Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is a Windows malware-hunting powerhouse which includes all the antivirus basics, and also packs in more protective layers and features than many security suites. Top-notch ransomware protection, reliable tracker-blocking, effective anti-phishing, a limited 200MB a day free VPN, one of the most secure browsers around, and that’s just the start. Fair prices and excellent protection rates make this one of the best PC security tools around; keep reading and we’ll tell you exactly why. 

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Pricing

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is the company’s lowest-priced desktop antivirus. It protects up to three Windows devices for $44.99 in year one, $59.99 on renewal. A 30-day trial gives you a chance to check out the app before you buy.

Bitdefender Internet Security (next up in the range) adds a firewall and parental control. That lifts the price to $59.99 in year one, $84.99 on renewal.

If you’ve anything other than Windows hardware to protect, Bitdefender Total Security could be a better deal. Not only does it include the firewall software and parental controls, it also throws in device optimization, and - crucially - protects any mix of up to five Mac, Android and iOS devices as well as Windows. And yet, it’s only a little more costly than Internet Security at $69.99 in year one, $99.99 on renewal.

If you’re after maximum power, Bitdefender Ultimate Security includes absolutely everything: antivirus and security functionality for up to ten devices, a full and unlimited VPN, and a complete identity theft protection package with up to $2 million insurance. The price is much higher at $119.99 in year one, and $239.99 on renewal.  But the full VPN alone has a lot of value. Sign up for even the most basic NordVPN package and you’ll pay $68.85 in year one, $112.35 on renewal.

These are fair prices, but depending on the mix of features you need, there could be better deals around. Avast One’s cheapest paid plan, Avast One Silver, protects all platforms, has a more generous free VPN (5GB data a week vs. 200MB), includes a firewall and blocks webcam hijacking, but it’s only $35.88 in year one, $79.99 on renewal.

The Norton antivirus range is another one worth a look. Norton 360 Standard covers up to three mobiles or desktops, has antivirus, a full VPN, 2GB cloud backup and a password manager, but is priced at only $39.99 in year one, $94.99 on renewal.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Easy to use

If you’re looking for an antivirus you can install and forget, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus has a lot of appeal. The app installed easily for us, then moved to the background and made most of its decisions entirely automatically, keeping any technical hassles to a minimum.

Other providers often have a very different user experience. Present Avast One with an app it doesn’t recognize, for instance, and it’ll launch a scan and leave you waiting for up to 15-20 seconds before you can continue. By comparison, Bitdefender might ask if you trust the app, but mostly it sorts out the issue for itself.

Try Avira antivirus and you’ll get notified with pop-up alerts for every threat, which can become annoying (a malicious web page opens lots of dangerous links, for instance.) Bitdefender displays the first alert, but doesn’t bother you with the rest. The information is still available in a Notifications page, but you don’t have to look at it unless you’re interested.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Interface

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus opens with a simple dashboard offering one-click access to its most useful features: quick scan, system scan, the VPN and the secure browser, Safepay.

In theory you can customize the dashboard with your own shortcuts. But in practice, there are only two other items you can add, in the Password Manager (only a trial) and the Data Shredder. The dashboard would benefit from more flexibility, such as the ability to pin your own custom scans (more on those below.)

There are plenty of other tools and options available, and Bitdefender organizes those with icons in a left-hand sidebar: Protection, Privacy, Utilities, Notifications, Settings. If you need to control the Anti-Tracker, for instance, click Privacy, and you can edit its settings, or turn it on and off with a click.

Bitdefender’s Explorer integration gives you an easy way to access features without launching the full dashboard. Just choose your preferred files, folders or drivers, and you can scan (or securely delete) them directly from Explorer’s right-click menu.

Bitdefender hasn’t changed the core of its interface for a very long time. That’s a pity, because as we’ve discussed, there is room for improvement. But at its heart the interface is generally easy to use, and it’s likely you’ll find the functions and features you need without any difficulty.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Antivirus Scanning

Bitdefender offers a strong range of scan types covering all kinds of situations.

Quick Scan runs a brief check which inspects the most commonly-infected areas only. This took a reasonably short 8:14 on our test system, falling just a little to 7:36 on the second scan.

System Scan is a deeper analysis which crawls your entire storage device and explores everything it finds. That takes much longer for the first scan, but drops hugely afterwards as Bitdefender only scans new or changed files.

To test this, we scanned 50GB of application files. The first run took 37:44, a little behind Avast (35:40) and Norton (32:01.) The story changes on subsequent scans, though, with Avast taking 34:53, Norton falling to 3:48, but Bitdefender completing in just 90 seconds.

Rescue Environment is a bootable scanner which lives on your hard drive and removes even the most stubborn of threats. Just launch it from the dashboard, reboot when you’re prompted, and Rescue Environment hunts down and removes any threats. It’s a great tool and the ability to launch it from your Bitdefender app is a major usability plus (Avira and many other vendors expect you to download, set up and run their boot scanners separately.)

A scheduler allows you to run scans automatically. That’s good news, though it’s not as flexible as some of the competition. Avast allows you to choose which days of the week need a scan (Monday, Wednesday and Friday, say); Bitdefender can run as a scan every day, or the same day every week, but that’s it. 

On the plus side, Bitdefender has an excellent Custom Scan feature which allows you to create new scan types for different situations. Looking for speed? You could create something which checked running processes, RAM and the Registry only. Maybe you’re worried about the contents of your Downloads folder? A custom scan could check that location only, maybe scan larger archives than usual (regular scanning ignores zips larger than 10MB) to be sure of catching any threats.  

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Antivirus Lab Test Results

Although we put every antivirus app we review through our own series of tests, we also pay close attention to results from the big antivirus testing labs.

We follow nine tests from labs including AV-Comparatives (Real-World Protection, Malware Protection, Android, Anti-Phishing, Performance), AV-Test (Windows, Android), MRG Effitas (360° Protection Testing) and SE Labs (Endpoint Security Home).

Each test has its own scoring system, making it tricky to compare performance. To address this, we use a special algorithm which (as long as an app is in at least five tests) converts the various results into a single summary score from zero to 10 representing the vendor’s overall rating.

Bitdefender appears in the latest reports for eight out of our nine core tests, making this a strong all-round test of its abilities. And Bitdefender’s combined score was excellent at 9.97, earning it second place just behind Avast’s 9.98.

Looking at the individual tests, Bitdefender’s most significant weak spot was an 11th place in the Malware Protection test. But that doesn’t represent a huge difference in results; Bitdefender achieved a very creditable 99.92% protection rate, and it just happened that the top-rated Norton and F-Secure managed 99.97%.

Results can vary month to month, though (Bitdefender topped the previous Malware Protection test), and the company scores very highly elsewhere. Bitdefender tops the anti-phishing charts, for example, blocked 100% of Android threats, and scored full marks in the latest MRG Effitas and AV-Test Windows reports.

Overall, the lab test results are very positive for Bitdefender, showing above average performance in most areas, and market-leading results in many. If you’re looking for reliable protection across the board, Bitdefender delivers.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Anti-Ransomware

Defeating ransomware isn’t just about spotting known threats as they’re downloaded. A good antivirus needs multiple other layers of protection, such as using behavior monitoring to detect even brand new threats before they can do any harm.

We test an antivirus’ ransomware-fighting abilities by pitting the app against our own simple ransomware simulator. This has never been publicly released, ensuring that an antivirus can only detect it by picking up on its suspicious behavior (spidering through test files and opening each one in turn.)

Previously we’ve managed to bypass Bitdefender’s protection for just a few seconds, but not this time. Bitdefender killed our simulator almost immediately, before it could damage a single file.

Even if some of your files are damaged, that’s not the end of the story. Bitdefender’s Ransomware Remediation can automatically protect ransomware-encrypted files, recovering them once the infection was removed. The technology has worked faultlessly in previous reviews, giving Bitdefender a major advantage over other security vendors.

To confirm our results, we took a look at the latest MRG Effitas Ransomware tests. This tested the performance of Avast, Avira, Bitdefender, ESET, Microsoft, Norton, ThreatDown and Trend Micro when faced with 37 ransomware samples. Bitdefender, ESET, Microsoft and ThreatDown came equal first by automatically blocking every threat, without needing to use their behavior-monitoring layer. That’s another great result, and suggests Bitdefender is one of the best vendors around for battling ransomware.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Quarantine

Any potential threats Bitdefender detects and removes are sent to quarantine, rather than being deleted. Quarantine is like a Recycle Bin for executables: it keeps potentially dangerous files locked away where they can’t do any harm, but, if Bitdefender accidentally removes something you’re 100% sure is safe, you can restore the file and tell Bitdefender not to touch it in future.

Although this is generally a very good idea, we noticed a problem. Bitdefender detected part of a legitimate app as a potentially unwanted threat, and moved it to quarantine. We hit the Restore button to put it back, but Bitdefender complained that ‘the system does not have rights to access the specified path.’ It had broken our app and couldn’t fix the problem.

This wasn’t a huge issue, as we were able to restore the file to our desktop and manually move it to the right location. But some users may not know how to do that, and even if you’ve no problems restoring any files, this is still a small usability hassle.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Anti-phishing

The best security tools don’t just detect and block web threats as they appear: they prevent you ever reaching them in the first place. That’s why we’re always very interested in an app’s ability to keep you safe from phishing and other malicious websites.

Antiphishing doesn’t get much attention from the labs, but AV-Comparatives did run a small test on the feature last year. Bitdefender led the pack with an excellent 96% protection rate, just ahead of Avast (94%), AVG (94%), ESET (92%) and Avira (88%.)

We ran a test of our own, and attempted to access 100 brand new phishing URLs on a Bitdefender-protected system. The protection rate was identical at 96%, but Bitdefender didn’t lead the way this time. Avira topped our anti-phishing chart with 100% protection, while Avast managed 99%, and Norton scored 95%.

