Which password manager

LastPass has ended its Pocket option that did so too. For KeePass, local sync is the default solution, but setting up your Dropbox, iCloud or other account to sync online is not hard.

The third-party cloud-account option is standard for Enpass, although it plans to add a local-sync feature. Bitwarden syncs passwords by default on its own servers, but provides very detailed instructions for shifting that function to servers you control, if you prefer.

There's a security advantage to syncing your passwords locally because none of the data needs to reach the internet. If you want to maintain total control, this is the way to go. The downside is that it can be a hassle to synchronize the passwords on all of your devices. Some services let you do so over a local network, such as a Wi-Fi network.

You could also put the password vault on a USB stick and walk it from one computer to another. Far more convenient are cloud-based password managers. These services keep encrypted copies of your vault on their own servers, ensure that all your devices are always synced and encrypt the transmissions between your devices and their servers. The risk, though small, is that one of the cloud servers — even one that you control using Bitwarden's option — could be breached and your passwords released out into the wild.

LastPass has had a few documented security issues, all of which were quickly fixed, without losing any passwords. If a password manager is doing its job right, it's storing all your passwords in encrypted format, and storing your master password only as a "hash" that's the result of an irreversible mathematical process.

Whether it's local or cloud-synced, a password manager puts all your eggs in one basket, so to speak, unless you use more than one password manager.

But for most people, the demonstrable security benefits of using a password manager far outweigh the disadvantages. Paul Wagenseil is a senior editor at Tom's Guide focused on security and privacy.

He has also been a dishwasher, fry cook, long-haul driver, code monkey and video editor. He's been rooting around in the information-security space for more than 15 years at FoxNews. Included in this guide: 1. Free-version limitations: Limited password sharing, few 2FA options. Two-factor authentication: Yes. Form filling: Yes. Mobile app PIN unlock: Yes. Reasons to avoid - Bare-bones stand-alone desktop apps - Free version no longer what it used to be.

Free-version limitations: Single device. Mobile app PIN unlock: No. Reasons to avoid - Doesn't autofill personal information. Free-version limitations: Limits on file sharing and 2FA. Reasons to avoid - Not many bells and whistles - Not all features are intuitive to use.

Free-version limitations: Single device; 50 passwords max. Reasons to avoid - Expensive. Free-version limitations: No more free version. Reasons to avoid - Weak mobile experience - Outdated design on desktop. Free-version limitations: Single device; no 2FA. Reasons to avoid - Unintuitive desktop apps - Features don't match those of top rivals.

Free-version limitations: Single device; fewer privacy features. Reasons to avoid - Unreliable password import - Poor mobile app experience - Expensive for a password manager. Free-version limitations: None; it's all free. Two-factor authentication: Via plugins. Mobile app PIN unlock: Depends on 3rd-party app. Biometric login: Via plug-ins. Free-version limitations: 25 items on mobile; no biometric login on desktop.

Two-factor authentication: No. Reasons to avoid - Limited features and syncing options - No two-factor authentication. Zoho Vault. Free-version limitations: No sharing. Browser plugins: Chrome, Firefox, Safari. Form filling: No. Reasons to avoid - No form filling - Bare-bones mobile apps - Poor handling of Google login.

True Key. Free-version limitations: Single device; 15 passwords max. Browser plugins: Chrome, Edge, Firefox. Form filling: None. Reasons to avoid - Hasn't been updated in years - Limited features - Useless free version.

Paul Wagenseil. Topics Apps. See all comments OK if you live at work or at home always connected. No so much if you travel or move around a lot. Just be careful! Why is safe in cloud not compared?

You are wrong to imply that 1Password is not available for Windows as of My hosting company uses 1Password internally. It should be included in your comparative review. I had a premium account with LastPass for about 5 years. This week I unsubscribed after hearing they were killing off XMarks. I was particularly disgusted because the news was sent very shortly after they renewed the joint subscription.

Happily though, I am far more satisfied with Dashlane and Eversynch so LastPass did me a favour in the end. I purchased Dashlane only to find out that it doesn't have full functionality in MS Edge default browser windows Packages differ in terms of the features they offer, but they may:. Or, upgrade to the paid-for versions to get extra features and protections.

Only logged-in Which? Join Which? You can also pay to upgrade to a premium package, but what do you get with paid password managers, and is it worth the extra cost? Premium password managers tend to offer a range of extra features, so it's worth considering which you'll find useful before you decide.

Password managers enhance password security in several ways. They make it simple to set up strong passwords for every website, including for new accounts. As each password is unique, this makes it harder for scammers to guess it.

Password managers should only autofill passwords on genuine website addresses, such as your bank, which reduces the chances of falling prey to a phishing attack. Although the password manager is usually accessed online, your master password and the decryption key used to unlock the database never leave your computer. This helps to increase your online security. If you forget your master password, you can usually set up a back-up recovery method, often involving a secondary device such as a smartphone.

After picking the password manager you want, you download the program to your Windows PC or Apple Mac computer.

You set up an account with the chosen service and it should automatically install a plug-in for each supported browser — Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge. You will need to set a master password that will be used to gain access to the encrypted password database. Ensure this password is strong yet also memorable to you. The next job is to import or add passwords to the empty database by visiting your favourite websites and entering your credentials as normal, at which point the password manager offers to remember them for you.

Each time you visit a site after that, it will autofill your login credentials. We run password managers through rigorous tests to see how easy they are to use and how effectively they safeguard your online security. Our tests cover setting up and using the password managers on a computer both PC and Mac , as well as on an Android or Apple iOS mobile device including the app and mobile web interface. We assess the core features of a password manager, such as password generation, browser extensions and auto form fillers, along with more premium features, such as secure sharing of passwords and other data.

We also do a full assessment of the security of the password managers, and how they handle your private data. Our colleagues at The Verge also recommend Bitwarden, calling it the best free password manager. Although Bitwarden stores passwords in the cloud, once you access it on your computer or another device, it is stored locally and encrypted — and its services have been audited by a third-party security company.

Tebow says that for years he used KeePass, a free, open-source password manager. One warning: This is not the slickest option. Its interface is a bit dated, like an old Microsoft program from Megan Squire, a professor of computer science and a cybersecurity expert at Elon University, is a fan, as is Jungwoo Ryoo, a professor of information sciences and technology at Penn State who specializes in cybersecurity.

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Bitwarden Password Manager. Buy at Bitwarden.