The Top Password Managers in 2021
Passwords are the first line of defense between a cybercriminal and your accounts. Having a weak password greatly increases the risk of your accounts being compromised, resulting in your personal information (your phone number or bank account) being exposed. While there are ways that you can strengthen your password to immensely mitigate this risk, as expressed in one of our previous articles, keeping track of more complex passwords can be difficult. Fortunately for you, this is exactly what password managers excel at.
Password managers, while having a great amount of utility, share the same challenge as all other products in existence: competitors. With a plethora of clashing software, all claiming to be superior to the others, how could you possibly determine which is right for you? In order to make this decision as easy as possible for you, we have compiled a list (in no particular order) of password managers, along with their respective strengths and weaknesses.
1Password
1Password is one of the most recognizable password managers on the market. Part of this recognition comes from its outstanding reviews on sites such as Trustpilot. 1Password offers two options for personal use; a $2.99 a month option for one individual, and a $4.99 option able to be shared among 5 people. There are also options for businesses, starting at $7.99 a month.
Pros
- Supports Two-Factor Authentication
- Accessible on numerous platforms (MacOS, Windows, Linux)
- Accessible on mobile applications (iOS and Android)
- Can generate more memorable passwords (full words instead of just random characters)
- Has a “Travel Mode” when going across borders
Cons
- No free plan available
- User interface is a bit outdated
- Comes with only 1 GB of document storage
Keeper
In comparison to other paid password managers, Keeper proves itself to be a worthy adversary. While it is not free, Keeper provides a wide array of options for customers to choose from according to their needs. If you want it for personal use, you can pay $2.91 per month, or if you are looking to use it for your business, you can pay $3.75 per month. In addition to this, one of the most exceptional features is the fact that students are given 50% off a personal use plan.
Pros
- Supports Two-Factor Authentication
- Accessible from numerous devices
- Easy-to-navigate user interface
- Fingerprint & Face ID login
- Provides 24/7 customer support
- Has Dark Web monitoring
Cons
- No free plan available
- Premium services can be costly
Bitwarden
Unlike the aforementioned password managers, Bitwarden does not instantly put a price on your safety. Instead, Bitwarden offers an entirely free service for personal use. It includes your own, personal “vault” to generate, save, and access unique passwords at any time from practically any device, whether it be on their mobile application or on your desktop.
Pros
- Free for personal use
- Unlimited storage for passwords
- Supports Two-Factor Authentication
- Keeps track of password history
- Checks to see if any password generated was discovered in recent data breaches
- Compatible with many platforms (MacOS, Windows, Linux)
- Accessible through browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
- Has a mobile application (iOS and Android)
Cons
- Does not have live chat or phone support
- User interface is a bit hard to navigate
While all these password managers are great, Keeper seems to provide a lot of extra features at a relatively lower cost than other paid password managers. Unique features like dark web monitoring and fingerprint / face recognition logins, paired with low-cost options (e.g., the student plan) are certainly what give Keeper an edge on their competitors. However, Bitwarden provides a completely free service for personal use that goes above some aspects of the premium services. For example, while 1Password only stores your deleted passwords for 365 days, Bitwarden will keep track of your password history permanently