We also compared Bitdefender’s results with Chrome, to give us a better idea of how much extra protection it adds. The answer turned out to be a lot, as Chrome ‘only’ blocked 64% of our test URLs. These included the four URLs that Bitdefender missed, though, so if we used both Bitdefender and Chrome together, we would have received warnings about 100% of our test links.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Performance Impact

We expect a quality antivirus to offer reliable and accurate malware protection, but that’s not all. The best apps deliver their protection without slowing down your device, raising endless false alarms or otherwise causing daily hassles.

AV-Comparatives’ Performance Test measures the performance impact of 16 antivirus apps on various common tasks: browsing websites, downloading files, installing and launching applications, and more. Bitdefender had a little impact on application launch times, but was still very fast overall, and received AV-Comparatives top Advanced+ award.

Our own tests showed much the same results. The excellent PCMark 10 benchmark found barely any performance impact from Bitdefender, and although our boot times lengthened a little, they’re still comparable to similar apps. Our test system took 65 seconds to fully load Windows and 81 seconds to fully load a collection of apps, for instance; Bitdefender increased this to 73 and 100 seconds, but that’s almost identical to Avast’s times of 72 and 102 seconds.

It’s a similar story with false alarms. Bitdefender has a few more than Avast in AV-Comparatives’ most recent Real-World Protection Test (3 false alarms vs. 1.5), but that’s across 512 test cases, such a marginal difference that you’re unlikely to notice.

You may have a different experience, depending on the websites that you visit and the apps you use. But our tests suggest that although Bitdefender isn’t quite the most lightweight of antivirus apps, it has less performance impact than most, and didn’t cause us any significant speed issues.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Safepay

Many security vendors offer some form of ‘privacy browser’, but typically you can get much the same result by installing a few well-chosen extensions, or a third-party freebie like Brave Privacy Browser.

Bitdefender Safepay is a secure browser which protects you both from web dangers, and malware which might have smuggled itself onto your own system.

The protection starts by Bitdefender recognizing when you’re accessing a sensitive site. When we visited a banking site, for instance, an alert popped up prompting us to open the website in Safepay (it can automatically connect to the VPN, too.) Sounds like a small point, but that one idea reduces the chance that you’ll forget to turn Safepay on.

The other major Safepay plus is it runs on its own virtual Windows desktop, isolated from everything else on your system. Malware can’t capture your keystrokes or record screenshots of what you’re doing (we tried with commercial and custom tools of our own), and the virtual keyboard prevents even hardware keyloggers from recording your activities.

Put it all together and Safepay offers way more protection than other privacy browsers, making it one of the highlights of Bitdefender’s range.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Vulnerability Scan

Bitdefender’s Vulnerability Scan checks your device for various issues which might make it open to attack: missing updates, weak passwords, dubious Windows and browser security settings, and more.

This kind of tool can be very useful, but Bitdefender’s offering has rarely told us anything interesting in previous reviews, and we didn’t see much improvement this time around.

The Vulnerability Scan warned that our Wi-Fi network was ‘unsafe’, for instance, because it didn’t have a password. We had intentionally set up a vulnerability, but we hadn’t removed the password; we had changed it to, well, ‘password.’ If a user doesn’t look closely, Bitdefender’s misleading description makes the real issue easy to miss. Worse, this issue has been around for years (we found apparent references to it on the Bitdefender community forum from 2017.)

The Vulnerability Scan found four low-level browser and operating system issues. That sounded interesting, but they turned out to be extremely minor, such as a setting on our system which allowed users to edit Internet Explorer security zones. 

The scan didn’t find any missing application updates. It did report a missing Windows Security update which had just come out, which is good news, although we would expect any properly configured system to find and install Windows updates all on its own. 

Other providers delivered more on the same system. Norton’s Software Updater found 11 missing application updates, for instance. Avast’s Smart Scan clearly warned us about our weak (not missing) Wi-Fi password, and although it ignored the Internet Explorer security zone ‘issue’, did make some more useful suggestions, including turning on Data Execution Prevention (a valuable Windows exploit protection technology) and ensuring device notifications weren’t displayed on the lock screen. 

The Vulnerability Scan still has a little value. Malware often changes system settings to help stay hidden, so if you’ve been infected previously, there’s a chance the report will find something useful. But we’d like to see it updated with a more in-depth look at your system and application settings.
 

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: VPN

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus includes the free version of Bitdefender VPN. The paid edition is an excellent service with quality apps using the Hotspot Shield network, but, unfortunately, the freebie is so restricted that many will find it unusable.

You only get 200MB of data a day, for instance. We opened desktop Outlook and a few other applications on a Windows laptop, and the background traffic alone used 70MB of data over the next hour. The free Bitdefender VPN is only suitable for light use.

The other big issue is you can’t choose your location. Hit Connect and Bitdefender VPN automatically selects whatever it thinks is the best server for you (the closest or the fastest, most likely.). That means there’s little hope of unblocking anything, and, if the VPN chooses a location in a neighboring country to you, there’s nothing you can do about it.

Still, if you only need a VPN very occasionally, perhaps to securely access your email on public Wi-Fi, the free Bitdefender VPN just might be enough. And, if you can live with the data and location limits, there’s a lot to like here.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: VPN Features

Bitdefender’s Windows app takes up a lot of screen space, thanks to a large and mostly pointless map (you can’t pan or zoom, it doesn’t show Bitdefender’s location or even precisely highlight your own location when connected.) But it looks good, and provides a lot of information: your current IP address, the session length, the data you’ve used, and more.

Using the VPN is easy - just hit the blue Connect button - but connect times were relatively slow for us at around 6-8 seconds. Many WireGuard VPNs take only a couple of seconds, and ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol often gets us connected in less than one second.

Speeds were very acceptable during testing at 60Mbps+ on a 70Mbps connection. That’s adequate for browsing, or a short period streaming if you turn the quality down (30 minutes of standard definition YouTube watching needs around 180MB, for instance.)

Bitdefender VPN’s highlight is its array of advanced features and configurations. Most VPN apps from antivirus providers are a little underpowered, but Bitdefender offers more functionality than many specialist VPN providers.

A strong choice of protocols includes WireGuard, OpenVPN and Hotspot Shield’s Hydra, for instance. Quality ad and tracker blocking enhances your privacy online, and we found the effective kill switch immediately blocks your internet access if the VPN drops.

Split tunneling support allows you to select apps which bypass the VPN and use the internet directly. That could help cut your VPN data usage and stretch that 200MB a day just a little further.

A very clever Auto-Connect option can automatically connect to the VPN when your device starts, if you connect to unsecured Wi-Fi, when you access specific domains (your business network, say), even if you visit a particular category of website: banking, online payments, health, and more.

There’s even an App Traffic Optimizer, which can improve speeds of up to three apps by giving them priority for your available bandwidth. That won’t help much with the free version - the more apps you use, the faster your data will disappear - but we have to applaud Bitdefender’s technical expertise.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: VPN alternatives

Bitdefender VPN might work for you if you only need the bare minimum of protection, perhaps to stay safe while you spend 15 minutes a day accessing the web on coffee shop Wi-Fi.

If you like Bitdefender but can’t live with the restrictions, upgrading to Bitdefender Premium Security adds the unlimited Bitdefender Premium VPN. It’s more expensive at $79.99 in year one, $159.99 on renewal, but that’s still fair value. NordVPN’s Basic plan costs $68 in year one, for instance, $112 on renewal, for the VPN alone.

Other antivirus vendors offer free VPNs with a little more. Avast One Essentials gives you a far more generous 5GB a week data allowance, for instance, although it also doesn’t allow you to choose a location.

You could also choose a provider from our best free VPN list. PrivadoVPN, for instance, allows you to choose from 12 locations, and has a far more flexible 10GB monthly data allowance. Well worth a look if you’re on a strict budget.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Password Manager

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus includes a password manager on its feature list, but it’s only a three-month trial version. That still beats Avast, who dropped its own password manager a few years ago, but it can’t match Norton, who still includes a password manager with even its starter Antivirus Plus package.

We signed up for the trial anyway, an ultra-easy process which took just a couple of clicks. Bitdefender supports Password Manager on desktops via Chrome, Edge and Firefox extensions, and there are mobile apps for Android and iOS. 

The tool supports importing existing passwords from many sources, good news if you’re looking for a quick start. There’s direct support for 1Password, Bitwarden, Chrome, Dashlane, Edge, Firefox, KeePass, LastPass, Roboform, Sticky Password and many more.

We tried importing data from Dashlane, and it mostly worked, with one issue. Dashlane supports multiple accounts for a website (same email address, different passwords); Bitdefender Password Manager doesn’t, so where Dashlane had multiple accounts, it imported one and ignored the others.

We found some issues with the tool in real-world use. When we complete a ‘new account’ web form with Dashlane, it recognises fields like ‘email’ and allows us to fill them with a click; Bitdefender does this with passwords, but we had to enter our email address manually.

Although Password Manager correctly captured simple ‘username and password’ screens, it sometimes failed with more complex forms. When one site asked for our name, email and password, for instance, Password Manager recorded the login as our name instead of our email.

But there are plenty of plus points, too. It was easy to access our logins and copy usernames and passwords as required. A secure password generator creates strong passwords as you need them, with your choice of upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols (and a neat ‘easy to type’ option to avoid the harder-to-find symbols.) The Security Report highlights weak or reused passwords, and can even run a leaked password check (via haveibeenpwned.com) to see if your account appears in any data breaches.

Bitdefender Password Manager is a useful tool, especially if you get it for free as a part of Bitdefender Ultimate Security or Bitdefender Premium Security. If you need to buy Password Manager separately, it’s cheap at $19.99 for year one, $29.99 on renewal (that’s half the price of Dashlane.) But if you’re looking for a powerhouse password manager with every possible feature, check our Best Password Manager guide for better ideas.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Anti-tracker

Bitdefender’s Anti-tracker feature is a technology that prevents intrusive trackers from collecting data on your online activities.

