Finding the best free password managers to store and generate your passwords can be difficult. Password managers are a serious choice – they’ll be in charge of your entire online life in some sense. So how do you pick?
We researched all the popular free password managers, and narrowed our focus on these top six choices:
- NordPass: The best free password manager overall
- Bitwarden: The best open-source free password manager
- Dashlane: Free password manager built on zero-knowledge technology
- Norton Password Manager: Browser-based and lean free password manager
- LogMeOnce: Top password manager with biometric and QR code login
- RoboForm: Best free password manager if you want data stored locally
For more information about these password managers, and which one to pick, read our full article below.
Password managers are a must-have today. Good passwords are long and hard to remember, so a password manager can help you keep track of your credentials without sacrificing your online security.
Unfortunately, password managers can be costly. And when even premium options like LastPass can endanger your credentials, picking a free password manager is difficult. Luckily, you won’t have to go out of your way to try all the password managers out there. We researched and tested the best free password managers for you.
NordPass came out on top of our list for free password protection. It offers various security features like two-factor authentication, a robust password generator, and the ability to create unlimited passwords.
The Top 6 Best Free Password Managers
When researching this article, we focused on features like usability, security, and customer support. Based on that, we’ve compiled a table with some of the key characteristics of the best free password managers.
| Password manager | Two-factor authentication | Credentials sharing | Password generator | Auto-fill password feature | Unlimited passwords |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordPass | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bitwarden | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dashlane | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Norton Password Manager | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ (Limited autofill options) | ✔ |
| LogMe Once | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| RoboForm | ✔ | ✖ (Limited sharing in the free plan) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Unlike some of our competitors, all the options we recommend offer a password manager free of any charge. Read on to find out more about each of them.
1. NordPass: Best free password manager overall
What We Like:
- Easy-to-use interface
- The option to share passwords
- Two-factor authentication on apps
What We Don't Like:
- Limited collaboration features in the free plan
NordPass is the best password manager overall. And besides the amazing premium options, NordPass also has a robust free plan. It gives you the ability to save unlimited passwords, keep secure notes, store credit card information, and sync your passwords and data on any device. But remember, on the free plan, you can only stay logged into the account on a single device at a time.
That’s not the only limit of the free plan. For example, it won’t detect weak or duplicate passwords like its premium counterpart. However, in our opinion, the benefits greatly outweigh the downsides. We used the free version of NordPass and had no problems safeguarding our online accounts with it. This is one of the reasons we consider NordPass one of the best password managers.
Based on our research and testing, NordPass is the safest free password manager. It also lets you store unlimited credentials in your password vault, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option without having to pay anything.
2. Bitwarden: Best open-source password manager
What We Like:
- Open-source software
- Great feature set, including unlimited credentials
- Very cheap if you want to upgrade to a paid plan (less than $1 per month)
What We Don't Like:
- Important tools are locked behind a paywall
- Beginners might have a harder time using the Bitwarden password management software
Bitwarden is a great choice for fans of open-source software. Its feature set is even better than that of established market competitors like NordPass. For example, Bitwarden offers unlimited credentials in storage, dark web monitoring, and support for unlimited devices. This makes it a worthy contender in our list of best free password managers.
Plus, we were happy to discover that the core tool is available without any extra cost, and it offers support for mobile apps, desktop devices, and even command-line interfaces.
However, Bitwarden does have drawbacks. For one, we found important features like their Authenticator, emergency access, and file attachments locked behind a paywall.
But more importantly, Bitwarden’s not a good choice for inexperienced users. A lot of customers complain about its desktop app, and support isn’t on the same level as that of NordPass. So, if you’re not tech-savvy, you may find using Bitwarden challenging.
But if you know your way around a computer, we highly recommend you try Bitwarden. And if the free plan is limited, you can upgrade for less than $1 per month and access its premium features.
3. Dashlane: Free password manager built on zero-knowledge technology
What We Like:
- Two-factor authentication
- Form and payment autofill
- Infrastructure built around the principle of zero-knowledge
What We Don't Like:
- Upgrading can be expensive
- Limited cross-device support for free users
- Limited password vault in the free plan
Dashlane is a great free password manager if you want a password app focused on security. They use patented zero-knowledge encryption technology to keep your passwords secure on their servers. When testing Dashlane, the app did not store our Master Password anywhere, so they didn’t have access to our credentials.
While zero-knowledge is a common practice in cybersecurity, we were satisfied to find that Dashlane’s password management infrastructure is built around it. Moreover, we liked that it offers two-factor authentication to keep your passwords safe.
On top of a reliable security promise, Dashlane has a suite of other benefits. It’s very easy to deploy, even for business clients, and it has a useful password generator, even though you can’t store all your passwords with the free plan. So, if you need top-notch security and free password protection, we recommend you give it a try.
4. Norton Password Manager: A lean browser-based app
What We Like:
- Completely free to use and easy to install
- Lean, browser-based app
- Supported by a reputable cybersecurity company
What We Don't Like:
- Lacks important features like credentials-sharing or MFA
The Norton Password Manager is the best password manager app for people who prefer simple, lean apps. It’s primarily a browser-based password manager, it’s easy to install, and you can use it across a variety of devices. If you don’t want to bother with complicated interfaces and multi-layered security options, we recommend Norton’s password manager.
When we tested this app as part of the Norton 360 suite, we liked its straightforward approach to helping you create secure passwords.
But therein lies Norton’s main drawback. While testing the app, we discovered that this free password manager lacked advanced features like password sharing, emergency options, or multi-factor authentication.
