Though the majority of internet users don’t use them, password managers are the safest way to keep your passwords organized. This article shares the best free password managers available, using a data-driven approach. Many articles give you a subjective ordering of “Best” password manager tools but this article is based on intensive research. More than 70 password managers were examined. Our analysts compared and contrasted all features and company attributes to arrive at these top 5.
Because “Best” is actually a subjective statement, you may come up with a different selection of top free password manager tools. We highly recommend that you layer on your own feature-specific importance weighting for each feature and attribute of these tools by participating in our custom password managers survey.
Our domain authority data serves as a good indicator of overall popularity. We found 13 free password manager tools. We list the top five applications here.
If you think of any applications or features that we should have included in our comparison analysis let us know in the comments below. We love feedback! Also, please see our original research publication on Password Managers that is always kept up-to-date.
As of this writing, we are not incentivized in any way by any of these password manager companies. And now, here is our evidence-backed ordered listing of the top-five free password managers, along with three runners up:
- KeePass 2.45
- KeePassXC
- Password Safe
- Universal Password Manager
- TeamPass
- Symantec Norton Password Manager
- KeeWeb
- LessPass
Runners up:
Top Five Free Password Managers
KeePass 2.45
KeePass 2.45 Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Free, open source, light-weight and easy-to-use password manager.
Age of Software/Company: 14.5 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 16.41
Software Score: 85.67
Distinctive features:
- Digital Inheritance / Legacy
- Portable Edition
- Open Source Code
KeePass 2.45 provides 256-bit encryption. The layout and icons could stand updating, but users enjoy it’s reliability, the nice accounts grouping function, and auto filling of passwords.
KeePassXC
KeePassXC Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Safely stores your passwords and provides convenient auto filling into websites and applications.
Age of Software/Company: 4.4 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 14.29
Software Score: 68.79
Distinctive features:
- Digital Inheritance / Legacy
- Portable Edition
- Open Source Code
KeePassXC is easy to learn and great for users who want to control all aspects of their personal data. The flatpak version sometimes fails at saving files but KeePass uses local storage as opposed to the cloud and provides secure browser integration plugins.
Password Safe
Password Safe Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Quick install, open-source, encrypted password management.
Age of Software/Company: 19.4 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 15.57
Software Score: 57.43
Distinctive features:
- Open Source Code
While there are not a lot of import options with Password Safe, users enjoy that it is straightforward and has local data encryption. Using a flash drive will afford the user some portability.
Universal Password Manager
Universal Password Manager Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Enjoy password security with the encrypted database.
Age of Software/Company: 15.5 Yrs
Business Score: 13.94
Software Score: 59.02
Distinctive features:
- Open Source Code
Universal Password Manager is a reliable and orderly application that can be used in multiple platforms. Some users feel that the provided support could be improved.
TeamPass
TeamPass Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Teams will enjoy collaborating with this password manager which allows sharing.
Age of Software/Company: 20.0 Yrs
Business Score: 12.86
Software Score: 57.88
Distinctive features:
- Open Source Code
Though there have been some security concerns, TeamPass is always improving and offers many features. Their open-source code is located on Github.
Top Free Password Managers – Runners Up
Symantec Norton Password Manager
Symantec Norton Password Manager Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: No more forgetting or writing down passwords with this reliable password manager.
Age of Software/Company: 1.8 Yrs
Business Score: 11.16
Software Score: 63.14
Distinctive features:
- Portable Edition
While installation can take a bit of work, Symantec Norton Password Manager is an efficient mixture of effectiveness and good price. It's also easy to use.
KeeWeb
KeeWeb Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Works with all desktop platforms, and with KeePass. Provides color themes and other helpful options.
Age of Software/Company: 5.3 Yrs
Business Score: 10.25
Software Score: 68.33
Distinctive features:
- Digital Inheritance / Legacy
- Portable Edition
- Open Source Code
KeeWeb uses JavaScript and effective authentication methods. It is well liked by the general public, who are the main users.
LessPass
LessPass Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Save time by not syncing but still access your passwords from other devices.
Age of Software/Company: 7.6 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 13.99
Software Score: 46.38
Distinctive features:
- Open Source Code
One suggested improvement for Lesspass is to automatically delete a password from the clipboard after a short time. Users like the fact that no sync is needed with Lesspass and it works offline.