Technology
LastPass isn’t the only password manager in the market
Features of a good password manager?
- It should be free (whenever possible).
- It should be open source (whenever possible) because when you trust someone with such sensitive info as passwords you should know what’s running behind their source code. Being open-source means you can anytime check the source code of a software and can be sure there aren’t any secret trackers, scripts and codes, etc.
- Available for every operating system. If not every then for Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows at least.
- Should be accessible online on most of the popular browsers
- Should be updated by developers regularly
- Should be privacy-respecting. That means it shouldn’t track you, sell your data to third parties for profit or involve in any other similar activities
- A good password manager is one capable of generating super-strong passwords for you. Most of the password managers can do this but what it generates shouldn’t be just random numbers and letters but a real strong password generated using advanced algorithms.
- Most importantly you should be able to sync your data across devices.
Bitwarden — Best choice for most people
Bitwarden is overall an amazing password manager and a fantastic alternative to LastPass. If you are switching from LastPass then Bitwarden is the best option for most average users. It has every feature a good password manager should have.
It is open-source, free, and available for most OSes. Bitwarden is a good choice for both geeks and amateurs. It is easy to use and has a nice interface. It stores your passwords in an encrypted vault something that LastPass doesn’t. You can easily sync them across all your devices for FREE. It can also create secure passwords for you.
There is also a self-host version of Bitwarden but mostly pro users should consider using it. Being open-source it is safer than closed source apps. Its source code is on Github and anyone can check, review and contribute to it.
Open Source:- Yes
Pricing:- Free and paid options if you want extra features.
Available for:- Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, and Windows. Accessible online. Supports most of the popular browsers. A command-line interface (CLI) for Linux, Mac and Windows.
Bitwarden Open Source Password Manager
KeePass — Also available for BlackBerry
KeePass is a completely free and open-source password manager. Anyone can have a look at its full source code to check its security measures, click here and go ahead if you want to do that. It is also certified by OSI (Open Source Initiative) and it relies on donations to keep development active.
Besides storing your passwords it can also generate strong passwords for you. You can transfer all your passwords from one device to another and can also export your data to various formats- HTML, XML, TXT, and CSV. Exported data is compatible with most other password managers.
For most average users KeePass has all features they will ever use. If you are switching from any other password manager like LastPass you will have no problem using it as it is easy to use.
One thing I would like to point out is that unlike Bitwarden that is available for almost every platform KeePass is officially available only for Windows. But there are a ton of unofficial KeePass variants available for literally every OS from Android, iOS to even Palm OS and Sailfish OS.
Open Source:- Yes certified by OSI
Pricing:- Free relies on donations to keep development active.
Available for:- Officially available for Windows. Unofficially for every OS, you can imagine Linux, Mac OS, Android, iOS, and even for less popular OSes like Palm OS, Sailfish OS, FreeBSD, and more.
KeeWeb — Cool brother of KeePass
If KeePass had a brother it would literally look like KeeWeb. KeeWeb is compatible with KeePass and is also free and open source.
It has a nice and friendly interface. You can use it on as many devices as you like and you won’t be charged a penny or forced to purchase a premium plan (not everyone is greedy you know).
It has almost every feature you will find in any other good password manager like Bitwarden. Data can be easily synced across devices for free. It can generate strong passwords for you. KeeWeb is also donation-supported like KeePass.
KeeWeb is a true LastPass killer and a serious challenger to BitWarden. KeeWeeb is an amazing password manager. Its developers has tried their best to make it a combo of both Bitwarden and KeePass in a single package. But only thing that make me use other password managers is that it is not available for mobile devices. That’s a very important thing to consider and the only thing KeeWeb needs to work on otherwise it is a fantastic password manager.
Open Source:- Yes based on KeePass
Pricing:- Free relies on donations to keep development active.
Available for:- Mac, Linux, and Windows and easily accessible online. Supports most of the popular browsers.
LessPass (not LastPass) — If you want to try out something new
LessPass is an open-source and completely free password manager. LessPass works differently from all other password managers in the market. Most password managers like LastPass, Bitwarden, KeePass, KeeWeb, and others work similarly. They encrypt and store your data on their servers and whenever you need that data you can sync it to your device.
But LessPess takes a different approach instead of storing and syncing your data across devices. LessPass works on a pure function i.e. a function that given the same parameters will always give the same result.
It is a stateless passwod manager. You will need to remember only a master password. Everything is generated using a pure function so there is no need to store your data anywhere. To know more about how LessPass works click here or here.
Its working model is different from others but it still doesn’t have all those cool features others have. If you are a privacy freak then you will love this concept.
Open Source:- Yes
Pricing:- Free
Available for:- iOS and Android. Extensions for Firefox and Chrome. Works mostly on the web and can be easily accessed online on most browsers. Also available as a command-line interface.
AuthPass — Can be used on all your devices
AuthPass is another free and open-source password manager. It supports the KeePass format. AuthPass can generate and store the password securely for you. It is available for most of the major OSes. You can sync your password using cloud sync (through Google Drive, Dropbox, etc).
Its developer created AuthPass to have a single app that could be used on mobile as well as on desktop which works fast and has a decent interface.
Open Source:- Yes
Pricing:- Free
Available for:- Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows
AuthPass - Password Manager | AuthPass.app Password Manager
Dashlane — If you have some extra cash lying around
Most password managers above are free and open-source but Dashlane is a closed source proprietary password manager.
For free you will get decent features you expect from a password manager. But to unleash its real power you have to purchase a premium plan.
With Daslane premium plans you will get cool features that others on this list can’t provide. Dashlane is neither open nor donation supported.
One of the most interesting features of Dashlane is Dark web monitoring. The dark web is the place where cybercriminals sell your personal info for money but if you use Daslane it will track Darkweb to make sure you are secure and your passwords are not compromised and if they are it will automatically notify you. Dashlane also has VPN for extra security.
Open Source:- No
Pricing:- Free plan has very limited features it is better to use any other password managers for free than Dashlane. But if you want a paid option then Dashlane has got some really cool features.
Available for:- Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows and can be used online.
Password Manager App for Home, Mobile, Business | Dashlane
Top comments (1)
If you want to Try On Open Source, Simple But Yet Secure Password Manager then,
Try this
Mona - Password Manager => dev.to/achchutharengan/need-a-simp...