We are terrible at passwords. Indeed, the very thing that can ensure our online security has become out biggest obstacle to it. This is what makes a good password manager essential. A password manager relieves the burden of thinking up and memorizing unique, complex logins—the hallmark of a secure password. It allows you to safely share those logins with others when necessary. And because these tools encrypt your login info in a virtual vault—either locally or in the cloud—and lock it with a single master password, they protect the passwords themselves. But password managers vary widely in their capabilities and cost, so we compared six of the most popular. And all will let you sync your data across multiple devices, though you may have pay extra for the privilege. Here are our top two picks, followed by tips on what to look for when shopping for a password manager and full reviews of all six products. Best overall password manager on LastPass LastPass offers all the features you need in a password manager at an affordable price. It makes it a breeze to create unique, complex passwords; capture and manage login credentials; sync them across multiple devices; and share them with others you trust. Its password auditing and updating features let you identify and eliminate weak or duplicate passwords with just a mouse click or two. Runner-up on Dashlane With its strong password analysis and polished interface, Dashlane is one of the best password managers beste password manager. It has a beautiful interface, is easy beste password manager use, and is stocked with features to help you strengthen your online security. Chief among these is a stellar security dashboard that grades your passwords and suggests actions for boosting your score and your protection. Only its —the highest in our roundup—dampened our enthusiasm for this fantastic password manager. What to look for in a password manager At their most basic, password managers capture your username and password—usually via a browser plugin—when you log in to a website, and then automatically fill in your credentials when you return to that site. Of course, most password managers do much more than this and many extend protection beyond your login beste password manager to other types of personal data. This is what makes password generation—the ability to create complex passwords out of letters, numbers, and special characters—an indispensable feature of any good password manager. The best password managers will also be able to analyze your existing passwords for weaknesses and upgrade them with a click. Thus, the master password is the only one you ever have to enter. This is controversial, though, as browser autofill has long been a security concern, so the best managers will also let you toggle off this feature if you feel the risk outweighs the convenience. A password manager should let you do so without compromising your security. And just last month, was victim of a breach that compromised customer data, including the ability to decrypt data. Still, most agree that password managers are still the safest way for people to manage their myriad logins, and we agree that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Just choose your password manager carefully after researching all the options starting with the guide.
