8 Best Windows Password Managers 2023
It's hard navigating the vast sea of antivirus options. But don't worry, we're here to help. We researched all the top products on the market to find you the best security possible.
It was disappointing to see that many solutions only focus on generic protection, leaving devices vulnerable to unique and emerging threats. But through rigorous testing, we separated the champions from the amateurs. These antiviruses will detect and neutralize threats before you even know they exist.
What's the best antivirus?
Norton comes out on top. It's beginner-friendly, packed with features, and uses machine learning to stay up to date on current virus trends. All this means your device will never be left behind. Throw in Norton's excellent customer support and affordable prices and it's easy to see why they're the gold standard of antivirus software.
- Best overall - top security, excellent features
- High encryption, bookmarks, one-click autofill
- Secure apps with multi-OS sync for all devices
- Low cost + high value
- Good family plan
- Maximum security with powerful privacy protection
- High-complexity password generator and autofill
- Dark web monitoring, encrypted chat, 10 GB storage
- Organized and intuitive user interface
- Most advanced form-filling functionality
- Great interface on every OS (mobile + desktop)
- Free VPN included (with unlimited data)
- Very intuitive Windows password manager
- High-security PC features + easy to use
- Dark web monitoring, local data storage
- Best free plan - unlimited passwords + devices
- Easy to use, convenient, simple interface
- Autofills logins, credit cards, addresses
- Simple + secure Windows password manager
- Good PC auto-login feature
- Strong, high-complexity password generator
- Highly functional Windows password manager app
- Good integration with all PCs
- Strong security - 2FA, 256-bit AES, local sync
- Secure + easy-to-use PC password manager
- Strong password auto-fill on all Windows devices
- Intuitive “secure notes” feature
Why You Should Trust Us
When looking for the best password manager for your needs, it’s very important to know which review website you can trust. There are hundreds of password manager review sites, and new ones are constantly emerging, so it’s very hard to determine which site is recommending good products and which one is recommending bad products with high affiliate commissions.
Unlike websites that want to earn as much money as possible by tricking users into installing bad products, we only recommend products that we would happily use ourselves. We perform extensive research, tests, and comparisons to determine which password managers are truly the best on the market, and we regularly update all of our content to make sure that everything you read on our site is up to date and verified.
We are a small team of security software reviewers, with years of experience in testing password managers, and our goal is to help you find a password manager that you will be 100% satisfied with. You can rest assured that all of our top choices are secure, easy to use, and affordable.
Top 3 Password Managers
- Maximum security with powerful privacy protection
- High-complexity password generator and autofill
- Best overall - top security, excellent features
- High encryption, bookmarks, one-click autofill
- Secure apps with multi-OS sync for all devices
- Most advanced form-filling functionality
- Great interface on every OS (mobile + desktop)
Why Do You Need a Password Manager?
A password manager makes it simple to generate, save, and auto-fill passwords for all of your online accounts. It also syncs all of your passwords across all of your devices, so you can access your data from any platform, operating system, or browser. In addition to being a convenient, time-saving tool, a password manager is also an essential one for protecting your logins and other sensitive data, like financial information.
The best password managers use unbreakable military-grade encryption to secure your data, have zero-knowledge protocols to make sure you’re the only one who can access your password vault, and provide additional safety through multi-factor authentication, password auditing, and data breach monitoring. They also come with useful extras like password sharing, account recovery, emergency access, and family management dashboards.
In essence, downloading a password manager from a trustworthy company is the best and easiest way to ensure all of your passwords are 100% safe and to prevent cybercriminals from gaining access to your logins for financial or any other type of gain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need a password manager?
There are two main reasons why you need a password manager:
- Huge time saver
- Better security
Hackers break into online accounts every day, mostly by guessing weak passwords. If you use the same password on multiple sites or if your passwords are relatively easy to guess, your accounts are vulnerable.
Password managers solve these problems by generating very complex passwords and filling them into login fields so you don’t have to remember them. Password managers not only make your life easier, they’re also the safest way of using the internet.
Many password managers include even more advanced security features, like Dashlane — which scans the dark web for breaches.
Are password managers safe?
Yes, very safe.
Password managers implement some of the most advanced security technology to ensure that user passwords are safe and protected on their servers.
All the password managers on this list have:
- Strong encryption. Most third-party password managers like Dashlane use 256-bit AES encryption or better. This is a virtually unbreakable level of encryption.
- Zero-knowledge protocols. This strong encryption is done “end-to-end”, so there’s never anyone, not even the password manager company, who can see your un-encrypted passwords.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA). If your passwords got into the hands of a hacker, they still wouldn’t be able to access your account unless they also had more proof that they were you.
- Password auditing. Some programs like RoboForm help you identify which passwords are strong, which ones are weak, and which ones have been used more than once. Dashlane even lets you change many of them with one click!
Isn’t my browser’s built-in password manager good enough?
No, it’s really not. While most browsers now include some kind of built-in password storage tool which can remember and auto-fill your passwords, password managers from Chrome and Firefox just aren’t as secure or as useful as the best third-party password managers.
Browser-based password managers have:
- Low encryption
- No cross-browser sync
- No password auditing
- Sub-standard functionality
In short, they’re not fulfilling the two main purposes of a password manager:
- Be more convenient
- Be safer
The best password managers like Dashlane and NordPass are infinitely better than any browser’s built-in password manager.
What’s the best free password manager?
NordPass is my favorite free password manager.
It includes:
- Unlimited password storage
- Autosave and autofill
- Biometric logins
- Password generator
- Easy password importing
How does two-factor authentication (2FA) work with password managers?
Two-factor authentication makes it so you can’t log into an account without another form of verification — it can be a one-time password, your fingerprint, or a written key on a USB stick.
There are two times where 2FA is good:
- When you’re entering your Master Password into the password manager.
- When you’re logging into 2FA-compatible websites.
A good password manager will give you the following 2FA options:
- Temporary one-time password (TOTP) — these become invalid after one use.
- Biometric login — proving your identity with a face scan or fingerprint (Dashlane and RoboForm are both compatible with biometric framework).
- USB key — authentication is made by a written key on a USB stick from companies like YubiKey and Duo.
Are there recovery options if I lose my Master Password?
First of all, you should never, ever, forget your Master Password. Since password managers use zero-knowledge protocols to protect your data on their servers, they can’t recover your Master Password for you if you lose it.
This high security is great for user privacy, but mistakes do happen. Most password managers like Dashlane and RoboForm include an emergency access feature to help users get back into their accounts or let friends and family access your account if you’re unable to.