Anti-tracker is available as a very easy-to-use browser extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox. 

We installed Anti-tracker on Chrome and it began blocking threats immediately, with nothing else to configure. You can leave the service to do its work, or, if you’re curious, click the extension icon for a report on whatever it’s blocked on the current page.

Our tests showed Anti-tracker blocked an excellent 93% of sample trackers. But we found that it also blocked trackers that are essential to website functionality. View the radar maps on weather.com, for instance, and although you’ll see radar images of incoming weather, the site doesn’t display cities, roads or any of the underlying map. Reading user reviews, we found many similar complaints of Anti-tracker breaking websites.

You can address this, in theory, by telling Anti-tracker not to block trackers on sites where you notice issues. But if, like weather.com, the only issue is a site not displaying some usual content, you may never realize there’s a problem. And the idea of having to exclude sites on Anti-tracker every single time something doesn’t work as you’d expect just feels too much time-consuming trouble than it’s worth. But if you disagree, give the extensions a try: they’re all free, no need to buy Bitdefender products or even create an account.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: File Shredder

Bitdefender’s File Shredder is a simple tool which securely deletes files by overwriting them multiple times. It’s an easy way to get rid of sensitive documents, and ensures that even if someone else has full access to your device (you’ve sold it, maybe it’s been stolen), they won’t be able to undelete or recover that dara.

The easiest way to make this happen is to choose the files in Explorer, then right-click and select Bitdefender > File Shredder. Your files appear in the File Shredder console, and you can wipe them all forever with a click.

There are no configuration options, which might be an issue for the demanding expert users. For example, specialist secure deletion tools often allow you to choose a wiping algorithm, perhaps to overwrite data more often for extra security.

File Shredder delivers all the functionality most users will ever need, though. It doesn’t add a lot of value to the suite because there are more powerful file wiping tools available for free, but File Shredder’s ease of use is a plus, and overall we’re glad it’s included in the package.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Final verdict

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus consistently delivers great PC malware protection results from the top independent testing labs and in our own checks. But where it really scores is in Bitdefender’s array of additional security layers, including effective anti-phishing to block dangerous websites, and multi-layered ransomware protection that can recover damaged files in seconds. It’s our top Windows antivirus, and a must-try for anyone with a PC to protect. 

Read more Bitdefender reviews:

• Bitdefender Antivirus Plus review
• Bitdefender Internet Security review
• Bitdefender Total Security review
• Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android review
• Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS review

We've featured the best internet security suites.

For good reason, Keeper Password Manager is considered one of the best password managers available. Keeper is one of the most respected names in the security business, and this app emphasizes helping companies keep sensitive data secure.

Thankfully, Keeper has impressive security credentials, including zero-knowledge design, high-end security auditing, market-leading encryption, and other features.

In addition, Keeper offers powerful admin tools, excellent sharing options, and remote access, making it a top-notch choice for any business needing a comprehensive password management system. Check out our roundup of the best business password managers for more information about business password protection.

With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated and frequent, securing sensitive information has never been more critical. That's where Keeper, a leading cybersecurity platform for password management and data protection, comes into play. This blog post explores the key benefits of integrating Keeper Security into your business operations.

Keeper Security provides robust tools to manage and secure passwords across your organization. Unlike traditional methods where passwords are reused across multiple sites or written down insecurely, Keeper encourages using strong, unique passwords for each account. The platform automatically generates high-strength passwords that are nearly impossible to crack, ensuring a foundational level of security against breaches.

By centralizing password management, Keeper significantly lowers the risk of data breaches. It encrypts passwords and sensitive information, storing them in a secure digital vault accessible only to authorized users. This encryption is critical, ensuring that even if data is intercepted, it remains unreadable and secure.

Compliance with legal standards is non-negotiable for businesses in industries regulated by GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC2. Keeper helps ensure that your business meets these standards by providing tools for compliance management. Features like role-based permissions, event logging, and secure sharing conform to the strictest regulatory requirements, protecting your business from costly legal penalties.

Keeper’s interface saves employees time and frustration. With features like autofill and auto-login, employees no longer need to remember or retrieve passwords manually. This leads to more time focused on productive tasks rather than administrative overhead. Additionally, Keeper allows you to securely share passwords and files to facilitate seamless collaboration among team members.

Beyond just managing passwords, Keeper Security offers secure storage for sensitive files, documents, and digital certificates. With high-level encryption, files remain protected at rest and in transit. This is particularly valuable for businesses that need to share proprietary or confidential information securely and regularly.

Keeper is designed to scale with your business, making it ideal for small startups or large enterprises. Its flexible architecture and customizable features mean that as your business grows and your security needs evolve, Keeper can adjust to meet them without shifting to a new platform.

In today's world, accessing information across smartphones, tablets, and desktops is essential. Keeper supports all major platforms, ensuring that your team can securely access necessary information from any permitted device, anywhere, at any time, enhancing security and productivity.

Keeper: Plans and pricing

Keeper Security offers several tiers to accommodate businesses of varying sizes and needs. Below is an overview of the primary packages:

1. Keeper Business Starter includes password management, and sharing, shared team folders, basic two-factor authentication, a family plan for all users, and more. It’s designed for small businesses with 5-10 users, and costs $2/user/month.
2. Keeper Business adds a few more administrative features on top of the Starter plan such as the ability to delegate admin responsibilities. It costs $3.75/user/month and requires a minimum purchase of five seats.
3. Keeper Enterprise offers all the benefits of the Business plan, plus advanced features like single sign-on, SCIM provisioning, active directory, and LDAP sync, command-line provisioning, and advanced two-factor authentication options (Duo, RSA, etc.). This plan too requires a minimum purchase of five seats, though it has custom pricing that is based on the needs and size of the organization.

Keeper Security primarily focuses on business solutions and offers packages for personal use and families. This can benefit small business owners who want comprehensive cybersecurity at home and work.

With Keeper Unlimited, you get unlimited password storage, identity and payments, secure record sharing, and more for about $2.92 monthly.

On the other hand, the Keeper Family Plan includes up to five private vaults, 10GB of secure file storage, and unlimited password storage. When billed annually, this plan is currently priced at $6.25 per month.

Keeper: Setup

Implementing Keeper Security within a business environment helps bridge the gap between complex cybersecurity needs and user-friendly functionality, making it a preferred choice for many.

The first step in the setup process involves choosing the right Keeper Security package that aligns with your business's specific needs and size. From the Keeper Business plan, which offers essential password management and secure file storage, to the Keeper Enterprise solution designed for larger businesses needing advanced features like SSO and delegated administration, there's a tailored approach waiting to fit into your corporate structure. For managed service providers, the MSP package offers customized solutions to manage multiple client organizations efficiently.

Once the appropriate package is selected, the implementation process moves to account setup. This phase usually starts with a centralized admin console that serves as the command center for your organization's cybersecurity management. Through this console, administrators can effortlessly add or remove users, configure permissions, and manage security policies across the board.

Keeper has several data centers around the world, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), including US, Canada, Japan, EU, and more, and you can choose which one to use to house your data.

When you log into the admin console, it brings up the Getting Started wizard that helps guide admins through the initial setup, such as adding users, and tweaking enforcement policies. The first order of business is to add users, and assign them roles. By default, the platform has a Keeper Administrator role, and recommends adding multiple admins to avoid single points of failure.

You should also take a moment to review Keeper's default enforcement policies. These policies control how users access their vault, utilize features, and manage their data within Keeper.

The policies are diverse and cover everything from login settings, and two-factor authentication, to disabling specific vault features, and restricting access based on platform, and IP addresses. These policies are applied based on user roles, which helps admins fine-tune access, and permissions for various groups of users within your business.

Training is a pivotal component of the setup process. Keeper Security’s intuitive user interface and straightforward functionality make the learning curve gentle for end users. However, it's imperative to conduct formal training sessions or provide resources to ensure all team members comprehend the features available to them, like generating strong passwords, securely sharing sensitive information, and using the KeeperFill for seamless autofill across apps and browsers.

Integration with existing tools is another cornerstone of setting up Keeper in a business environment. Keeper's versatility is evident in its ability to integrate with popular single sign-on (SSO) services, including Azure AD, Okta, Google Workspace, JumpCloud, Ping and others, and other business tools, streamlining login processes and enhancing security protocols without disrupting workflow. Assessing your current software infrastructure and leveraging Keeper's integration capabilities can significantly boost your cybersecurity posture and operational efficiency.

Security doesn’t end after deployment. Keeper recommends periodic reviews of user practices, shared records, and security policies to adapt to any emerging threats or business changes. Utilizing additional features like BreachWatch can further enhance your organization's defense by monitoring the dark web for compromised credentials, ensuring proactive threat management.

Finally, customer support stands as a pillar of Keeper Security's offering. Should any questions or issues arise during the setup process or thereafter, Keeper provides accessible and knowledgeable support to assist businesses in navigating any complexities.

Keeper: Interface and performance

Each user has their own encrypted vault for storing passwords, credentials, and information, accessible through any number of desktop, mobile, and online apps. All the password management basics are here: a password generator or strong and unique passwords, identity management and payment information, and access to shared passwords. However, identity information for form filling is a bit limited, as you can’t create your own fields or add multiple addresses.

Administrators can easily manage multiple users, who can be assigned roles and divided into teams. Passwords, folders, and subfolders can be shared with individual users, teams, or roles, with the ability to disable password re-sharing, editing, or even viewing, while enforcement policies ensure everybody in your company is using or generating strong passwords. There is also an Admin Console for monitoring and managing Keeper across the organization. This can also help to enforce the use of best security practices like 2FA, and password security.

The desktop app interface is intuitive and easy to use, with tabs for passwords, identities, security audit, and BreachWatch. In-browser password autofill and form-filling are well executed with the KeeperFill browser extension, which offers tabs for entering a password, address, or card information. It’s also great to see a separate area dedicated to IDs like driver’s licenses and passports, in an era when identities are both in regular use and targeted by criminals. Being able to call on passport information to book a flight can be much easier digitally than having to retrieve the physical passport, especially when you’re away from home.

