Use one of the top free password managers we’ve tested to help you create and manage strong, unique passwords for every secure site.
Forgetting your login credentials can send you down the rabbit hole of figuring out the password reset procedure, often just when you’re in a hurry. It’s tempting to reset it to something so simple you won’t forget it or to memorize just one password and use it everywhere. However, both strategies set you up for failure. For instance, a hacker can easily guess or brute-force a simple password. A data breach can expose whatever complex password you create, too, thus compromising each account using it.
The potential hits—financial and otherwise—resulting from using weak passwords could cost you plenty. 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 collect the best free password manager to help you choose.
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 who might be considering those apps.
Why We Picked It
Bitwarden offers 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. Why We Picked It
LogMeOnce has a totally free version with no limit on the number of saved passwords or on the number of devices you use. The biggest value is the Beneficiary feature, which allows you to give someone else access to your credentials in the event of your demise. For free users, the feature is limited to passwords for specific apps instead of full, account-level access. Password inheritance of any kind is a rare but welcome sight at the no-cost level of password management.Who It’s For
LogMeOnce is ideal for people who hate passwords. The service began offering a passwordless login feature years ago, long before many competitors began adding the security feature to their products.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 free version of the service logs you out when you switch between 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 of its customers.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.