If you want to secure important credentials, especially in a business setting, we recommend you go for NordPass or Bitwarden instead. However, if you want a simple free password manager, give Norton a try.
5. LogMeOnce: Free passwordless management
What We Like:
- Passwordless login with biometrics or QR codes
- Unlimited password storage and devices
- Cross-platform support
What We Don't Like:
- The free plan features ads
- Some advanced features are locked behind a paywall
LogMeOnce is one of the most convenient password managers around. Contrary to industry standards, you don’t set a master password on LogMeOnce. Instead, we logged in with biometrics or QR codes. For added security, we could also enable two-factor authentication. So, if you want to hop on the passwordless trend, LogMe Once is the best free password manager, in our opinion.
Not to mention, LogMeOnce’s core offering is stellar, too. You get unlimited password storage and devices, cross-platform support, and a robust security suite.
Unfortunately, LogMeOnce’s free plan can be annoying with its ads and limits. Still, we recommend it if you want to experience passwordless tech and free password protection for your sensitive data.
6. RoboForm: Free password manager that stores credentials locally
What We Like:
- Local storage for credentials
- Unlimited storage
- Multi-platform support
What We Don't Like:
- Limited features in the free plan
- Lacking support for free users
RoboForm is a robust free password manager, perfect if you want to keep your credentials away from the cloud. With RoboForm, we could choose to only save passwords locally. That makes them harder to access in case of a breach. But it also made them harder to access for us, especially if we were using RoboForm on multiple devices.
We like the ability to share credentials via the cloud, but if you don’t need that, RoboForm can be a good pick.
Besides support for local saving, RoboForm also offers unlimited storage, auditing tools to help you set strong passwords, and multi-platform support. However, the free plan is limited compared to its competitors. You can’t sync passwords across multiple devices, and the support is lacking. We’d only recommend you get RoboForm if you value local credentials storage.
Why Would You Need a Password Manager?
Unique and strong passwords are a must-have in today’s online world. With cybercrime on the rise, it’s as crucial as ever to diversify your online credentials and keep them as long and complicated as possible. But how do you keep track of all of them? Cue: a good password manager.
A password manager can store all of those passwords in a secure server or even locally on your devices. Besides storing your passwords, most managers also autofill your credentials when you access a log-in page and help you share login details with your coworkers.
We’ve been using password managers to keep our credentials safe for years, and we can swear by their convenience and safety.
Is it Safe to Use a Free Password Manager?
In our research, we found that the best free password managers are just as safe as premium options. Most of them have paid versions as well, so you’re not limited in safety. Rather, free password managers limit your feature set.
However, you should always do your research before signing up for any password manager. Even big names like LastPass can be breached, so make sure you pick a reliable provider. In our research, we found that NordPass was the best option, both for free and for paid password managers.
You can also check out our NordPass review to learn more about this top-notch password manager.
Free vs. Paid Password Manager
The difference between a free and premium password manager lies in the features you get access to. Most password managers will often include useful add-ons like automatic syncing across devices, automatic backups, being able to use multiple devices at once, saving unlimited passwords, and getting access to priority support in the paid plan.
The best password managers usually have free versions, too, but those tend to lack in extra features.
If you’re just getting your feet wet with password managers, a free tool like NordPass or Bitwarden is more than enough. Similarly, if you only need a password manager for a few personal credentials, we recommend a free version. However, if you want advanced features and the ability to share credentials, you’re better off with something like NordPass Business or 1Password.
How We Picked the Best Free Password Managers
When we review password managers, we look at different features like security and user-friendliness.
More specifically, for this article, our research and testing focused on:
- Interface: We prioritized a password app if it had a smooth interface and easy set-up.
- Previous incidents: We don’t recommend password managers who were involved in high-profile breaches.
- Security: We researched the security infrastructure of every reliable password manager and ensured it produced secure passwords in addition to offering other features like robust encryption.
- Features in the free plan: By and large, the free password managers we recommend don’t put crucial features behind a paywall.
The Best Free Password Managers Right Now
There are a lot of good password managers on the market, and plenty of them have robust free plans. While researching this article and testing the top free password managers, we were surprised to see plenty of strong picks for a variety of needs.
However, the best free password manager, in our opinion, is NordPass. Thanks to its smooth interface, world-class security, and features like 2FA or password sharing, it’s miles ahead of other password managers. Moreover, it offers a free plan to try some of its great features completely free!
Want to know a bit more about password managers and some of their features? Check out our articles below.
- Is Your Browser’s Password Manager Safe?
- 1Password Review: Strong Security and Suitable for All
- Keeper Review: A Secure Password Manager With Extras
Still not sure about the best free password manager for you? Feel free to check out our FAQ below!
NordPass is the best free password manager. Its free plan is secure, and filled with features that most competitors lock behind a paywall. You can be sure that your passwords will be strongly encrypted, while also easy to reach when you want to log in on any platform.
Most premium password managers are pretty easy to use. This includes our top choice, NordPass. However, if you’re looking for the leanest, free password manager, that’s probably the browser-based Norton Password Manager.
NordPass, is our top choice for the best free password manager for Android, since it has a robust Android app.
Again, we’ll have to go with our top pick, NordPass. While most free password managers have limited cross-device support, NordPass shines on any platform. You can check out our NordPass review to learn more about it.
In our experience, we enjoyed using NordPass on a Windows device. While top competitors like Bitwarden can lag behind in terms of desktop apps, NordPass maintains a strong usability on PCs.
Most top-rated password managers are as secure as technology can get at this point. Our recommendations include NordPass, and 1Password. We’ve used both options extensively, in personal and professional capacities, and knew that our data was always in safe hands.