The admin interface is equally agreeable to use, with a Dashboard that gives you a quick overview of user activity and any security issues, and an Admin tab for managing users, roles, teams, two-factor authentication, and provisioning. If you’ve paid for additional modules, you’ll have access to the Security Audit, BreachWatch, and Reporting & Alerts to manage these features. Everything is also clean and well laid out.

Platform support is good, too. Keeper works on Windows, macOS, and the best Linux distros like Fedora, Red Hat, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint. There’s also iOS and Android support, and a password-filling extension that works in the best web browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Brave, and Opera. The main app can also run directly in your browser. That command-line installation is a boon, and the only thing missing here is functionality on only the most obscure browsers.

Some mobile users will be pleased to see that Keeper also has an Apple Watch app for on-the-go monitoring and quick access to things like notes of combination lock codes. In fact, if you’re really bored, you can use Keeper’s lock-shaped emoji stickers in iMessage chat. While this is totally pointless and nothing more than a gimmick, it’s really enlightening to see a company that’s dedicated to as many platforms and services as Keeper - very few come anywhere near.

Keeper: Security

Security is first and foremost at Keeper. First of all, it’s a zero-knowledge company that undergoes regular SOC 2 and ISO 27001 auditing. It also meets US and EU directives on data protection, and is GDPR-compliant. Encryption is done on the fly and at device level, with AES 256-bit and PBKDF2 encryption, so no readable information is ever kept on Keeper’s servers.

Keeper is also certified by the NIST Cryptographic Module Verification Program (CMVP) and meets the FIPS 140-3 standard, which ensures the platform can withstand various attack vectors. This is particularly important for businesses that operate in regulated industries like finance and healthcare.

Keeper also claims to perform pen testing against the platform every quarter with independent security researchers as well as third-party experts such as the NCC Group, and CyberTest.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, Keeper uses AWS data centers located in multiple geographic locations to securely host your encrypted data. Once you’ve made your choice, your data and access to the platform will be isolated to that specific region. It ensures the encrypted data is further encrypted during transit with TLS 1.3 with an additional layer of encryption.

Admins have full control over which users can access what information and for how long, so there’s no risk of an employee keeping any information after leaving your company, while BreachWatch continuously watches for leaked passwords, and a secure file storage system helps keep your most sensitive documents safe.

For additional security, whenever a user tries to log into an account from a new device, the platform forces them through a verification step, to protect against brute force attacks.

Keeper: Support

Keeper comes with great support for businesses. Not only can you benefit from onboarding and training for the whole team, but the support center features a very rich knowledge base with plenty of videos and articles that balance depth and accessibility.

All business plans include Live Chat and email support (capped at 25 sessions each) between Monday and Friday, from 8AM-5PM CST. We were a little confused by the online chat, which didn’t tell us if we’d been connected to somebody or how long we might have to wait, although somebody did get back to us within two minutes.

If you want phone support, you’ll have to subscribe to the Silver or Platinum support packages. While the former offers 25 calls per year, the latter has no cap. If you are subscribed to any of these two paid support plans, you can avail the support services 24/7/365.

Personal users don’t get the same support as the business clientele. There is no direct phone number, nor an email, but rather they need to go through the support portal. They still have access to all the articles and videos on the self-support side, such as step-by-step guides for installing Keeper on each web browser and supported platform.

Keeper: The competition

There are a number of good password managers out there for businesses. Dashlane has a similar business offering, but includes dark web monitoring at a cheaper price than Keeper Business and its BreachWatch. This is a good solution if you don’t need Keeper’s advanced user management.

At $2/user/month Keeper’s Business Starter Password Manager plan is one of the cheapest options for business users. However, while it does have all the usual features you expect from a business password manager, it doesn’t get you SSO authentication. If that’s something that’s important for your business, you’ll find it bundled with the only slightly more expensive RoboForm Business plan. Even the NordPass Business Plan supports Google Workspace SSO.

Then, there are the do-it-alls. If you’re already using Zoho for its other online collaboration tools, then you may want to stick to having everything under the same roof and opt for Zoho Vault.

Keeper: Final verdict

Keeper provides top-of-the-line security measures through an intuitive interface that appeals to both end-users and IT managers. The pricing is competitive with industry standards, but it’s worth noting that additional features such as BreachWatch and enterprise-grade, customizable reporting and alerting functionality can lead to a notable increase in the annual cost. Nevertheless, when it comes to effectively managing passwords and sensitive data across different teams and roles, Keeper stands out as a reliable choice.

We've featured the best password recovery software

What to look for in a password manager

One of the foundational elements of a solid cybersecurity plan is implementing an effective password manager. However, with many options on the market, identifying the most suitable password manager for your business can be daunting. Here are key features to consider when choosing a password manager to ensure your business's online security needs are comprehensively met.

Any password manager's heart is its ability to safeguard data with unassailable security practices. Look for a password manager that employs AES-256-bit encryption, the gold standard in the industry, ensuring that all stored passwords and data are practically impenetrable. Two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) capabilities are also crucial, adding a layer of security upon login.

While robust security measures are non-negotiable, the user experience cannot be overlooked. A password manager should have an intuitive interface that simplifies password storage, retrieval, and management without requiring steep learning curves. This ensures that all staff members, regardless of their tech savviness, can adhere to cybersecurity protocols effectively.

Businesses evolve, and so do their digital security needs. A password manager must be scalable and capable of growing your business without compromising performance. This includes effortlessly adding or removing user accounts, adjusting permissions, and managing different levels of access as your organization expands or changes.

Businesses must be able to track user behavior and compliance to enforce and monitor cybersecurity policies. Opt for a password manager that offers detailed auditing and reporting tools, providing insights into password health, user activity, and security vulnerabilities. These metrics are invaluable for identifying potential risks and fortifying your cybersecurity posture over time.

The modern business ecosystem relies on various digital tools and platforms. A password manager should seamlessly integrate with your existing infrastructure, including single sign-on (SSO) services, directory services like Active Directory (AD), and other critical business applications. This integration streamlines workflows, enhances user experience, and reinforces security measures across all platforms.

In the complex digital security realm, access to prompt and reliable customer support is essential. A vendor that offers comprehensive support through various channels (live chat, email, phone) and possesses a proven track record of reliability ensures that any issue can be swiftly addressed, minimizing potential disruptions to your business operations.

Adhering to specific regulatory standards (such as GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC 2) is not optional for many businesses. A password manager should help your business maintain compliance with relevant laws and industry regulations, safeguarding not just your digital assets but also your reputation and legal standing.

Finally, the cost of implementation should be considered against the return on investment (ROI). While it's vital not to compromise on essential features for the sake of the economy, the chosen solution should offer a favorable balance of cost to features, demonstrating clear value to your business through enhanced security and efficiency.

In conclusion, choosing the right password manager is a critical decision that can significantly impact your business's cybersecurity stance. By prioritizing these essential features, your business can implement a password management solution that protects against current threats and is also equipped to adapt to the future of cybersecurity challenges, ensuring the safety of your digital environment in this relentless digital age.

LogMeOnce is, without a doubt, one of the best password managers we’ve seen. Most password managers offer the same core features, from autofill to secure password generation, but LogMeOnce goes beyond other apps thanks to its impressive range of advanced abilities.

Sign up to LogMeOnce and you’ll be able to use QR code logins, facial recognition, and cloud storage encryption, and security comes from military-standard encryption and security options along a wide range of multi-factor options.

With a free version and a range of plans at decent prices, LogMeOnce might seem too good to be true – so we’ve tested this software to deliver the real verdict.

LogMeOnce: Plans and pricing

For individuals seeking a no-cost solution, the LogMeOnce Premium edition that’s available for free, stands out. Remarkably, it provides a generous array of features, such as unlimited password storage, autofill, secure password sharing, encrypted file storage, two-factor authentication (2FA) options, and a lot more, making it an excellent entry point for anyone aiming to fortify their digital security.

Stepping up, the LogMeOnce Professional subscription, which costs $2.5/month enriches the cybersecurity experience with advanced attributes like 1GB of encrypted storage, multi-factor authentication (MFA), emergency access, advanced activity report, and priority tech support. This level is ideally suited for users who demand more sophisticated security features without substantial investments.

Then there’s the $3.25/month Ultimate plan that bumps up the encrypted file storage to 10GB, and adds even more security features like remote logout, comprehensive reporting, a customizable dashboard, and more.

Furthermore, the LogMeOnce Family plan is specifically tailored to cater to the needs of households. It costs $4.99/month, and allows up to 6 accounts, offering a centralized platform for families to securely manage their passwords, digital assets, and personal information. This subscription not only amplifies online safety but also promotes shared responsibility among family members.

For the business-oriented users, LogMeOnce presents three distinguished plans: Teams, Business, and Enterprise. The Teams plan is designed for a small group of people, and costs $4/user/month when billed annually. It provides all the essential features such as secure password management, comprehensive 2FA, user and group management, multiple login options, including passwordless login, priority technical support, and more.

If you need single sign-on (SSO) and active directory integration you can switch to the $7.99/user/month Business plan, which adds a lot more features such as automated user provisioning, role-based access control, delegated administration, identity theft protection, and more.

The top-tier is the Enterprise plan, which is designed for larger enterprises that require comprehensive and scalable cybersecurity solutions. In addition to all the features in the Business plan, it also offers MFA, IP address-based restrictions, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy, and more.

Each of these subscription plans by LogMeOnce is developed with the understanding that security needs vary widely among users and organizations. By offering a broad spectrum of features across different tiers, LogMeOnce accommodates a range of budgets and security requirements, making it a versatile choice for anyone looking to protect their digital life or their business's online assets.

