Verified on the vendor’s page
The best password managers compared on price, features and honest data. No marketing talk.
Each figure is taken from the vendor’s own pricing page.
Bitwarden
4.7Open source, audited, and the best free plan around.
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The best password managers, ranked
Ranked on quality, ease of use and price.
- 4.7
From $1.65/mo
Free version available
- 4.4
From $2.99/mo
Free version available
- 4.4
From $1.39/mo
Free version available
- 4.3
From $5.42/mo
Head to head
Every head-to-head we have published
Two providers side by side, on price and on what you actually get.
13 comparisons
Independently compared
Managers are weighed on security, ease of use, and price. No vendor can buy a position in the ranking.
Security first
What counts first is zero-knowledge design, independent audits published in full, and how a service behaved when it had an incident.
Free taken seriously
Some free managers are genuinely good. Where paying buys you nothing you need, we say so.
Kept up to date
Plans and prices move. Ours are re-verified on a schedule.
Compare the real price of every password manager
Our live index ranks the 9 managers with a paid plan by what they actually cost.
Compare pricesLowest prices
liveReviews
Our independent verdicts, each traced to its source.
Bitwarden
Bitwarden Inc.
“The free plan does everything most people need, the code is open source, and the audits are public. Our first recommendation for almost everyone.”Checked by our editorial team
1Password
AgileBits Inc.
“The most polished apps of this line-up, thoughtful family sharing, and an extra secret key on top of your master password. Slightly pricier since March 2026, but still the best overall experience.”Checked by our editorial team
Proton Pass
Proton AG
“The free email aliases are a genuine invention. A different address for every store, so your real one never leaks. Swiss, open source, and generous for free.”Checked by our editorial team
NordPass
Nord Security
“Modern, fast apps, and on a two-year plan one of the lowest prices among the paid managers. A solid middle road between free and premium.”Checked by our editorial team
Insights
Practical guides and explainers to help you pick the right password manager.
The best free password manager
Genuinely free exists. These managers charge nothing and compromise nothing.
The best password manager for families
Shared vaults, recovery for forgotten passwords, and the whole household covered.
The best password manager for iPhone
Apple's own app or a dedicated manager? How to choose on iPhone.
The best cheap password manager
Maximum security for a couple of dollars. The best buys ranked.
The best LastPass alternative
Leaving LastPass? How to pick a successor and switch in fifteen minutes.
The best complete password managers
The managers with the nicest apps, family plans, and every feature you would expect.
How to choose a password manager
Five minutes on these points and you will know which password manager deserves your vault.
Frequently asked questions
The questions people ask most, answered short and straight.
Is a free password manager safe enough?
Yes, as long as you pick the right one. Bitwarden and Proton Pass are free, open source, and independently audited. What you give up is mostly extras like advanced reports or more storage for attachments.
Why not just let my browser remember my passwords?
The built-in managers from Apple and Google are better than nothing and fine to start with. A dedicated password manager works across all browsers and devices, has better sharing features, and is not tied to an advertising company or a single ecosystem.
What happens if the password manager itself gets hacked?
With a proper zero-knowledge service, your passwords are encrypted with your master password, which the company itself never knows. Even if its servers are breached, your data stays unreadable, as long as your master password is strong.
What are passkeys and do I need them?
Passkeys replace passwords with a cryptographic key stored on your device, so there is nothing to phish or leak. Major sites support them already. Every manager on our shortlist can store passkeys; it is a box worth checking before you choose.
How is this site funded?
When you sign up through one of our links, we may earn a small commission. It costs you nothing extra and never affects which password managers we recommend.
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