Our top-rated password managers help you create strong passwords for all your online accounts and alert you of potential data leaks.
Nearly every website you visit, from dating apps to hyper-secure banking sites, insists you create a user account and think up a password. The human memory can’t keep up with dozens and dozens of passwords. Some folks get the bright idea to use the simplest possible passwords, things that are easy to remember, like «123456789» or «password.» Others memorize one superbly random password and use it for everything. Either path is likely to make you the latest victim of identity theft. Don’t be like them. Use a password manager, and use your password manager’s features correctly. With a password manager, you don’t have to remember strong, unique passwords for all your accounts. The password manager stores them for you and even helps you generate new, random ones. All the best password managers that made the cut for this article cost money, though you can use some of them for free if you accept certain limitations. If you don’t want to spend money and don’t want limitations, don’t worry. We’ve rounded up the best free password managers in a separate article. We’ve tested and analyzed dozens of password managers so you can pick the one that best fits your needs. Not happy with your initial choice? Don’t worry. Most services allow you to export your saved data or import from other products, easing the process of switching password managers. Secure Your Passwords on Every Platform When you sign up for a password manager, one of the first things you need to do is create a master password for your account. Your master password is used to encrypt the contents of your password vault, so you should make it something difficult for anyone else to guess or find out. However, it can’t be so random that you forget it; your master password is likely unrecoverable if you do. Read our tips on creating secure, complicated passwords for guidance. As an additional precaution, you should set up multi-factor authentication to secure your password manager account, be it biometric, SMS-based, or via time-based one-time passwords (TOTPs) stored in an authenticator app. The best password managers support authentication via U2F- or OTP-based hardware security keys, most of which are about the size of an actual key and made to go on your key ring. Before you commit to any password manager, you need to make sure it works on each device you use and doesn’t prevent you from syncing your passwords across all your devices. Although support for Windows and macOS platforms is a given, several password managers now offer native Linux apps, too. The best password managers have browser extensions for every popular browser that can operate independently of a desktop app. Full support for mobile platforms is a requirement for any modern password manager, as most people frequently use their mobile devices to access secure sites and apps. Most experiences and features translate to mobile platforms without issue, but no one wants to enter a password like @2a&AY8mePu8HU@H on their smartphone’s tiny keyboard. Fortunately, password manager apps typically let you authenticate using your fingerprint or face, and then they fill in your username and password for you. The Password Basics Most people use a password manager primarily to manage website credentials. In practice, when you log in to a secure site, the password manager offers to save your credentials.