LogMeOnce: Setup

Whether you're an individual looking to protect your personal information or a business aiming to safeguard your data, setting up LogMeOnce can be a game-changer. In this blog post, we'll walk you through the setup process, ensuring you're up and running with LogMeOnce in no time.

Creating an Account: The first step is to create a LogMeOnce account. Visit the LogMeOnce website and choose the plan that fits your needs—ranging from a free version to professional and business plans.

Downloading the Software: After signing up, download the LogMeOnce software or app that corresponds to your device(s). LogMeOnce supports a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.

Installing LogMeOnce: Run the downloaded file and follow the installation prompts. Installation typically involves agreeing to terms, deciding on installation locations, and waiting a few moments for the software to install.

Launch LogMeOnce: Once installed, open the LogMeOnce application. If it's your first time, you'll be guided through initial setup procedures.

Import Passwords (Optional): If you’ve been using another password manager or have a digital record of your passwords, LogMeOnce allows you to import these during setup. Supported formats include CSV files, and LogMeOnce can also directly import from many other popular password managers.

Creating Your Master Password: Your Master Password is critical—it's the key to unlock all your other credentials. Choose a strong, unique password that you will remember. LogMeOnce does not store this password, so its recovery relies on security questions or a printed backup.

Manual Entry: You can manually add login details for websites and apps by clicking on the “+Add” button inside your vault. Enter the website URL, your username, and password.

Browser Extension/Add-On: Install the LogMeOnce browser extension to streamline this process. When you log in to websites, LogMeOnce will prompt you to save these credentials to your vault.

LogMeOnce Secure Wallet: Besides passwords, LogMeOnce allows you to safely store other sensitive information, including credit card details, secure notes, and personal documents, further enhancing its utility.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Set up 2FA for an additional layer of security. LogMeOnce offers multiple 2FA options, including SMS, email, and various authenticator apps.

PasswordLess Login: Explore LogMeOnce’s PasswordLess feature that enables you to log in without needing to enter your master password every time, using your mobile device or a photo of yourself.

Customization and Settings: Delve into LogMeOnce’s settings to customize your experience. This includes notifications, default behaviors, and security settings tailored to your preferences.

Syncing Across Devices: LogMeOnce seamlessly syncs your data across all linked devices. Install the mobile app on your smartphone and tablets to access your data on the go.

Staying Secure Everywhere: With LogMeOnce set up on your devices, you gain peace of mind knowing that your passwords are secure yet accessible to you anywhere and anytime.

By following these steps, you're well on your way to enjoying the myriad benefits of LogMeOnce, from heightened security and convenience to advanced features that cater to power users and businesses alike. Embrace this powerful tool and experience a more secure and streamlined digital life.

LogMeOnce: Interface and performance

It’s a well-designed bit of software. The main dashboard offers quick access to your passwords, secure notes and wallet, secure file storage, and dark web monitoring. You’ll also find quick links for your security evaluation and two-factor authentication settings.

The right-hand side has your Daily Journal, which summarizes your current password situation – a smooth feature that allows you to instantly see which areas need attention. There’s also the Identity Scorecard, which presents a quick security evaluation.

Head into different sections and at the bottom of the screen you’ll get a dock that opens more configuration options. Anyone who’s used a PC or Mac will be familiar with the setup – it works like a taskbar.

On top of this, the browser extension is very impressive. It includes quick links to all your saved websites, and logging in is as simple as clicking on the icon for the site you want to access. The mobile apps are equally powerful, and they performed very well on every device we tested them on.

One thing worth noting is that, although LogMeOnce is just as capable as other password managers, the user interface suggests otherwise. The mobile apps are particularly troubling, and have collected a handful of negative reviews accordingly. This, along with the limited browser extension support, put it one or two paces behind most other options.

LogMeOnce is also yet to announce any plans to adopt passkeys, which promise to revolutionize the way we log into websites. Promising the ultimate, passwordless security, passkeys have so far been slow to take off, and for all we know, LogMeOnce could just be waiting to see how it pans out, and whether it represents a worthwhile investment. Nevertheless, there’s no mention of passkeys anywhere on the company’s site.

LogMeOnce: Security

Like all good password managers, LogMeOnce is backed by powerful security features. This includes AES 256-bit encryption compliant with NIST guidelines and communication to the LogMeOnce server via SSL/TSL encrypted tunnel communication. In fact, it goes one step further than most of its competitors, with a range of patented and copyrighted tools to further protect your sensitive information.

Along with encryption and master password access, LogMeOnce also comes with PasswordLess login, powerful two-factor authentication (2FA), and anti-theft tools. Custom security solutions are also available for business users with highly sensitive data.

There are loads of multi-factor authentication options available here. You’ve got biometrics, PIN codes, secure devices, and even the option to login with a selfie. Beyond that, you can also turn a USB drive into an authentication token.

Elsewhere, LogMeOnce has options to wipe devices in emergencies, remind you to reset passwords after specified amounts of time, secure browsing and document storage and secure backup modules. Users also benefit from secure sharing options and auto-login single sign-on settings.

LogMeOnce Business: Team and Admin Features

For any business, a good set of team and admin features in their password manager are essential to help ensure security, efficiency, and control, and LogMeOnce’s business plans don’t disappoint in that regard.

The platform provides a centralized interface that helps admins manage user access, and team credentials, enforce password policies, monitor activities, and a lot more.

Talking of password policies, you can use LogMeOnce to define and enforce granular password policies. This includes setting requirements for passwords, such as minimum length, character complexity, expiration frequency, and such. In addition to mandating periodic password changes, admins can also enforce password history rules to prevent users from reusing old passwords.

LogMeOnce also has adequate user and group management features. You can use the platform to organize users into groups, which can be formed based on a variety of factors, including formal structure like departments (IT, marketing, finance, etc.), or specific tasks, and projects.

The platform also allows for delegated administration, which means specific individuals can be assigned roles at the group level or user level. The platform supports half a dozen roles, which helps streamline the management of access to shared passwords and other sensitive information.

Team password sharing is a core business feature, and LogMeOnce doesn’t disappoint on this front as well. Besides passwords, groups can have notes, and credit card details as well. By default, the platform only lets users within a group use the passwords, but you can give them permission to view, and modify them as well. Similarly, you can enable your users to share passwords as well.

In the same vein, LogMeOnce also lets you allow your users to create their personal vaults. You can do this for individual users, all for all users belonging to a group. Unlike the business vault that you as an admin can create, modify, and delete, you can’t access a user’s personal vault. Conversely, while users can delete their personal vault, they can’t delete the business credentials, unless allowed by the admin.

You can use LogMeOnce’s Cloud Encrypter feature to encrypt your files and photos in your favorite cloud storage platform (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive). Once you’ve added your account, the platform will automatically encrypt all your data on the service with your own key using AES 256 encryption.

Additionally, LogMeOnce also includes its own encrypted file storage service. It works pretty much like any other cloud storage service with the exception that it encrypts all its contents.

To use the service, your users will need to install the Secure Drive desktop app. After logging in to their account, they can then open their LogMeOnce Secure Drive, and copy contents to it as they would on any other folder.

The total amount of data that you can store is based on your account limits. The Teams plans bundles 1GB of encrypted storage space, while the Business, and the Enterprise plans offer 10GB. You can easily purchase additional storage space with prices starting from $9.96/year for 10GB, going all the way up to $199.92/year for 250GB.

The platform backs up its set of features with comprehensive reporting and auditing capabilities. It gives admins access to all kinds of security and activity reports, which are useful for compliance purposes, as well as for identifying suspicious activity, and help gauge the overall password health within the organization.

LogMeOnce Business: Integrations and Compatibility

The Business and Enterprise plans of LogMeOnce support SAML 2.0, which allows integration with a wide range of SSO identity providers such as Okta, and Microsoft Entra ID.

This is increasingly becoming a must have feature for most organizations. Thanks to this integration, users in an organization can log in to multiple apps with a single set of credentials, which helps reduce password fatigue and the likelihood of using weak or reused passwords.

Additionally, LogMeOnce also integrates with on-premise active directory and LDAP, which helps automate the onboarding/offboarding of employees directly from their status in the directory services.

Thanks to this, instead of manually creating and managing user accounts in LogMeOnce, businesses can automatically provision new users, update existing user information, and de-provision users when they leave the company. This is another crucial feature for enterprise users as it ensures that access is immediately revoked upon an employee's departure, significantly enhancing security.

One of LogMeOnce’s stand out features is its support for a wide range of 2FA options. In addition to the standard use of email, SMS, and Google Authenticator option to send 2FA codes, the platform offers several other methods like voice calls, USB tokens, X.509 certificates, and its newest home-brewed mechanism called Selfie-2FA.

Thanks to the variety of options, businesses of all sizes can choose the authentication methods that best suit their security policies and user convenience needs.

LogMeOnce also offers an API, which businesses can use to integrate the platform with in-house apps, CRM systems, HR platforms, and such. The API can interact with LogMeOnce features, and can be used to perform functions like user provisioning, activation, deactivation, retrieve and change password, export logs, and more.

LogMeOnce Business: Ease of Use and Deployment

Like a majority of its peers, LogMeOnce Business is a web-based solution, which simplifies deployment as there's no server software to manage in-house. Once you’ve rolled it and signed up your users, they can easily install browser extensions and the desktop, and mobile apps to get going.

Again, just like its peers, LogMeOnce also uses a web-based admin console. The first time you log in, it’ll take you through the interface, and introduce the various sections, and buttons. There’s also an onboarding checklist that’ll help you complete the initial steps to setup the platform.

Unlike other platforms, LogMeOnce Business makes it the responsibility of the admins to import and manage passwords for business apps. The app itself has a curated list of over 4600 business apps that have been tested and vetted by LogMeOnce. You can search and add the apps (and their login credentials) manually. You can also import the credentials from popular web browsers, and password managers.

Next up, you add users, and groups. Again, you can do this manually, or hook up LogMeOnce with your identity provider, and directory services. Adding, and customizing password policies is also fairly straightforward and intuitive.

