built right into Dashlane. Editors' Choice VPNs TunnelBear VPN and NordVPN, respectively, are powered by RememBear and NordPass. 

Password managers are increasingly including secure storage capabilities. The storage allocation won't replace a dedicated cloud storage and synchronization service, but in many cases, it can be sufficient for keeping important documents in an encrypted state.

What's Not Here

Furthermore, you won't find any only-free password managers here. We have a separate list for those. In both roundups, we feature password managers that offer excellent free and paid tiers.

To protect your digital life, you need more than a password manager. You should also use a security suite in addition to a VPN and multi-factor authentication. It doesn't hurt to verify that all your security software is working.

The Top Password Management Software

Although a password manager should offer advanced features, it should remain simple and avoid unnecessary complexity. Password managers may cause some users to abandon them and go back to using sticky notes to store and share passwords or, worse yet, using the same password everywhere.

Editors' Choice winners for this category are Dashlane, Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault, LastPass, and Zoho Vault. Dashlane is a sleek, polished app with a lot of features. Keeper offers a convenient set of advanced features, a sleek and elegant interface, and support for every popular platform and browser. Despite changes to LastPass' free version that now make it hard to recommend, LastPass Premium excels because of its ease of use and competitive security tools. The free tier of Zoho Vault integrates across all platforms and offers a host of enterprise features for teams and businesses. There's no reason not to use any of these services. Editors' Choice winners still have merits, and you may even prefer one of them.