Once the platform is up and running, you can use the dashboard to get a quick snapshot of your organization's security posture. There’s also the security scorecard that tracks and analyzes various aspects of the managed passwords for the organization as a whole, as well as for individual users.

LogMeOnce: Support

LogMeOnce has a range of customer support and self-help options to draw on if you run into trouble. The main website features a chatbot that will guide you to articles or help you submit a support ticket. Tickets can also be logged directly from your management dashboard or the online portal. We feel that real-time support could be improved - there are no phone lines and emails aren’t always the quickest way to get to the bottom of something.

LogMeOnce: The competition

LogMeOnce is a genuinely good password manager, but there are a couple of powerful alternatives worth considering, especially if you can’t look the increasingly dated UI.

For example, LastPass has long been a leading password management program backed by very advanced features. It includes secure multi-factor authentication, has over 1,200 pre-integrated apps, and comes with a selection of advanced administration controls for IT managers and other tech professionals. Additionally, pricing is quite comparable.

If you’re really going down the business security route, Bitwarden offers self-hosting so that businesses can keep passwords stored in a secure and trusted location, even behind their own firewalls and proxies.

LogMeOnce: Final verdict

LogMeOnce is up there with the absolute best password management programs we’ve used in terms of functionality. It’s extremely affordable, comes with advanced tools designed for business users, and is backed by a range of powerful features.

On top of this, it’s easy to set up and is compatible with most common web browsers, devices, and operating systems. Also, security tools and customer support resources are comprehensive with an extensive library of articles and even videos.

That said, the product’s design could do with quite a significant overhaul, which is most notable on the apps. In theory, this shouldn’t take away from the abilities of the password manager, but failure to keep up-to-date with design could suggest diminishing developer resources. Furthermore, when we attempted to contact LogMeOnce’s press department, we were met with radio silence.

Ultimately, we’d recommend LogMeOnce for anyone who’s looking for a powerful, versatile password management solution backed by advanced features.

What to look for when choosing a password manager

A password manager not only helps in storing your passwords across various platforms securely but also plays a crucial role in generating strong, unique passwords that enhance your online security. However, with a myriad of options available, choosing the right password manager can feel overwhelming. Key features to look for include security, ease of use, compatibility, additional features, and pricing.

First and foremost, security is the cornerstone of any password manager. Ensure the application uses robust encryption methods, like AES-256 bit encryption, to keep your passwords safe from unauthorized access. Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an additional layer of security, making it significantly harder for intruders to gain access to your vault. Next, consider the ease of use. A user-friendly interface that integrates seamlessly across your devices is essential for a smooth experience. The ability to automatically fill in passwords and form data across websites and apps can amplify convenience and enhance your online interactions.

Compatibility is another pivotal aspect. The ideal password manager should support a wide range of devices and platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, ensuring you have access to your passwords regardless of the device you're using. Moreover, assess additional features such as secure password sharing, digital wallet functionality, and the ability to store other sensitive information like software licenses or confidential notes. These features can significantly enhance the utility of a password manager beyond just password storage.

Lastly, pricing is an important consideration, but it shouldn't be the sole deciding factor. Free versions can be a great starting point, but they often come with limitations that might not meet your needs. Evaluate the features offered in paid plans and consider whether they justify the cost, based on your personal or business requirements. Opt for plans that offer a balance between cost and functionality, ensuring you receive value for your investment.

In conclusion, selecting the right password manager involves considering a balance of security, user experience, platform compatibility, additional functionalities, and cost. By prioritizing these key factors, you can choose a password manager that not only secures your digital life but also simplifies it, allowing you to navigate the online world with confidence and ease.

We've also featured the best business password managers.

Bitwarden takes a different approach from most of the best password manager tools because it is released under an open-source license.

Bitwarden's open-source status doesn't mean that, either. That designation means people can view, access, and contribute to the app's development. When you want an app to be secure and transparent about how it works, that can only bode well for its effectiveness.

There's more to like about this app than its open-source status. Bitwarden promises easy, robust security within minutes, unlimited password and device support, and secure, encrypted sharing.

Bitwarden is known for its open-source nature, one of its greatest strengths. This means that anyone can review its codebase for security vulnerabilities, ensuring a transparent approach to security.

To secure your data, Bitwarden uses end-to-end encryption, strong encryption, salted hashing, and PBKDF2 SHA-256. This ensures that your data is encrypted and decrypted locally on your device, meaning that not even Bitwarden can access your passwords.

It is compatible with various devices and platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, browser extensions, and a web interface, making passwords accessible from anywhere.

Bitwarden offers a generous free tier and reasonably priced premium options. The premium plan is competitively priced and allows individuals and businesses to access advanced features like two-factor authentication.

Bitwarden comes with essential features such as secure password sharing, a security dashboard for password health, and the ability to store sensitive data securely.

For organizations, Bitwarden provides team and enterprise plans that include user management, directory sync, event logs, and enterprise policies for added security and administrative control.

Some drawbacks of Bitwarden include:

• The user interface (UI) may not be as intuitive or polished as that of other commercial password managers, making it a bit cumbersome for new users to navigate and use.
• While Bitwarden covers the basics well, it may lack some of its competitors' more advanced or niche features, such as advanced form-filling capabilities or breach monitoring services.
• Accessing Bitwarden offline may limit some functionalities until you're back online, which could be a disadvantage in areas with poor internet connectivity.
• Priority support is reserved for paying customers, so free users may find it challenging to get timely assistance.
• Non-technical individuals may find it difficult to set up and get the most out of Bitwarden without assistance, especially when configuring more advanced features.

Need more advice on passwords? Then look no further than our reviews of the best password managers. And if you need some help with images, look at our coverage of the best password recovery software.

Bitwarden: Plans and pricing

When looking at Bitwarden's pricing model, it's evident that they have designed it to cater to a wide range of users, from individuals to large enterprises. Bitwarden offers several tiers, which are extensively outlined on their official pricing page.

The free tier provides a robust feature set that includes unlimited password storage and syncing across all devices, making it an excellent starting point for individual users.

For those seeking enhanced capabilities, Bitwarden offers a premium tier priced at just $10 per year, adding features like advanced two-factor authentication and emergency access. Family packages are available for just $40 per year for up to six people.

For businesses, Bitwarden categorizes its offerings into Teams and Enterprise plans. The Teams option starts at $4 per user per month, which includes everything in the Premium plan along with essential capabilities such as user management and event logs crucial for small to medium-sized teams. The Enterprise plan, tailored for larger organizations, offers additional advanced features such as Single Sign-On (SSO), directory synchronization, and custom branding. Enterprise pricing varies based on the required features and the scale of deployment, and interested users are encouraged to contact Bitwarden for a custom quote. For most users, the Enterprise plan is $6 per month for each user.

The flexibility of Bitwarden’s pricing not only makes it accessible for different types of users but also underscores its commitment to providing secure password management solutions across varying corporate needs and user bases. Whether you're an individual looking to bolster your personal cybersecurity or a large organization aiming to protect sensitive data, Bitwarden provides versatile and affordable options to fit the bill.

Bitwarden: Setup

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how businesses can set up Bitwarden to safeguard sensitive information effectively.

Bitwarden offers various plans tailored to meet different business needs. Companies can choose from the Teams or Enterprise plans depending on their size and requirements. The Teams plan is ideal for smaller businesses or teams within larger organizations that need essential user management and sharing capabilities. Larger organizations can benefit from the Enterprise plan, which includes advanced features such as Single Sign-On (SSO), directory sync, and custom branding options. Deciding the right plan is crucial as it impacts the features and capabilities available to the organization.

The next step is to set up an organization account once the plan is selected. This is a straightforward process:

• Register for an organization account on Bitwarden’s website.
• Verify the email used for registration to activate the account.
• Once in, navigate to the dashboard to add and manage users.

Users can be added individually or in bulk through services like directory integration in the Enterprise plan, which supports syncing with directories like Microsoft Active Directory.

Bitwarden uses Collections to manage passwords and secure notes accessible to different users or groups within the organization. Setting up Collections ensures that sensitive data is only accessible to authorized personnel.

Here’s how to set up Collections:

• Create Collections based on department, function, or any other criteria relevant to your business.
• Assign users or groups to these Collections to manage access rights.

To maximize security, Bitwarden allows businesses to implement custom security policies across the organization. These policies might include:

• Mandating two-factor authentication for all users.
• Enforcing password complexity and rotation policies.
• Restricting login attempts and locations.

Implementing these policies helps in further safeguarding your business from potential cyber threats.

User training is essential to ensure that all team members understand how to use Bitwarden effectively and why robust password management practices are important. Training should cover:

• The importance of using a password manager.
• Guidelines on creating strong passwords.
• How to use Bitwarden daily to manage and retrieve passwords.
• Reporting and remediation processes in the case of suspected security breaches.

Regularly auditing the use of Bitwarden within your organization is crucial to maintain security standards. This includes checking who has access to what data, ensuring that outdated or ex-employee access is revoked, and conducting periodic security reviews and updates of the tool itself.

Bitwarden: Interface and performance

Bitwarden’s basic plans focus on the meat of password management, but even the free plans include multi-device sync, optional self-hosting, and unlimited cloud storage.

Premium plans include reports on your passwords that highlight weak passwords and unsecured websites. Also, advanced features are added, such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and emergency access. A Data Breach Report can tell you whether an email address has been compromised in a known data breach.

Bitwarden has a sleek, straightforward interface that allows users to easily search and access their passwords and secure data. And while it’s not as slick-looking as some other tools, that doesn’t really matter when the app’s functionality is more important.

While there are desktop clients for viewing and editing credentials and checking other account information, most will rarely use them in favor of the extensions that serve the password manager’s primary function: to automatically fill out login details and capture new ones.

Adding a new item is as easy as filling in a simple form, and you can attach notes and custom fields to each entry for total personalization.

We prefer using the web app, as it still includes complex authentication options and access to reports. The browser extension resembles the web app and includes a password generator, which makes using the password manager on the fly even easier.

Bitwarden includes plenty of features to make life easier. It automatically fills forms, quickly syncs passwords and data across devices, and tests your passwords for strength levels. Like many other apps, it monitors your password vault and lets you know if your information has been exposed in a security breach.

The web portal and apps come into their own when it’s time to access the other types of information stored in the vault. Saved payment details work with autofill, but you’ll need to log in to find identity information like driver’s licenses and passports. This can be really handy when you’re booking travels, so long as you know where your passport is when the time comes to board the plane!

Bitwarden: Security

It’s got a robust slate of security features, too. Your Bitwarden vault is secured with AES-256 encryption and your master password is never sent to Bitwarden – so there’s no chance of a breach from Bitwarden’s side of things.

Besides using Bitwarden’s own servers to keep your passwords online, so that you can access them from anywhere, you can also opt for self-hosting. This is designed primarily with businesses in mind, who can apply their own firewalls, proxies, and other services to maintain optimal security and compliance, keeping passwords inside their trusted infrastructure.

Bitwarden’s security measures go beyond zero-knowledge encryption, too. The app’s open source status means its source code is available online, resulting in more scrutiny from security experts – so problems get sorted in a timely fashion.

Bitwarden Business: Team and Admin Features

Bitwarden’s two business plans offer the right amount of features to help organizations manage credentials efficiently.

The platform revolves around the concept of a vault where your users can securely store and manage not just their credentials, but also other sensitive information such as credit card details, and more.

The platform has two kinds of vaults. There’s the organization vault that is a shared space where teams or the entire organization can store and manage credentials collaboratively. In addition to this shared vault, all users also get a personal vault that only they can access.

Credentials placed in either of the vaults can be assigned to specific collections, which are then shared with teams or groups. Think of collections as folders that you can assign to different teams, or user groups. Collections let you segment access based on departments like IT, HR, Marketing, or even specific projects.

All users in Bitwarden are assigned a role that helps determine what actions they can take. On the other hand, you also have the ability to set collection permissions, which help determine what actions a user can take with the items in a particular collection.

While roles can only be set at an individual-member level, permissions can either be set for an individual member or for a group as a whole.

So, for instance, you can have a member with a simple User role that gives them the ability to access shared items in assigned collections. By default, this user can also add, edit, or remove items from assigned collections. But you can revoke all except the permission to only view the items. This gives you fine-grained control over the use and sharing of credentials, and other sensitive information in your organization.

You can also assign Custom roles to users, which allows for even more granular control of permissions. Using this role, you can, for instance, give a user permission to access event logs, or manage users.

Another core concept in the Bitwarden Business plans is called Bitwarden Send. Using this feature your users can securely share sensitive information, such as text or files, with people inside or outside the organization.

The sharing feature comes with adequate restrictions. For instance, you can set an expiration time and date, from one hour to 30 days. You can also limit access by number of views, and even lock access behind a password. This feature comes in handy when you want to share temporary credentials with contractors.

The business plans also offer a comprehensive suite of security policies. As admins you can enforce minimum requirements for master passwords, including length, complexity, and the use of special characters.

You can also set a maximum vault timeout duration to automatically lock vaults after a specified period of inactivity. For additional security, you can also make 2FA authentication mandatory for all users.

The platform also lets you disable certain features like personal vaults, or revoke a user’s ability to export data from their vaults. Similarly, you can also turn off the send feature to further prevent data exfiltration.

That said, Bitwarden does lack a couple of policy features that you get with its peers. For one, you can define a password rotation policy. There’s also no ability to restrict login attempts based on apps, or locations.

Bitwarden Business: Integrations and Compatibility

Both the Bitwarden business plans offer a couple of methods for automatic user and group provisioning, and deprovisioning.

For starters, the platform supports the System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM) protocol, which allows you to automatically provision and deprovision users and groups from your existing identity provider (IdP), such as, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, OneLogin, JumpCloud, and Ping Identity.

Both plans also allow the use of a standalone Directory Connector app that can sync users and groups from various directory services, including Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, and others.

Meanwhile, the Bitwarden Enterprise plan also supports Single Sign-On (SSO) integration, which allows users to log in to the platform using their existing credentials on various IdPs including Google, JumpCloud, AWS, and several others.

Both Bitwarden business plans also offer pre-built integration with popular Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms like Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, Panther, Elastic, and Rapid7. Thanks to this integration you can export the Bitwarden event logs into any of the supported SIEM platforms and combine it with other security data for enhanced threat detection and incident response.

Bitwarden Business: Ease of Use and Deployment

Unlike a majority of its peers, Bitwarden offers two deployment models. There’s the standard cloud-hosted model, and then there’s the self-hosted model. The ease of deployment differs significantly between the two, with cloud being a lot simpler.

Getting started with the cloud option just takes a matter of clicks as there’s literally no software to install or servers to configure.

On the other hand, while the self-hosted option offers maximum control, it requires significant technical expertise and IT resources to roll-out. While Bitwarden provides detailed guides to help you set it up, it's an involved process that’ll take some doing.

Despite the complexity, self-hosting is invaluable for businesses with stringent data residency requirements, or those operating in regulated industries that require full control over their deployment.

The cloud-hosting option also comes with a web-based admin console that is logically organized, and straightforward to navigate with clear menus. Its intuitive layout enables admins to quickly find and tweak the features and settings you need without extensive searching or training.

Onboarding users is a simple process that can be done manually by providing the platforms a list of email addresses of users you want to invite. Larger organizations can easily hook up Bitwarden with their existing IdPs to streamline onboarding and offboarding users.

Both Bitwarden business plans also have detailed logging and reporting abilities. The event log provides detailed, timestamped records of over 60 distinct event types within your organization, including user logins, password changes, failed logins, edits to groups, and collections, and a lot more.

Then there are all kinds of vault health reports that can help identify weak, and reused passwords, as well as those that have been found in known data breaches.

All things considered, between the two deployment options, the Bitwarden business plans both empower business users with the right tools for managing passwords, and are also easy to administer.

Bitwarden: Customer support

Bitwarden is an active open-source project, so there’s plenty of support in the form of an online community, tutorials, a knowledge base, and forums. Every common feature has a well-written tutorial and the user forums, while basic, are active and helpful.

You can even email the developers for support via an online support portal, with Premium subscribers getting priority. It’s impressive for an open-source project like Bitwarden to have the level of customer support that rivals commercial products. The only thing missing is phone support – that would have been a welcome addition, especially for business customers.

Unlike most other companies, because Bitwarden’s individual developers all have their own preferences, many of them are happy to interact with customers on other platforms, like Reddit and Twitter. These aren’t considered official help channels as such, but sometimes they’re a way to get a more authentic, personalized response.

Besides troubleshooting, the company’s blog is generally a good place to visit now and again to check for content relating to up-and-coming features, or just to alert you of something you might not have known such as how to create secure passwords.

Bitwarden: The competition

If you’re willing to spend a little more, Dashlane adds identity theft protection to the mix. This adds credit monitoring, identity restoration support, and identity theft insurance that covers you up to $1 million should the occasion occur. Another paid password manager with more features than Bitwarden is LastPass.

If you have a specific feature or trait in mind, you may want to consider alternative avenues. For example, KeePass is another open-source password manager, while the likes of iCloud Keychain and Google Password Manager are among a growing number of services with support for passkeys.

Bitwarden: Final verdict

There’s lots to like about Bitwarden. It’s got rock-solid security options bolstered by the app’s open-source status. It works with virtually every device and browser you could think of – so it’s impressively versatile too.

When it comes to features this app ticks every mainstream box and it’s easy to use, even if it’s missing out on some of the slick design and high-end ability you’ll find elsewhere. But that's not a big issue when it’s got a tempting free product, good pricing on all of its paid options, and solid open-source security.

What to look for in a password manager

Businesses must diligently choose a robust password management solution when safeguarding sensitive information. Security is paramount; thus, a prospective password manager must offer advanced encryption standards, such as AES-256-bit encryption, to ensure that critical data remains inaccessible to unauthorized parties. It’s also imIt'stive that the service touts end-to-end encryption with zero-knowledge architecture, meaning even the service providers cannot access your passwords.

A business should seek a password manager that improves user-friendliness without compromising security. Employees should be able to navigate the system effortlessly, encouraging widespread adoption and adherence to security protocols. Cross-platform compatibility is another vital feature, guaranteeing that employees can securely access their credentials across various devices and operating systems, whether at their desks or on the go.

From an administrative perspective, managing user access, enforcing security policies, and monitoring usage are critical for maintaining company-wide password hygiene. Businesses should look for services that provide comprehensive admin controls, user provisioning, and detailed audit logs. Moreover, scalability is crucial – the chosen solution should be able to accommodate the growth of the business, with flexible plans that can be adjusted as the company expands or its needs evolve.

Budgetary considerations are inevitably part of the decision-making process; hence, a password management solution should offer transparent pricing with a clear understanding of what features are included at each pricing tier. It is beneficial to seek out options that provide a good balance of advanced features and cost-effectiveness, including premium customer support, to promptly address any technical issues or security concerns that may arise.

Lastly, while it is vital to focus on immediate needs, it is just as important to consider future-proofing. The chosen password manager should be from a reputable provider that updates the latest security trends and threats, ensuring the business is equipped with up-to-date protection. This forward-thinking approach secures the present and long-term integrity of a business's sbusiness'sata and online assets.

We've also featured the best business password managers.

With a long track record and billions of credentials stored securely, Dashlane remains one of the best password managers, and a top choice for individuals and large companies like Wayfair and PepsiCo. Its popularity stems from essential features like 2FA encryption, customizable settings, and secure autofill. It also boasts support for an unlimited number of passwords.

Dashlane's size and experience enable it to stay ahead of the curve, as evidenced by its support for cutting-edge technologies like passkeys. The business plans also provide good bang for your buck with top-end security tools and features.

In our review, we explore the features that set Dashlane apart and examine whether this seasoned password manager can keep pace with newer, potentially more nimble competitors.

Dashlane: Plans and pricing

Dashlane is recognized as one of the most robust password managers available today. It integrates seamlessly across devices and platforms to provide convenience and enhanced security to its users. Whether you're an individual looking to safeguard your personal information or a business aiming to secure sensitive data, Dashlane offers tailored pricing plans that cater to a wide range of needs.

For individuals keen on upgrading their security, Dashlane's pricing structure is simple and accommodating, with a free version available for those wishing to test the waters. The free version allows you to store up to 50 passwords on a single device, which could be a great starting point for someone new to password management tools. For those requiring more comprehensive features such as unlimited passwords, secure VPN, and dark web monitoring, Dashlane Premium is available at approximately $59.99 per year, offering a significant uptick in capabilities and peace of mind.

Families looking to secure their collective digital footprint can opt for Dashlane Premium Family, which costs about $89.99 annually. This plan covers up to six separate accounts, making it an economical choice for households. Each member enjoys the full benefits of Dashlane Premium, including personalized security alerts and the convenience of securely sharing passwords.

Regardless of size, businesses can leverage Dashlane's comprehensive security solutions through its Business plan. Designed to bolster cyber resilience, this plan costs around $96 per user per year and has advanced features tailored to organizational needs. These include a dedicated Admin Console for user and policy management, secure password sharing among team members, and simplified onboarding, such as single sign-on (SSO) integration. For larger enterprises looking for customized solutions, Dashlane offers personalized plans and pricing upon request to meet specific security requirements and enterprise-scale demands.

As you can see, Dashlane provides various options for varying needs and budgets, from individual users to large organizations. With its user-friendly interface, advanced security measures, and flexible pricing plans, Dashlane stands out as a premium choice in the increasingly essential field of password management and online security. Whether you are taking your first steps towards better digital security or looking to fortify an entire organization, Dashlane offers a solution designed to provide peace of mind in the digital age.

Check out the latest Dashlane promo codes to see how to save further on certain plains.

Dashlane: Setup

Setting up Dashlane is straightforward. It can significantly improve your online security by managing and protecting your passwords and personal information.

First, visit the Dashlane website or download the Dashlane app from your app store of choice. Once you have the software on your device, please open it and select the option to create a new account.

Enter a valid email address. This will serve as your Dashlane username, and you'll receive your account notifications there.

The most crucial step in setting up Dashlane is creating your Master Password. This password is the key to all your stored data and passwords, so it should be firm and unique—something you haven't seen anywhere. It should be a long combination of letters (both upper and lower case), numbers, and symbols. You must remember this password, as Dashlane doesn't do it, and thus cannot recover it if you forget it.

Follow the on-screen prompts to install the Dashlane extension for your preferred web browser. This extension allows Dashlane to auto-fill passwords, payment information, and personal details while you browse the internet.

We encourage you to add the Chrome extension. We were presented with a list of popular websites with links and logos and asked to select our first site. The software then guided us through choosing and storing passwords using the Chrome extension.

Beyond the Chrome extension, there are other popular browsers, such as Edge, Firefox, Brave, and Opera, as well as desktop clients for the major operating systems and mobile apps.

After installing the extension, Dashlane will offer to import your existing passwords from your browser or other password managers. This process will help consolidate your passwords into one secure location. The intuitive import feature will guide you through steps to ensure your passwords are transferred securely.

Enter your personal information, such as addresses and payment details, into your Dashlane account. This step allows Dashlane to auto-fill forms and payment methods when shopping online or signing up for services, saving you time and ensuring accuracy.

If you have Dashlane Premium, you can take advantage of its sync features by installing Dashlane on all your devices. This ensures that your passwords and personal information are accessible wherever you are. Download Dashlane to your other devices and log in with your account details.

Finally, explore the additional features that Dashlane provides, such as the Password Health Score, which assesses the strength of your passwords, or the Dark Web Monitoring, which alerts you if your information is found on the dark web. If you have Dashlane Premium, you can also use the Secure VPN to get alerts for potential security breaches.

Following these steps, you can set up Dashlane to manage your digital identity effectively. Always keep your master password in a safe place, and remember that regular updates to your password vault can further enhance your online security. Dashlane not only simplifies your browsing experience but also rigorously protects your data from the threats of the digital world.

Suppose your setup is because you're moving to another password manager. You can import credentials straight into Dashlane by exporting from 1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass, KeePass, Keeper, or RoboForm as a .csv file. You can do the same from Google Password Manager, Microsoft Edge Password Manager, iCloud Keychain, and the Firefox browser.

Dashlane: Interface and performance

I've been using Dashlane for a while now, which has revolutionized how I manage my passwords and sensitive information. The feature that automatically fills in login details for websites, credit and debit card numbers, and online forms has made my average working day far more efficient. I no longer have to spend time manually entering this information, which has been a game-changer for me.

One of the standout features for me is the bulk password-changing function. Changing multiple passwords at once is incredibly convenient, especially in a significant data breach. This feature lets me know I can easily update my passwords to enhance security.

What's moreMoreoverare offers a VPN for safe browsing on public Wi-Fi connections with its Premium plans. This goes beyond password management and adds an extra layer of security to my online activities. Even with the free version, I get personalized security alerts and a reliable password generator, which has been very useful.

Dashlane's business suite is comprehensive when it comes to business use. It handles every aspect of a company's password security, from password storage to security policy management. The Admin Console allows for detailed password hygiene analysis and provides insights into compromised passwords, which is crucial for maintaining a secure environment.

I appreciate that Dashlane works seamlessly across most operating systems and offers plugins for all the main browsers. The clean and intuitive interface makes managing and adding passwords, viewing account information, and accessing other features quickly. I also love the instant syncing across platforms, which ensures I can access my passwords and data on all my devices.

The password generator, accessible through the browser plugin, is a nice touch that allows me to create strong passwords while browsing. Overall, Dashlane has become an essential tool for maintaining high online security and efficiency.

Dashlane: Passkeys

Dashlane has implemented Passkeys as a more secure alternative to traditional passwords, aligning with evolving internet security standards. Passkeys in Dashlane help protect logins stored within the service, preparing users to manage their online presence on platforms that support passkeys. Although only some websites and apps have adopted this technology, Dashlane provides a streamlined process for managing and using your passkeys for those who have. When logging in or creating an account on a site that uses passkeys, Dashlane will prompt you to generate a passkey for that site. Once set up, this passkey will be used for future logins on the website, identifying the correct passkey for easy access.

Passkeys work by generating two cryptographic keys for each account: one public key stored on the website where you create the account and a private key stored in your authenticator, like Dashlane. This method enhances security by ensuring that the key needed for access is never transmitted or stored on servers, reducing the risk of theft or interception.

To further illustrate how Dashlane employs passkeys, specific guides are provided for securing accounts such as Google and GitHub using passkeys. The process involves creating a passkey in the respective platform's account settings, which is then stored in Dashlane’s vault. Users can sign into these accounts using the stored passkey, streamlining the login process while bolstering security measures.

Dashlane: Security

Dashlane is the only US-patented password manager and uses military-grade AES 256-bit encryption alongside its patented technology.

Further security is enabled by two-factor authentication (2FA) compatible with common authenticator apps and U2F security keys. Like some other password managers, there is a master password that the user needs to enter to access the service, but only the user has it, and Dashlane has zero knowledge of it, and does not store it. What this means, though, is that if you forget your master password, you could be locked out for good.

There's plenty of support for different SSO apps here, too – Dashlane integrates with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Azure, Duo, Okta, and more. Businesses can also use customizable policies to create a tailored, secure environment, and automated employee management allows security to start immediately.

Dashlane even has a bug bounty program that offers rewards of up to $5,000 in return for the notification of vulnerabilities by eager security workers.

Dashlane Business: Team and Admin Features

As an admin of Dashlane’s Business plans, you get a web-based admin console from where you can manage the users, groups, policies, and security settings of the password manager. It also offers an overview of your organization's password health, and flags potential risks.

As an admin you can add, and remove individual users, and organize them into groups based on teams, departments, or projects. Members of a group can share anything in their vaults including credentials, with other members of the group.

You can also delegate group management responsibilities to other users without granting them full admin privileges. This is especially useful for large organizations, or businesses that have a large number of groups. Group managers get access to the Groups tab of the admin console, and can add (and remove) users to a group.

By default, Dashlane wouldn’t let your users share credentials with anyone outside of your organization, but you can override this behavior.

As noted earlier, Dashlane encrypts data using AES-256, and provides different options for the key derivation function. Admins can also enforce a specific key derivation function for all the users, or give them the option to choose their own from the available options.

You can also require all users to mandatorily use 2FA when they log in to Dashlane. You can also generate 2FA recovery codes for your users if they lose the phone they use with 2FA. In the same vein, if a user forgets their master password, admins can also help them regain access to their account.

As a security measure, you can also set when members are automatically logged out of Dashlane after a period of inactivity. It is set to Never by default, but you can choose from 15, 30, or 60 minutes.

Dashlane’s business plans also include some security tools. It can help highlight weak, and compromised credentials across your organization, even when those users aren’t using Dashlane. It’ll also alert users of potential phishing attempts when the URL they visit differs from the saved URL of the related credential.

Some business plans also have support for Smart Spaces that helps your users separate credentials into Personal and Business spaces within the same account. You can list any work-related domains, and logins that contain the domain in the email, username, alternative username, or website, will be forced into the Business Space automatically.

This also comes in handy especially when a user leaves your company. Thanks to this feature, you can revoke their business credentials, without deleting the entire account.

You can also access detailed activity logs from the admin console that give a detailed history of user actions, and also note key events like policy changes, and security events. Any changes made by a group manager are also logged. The logs are searchable, and can also be filtered by credential, category, activity type, and date.

Dashlane Business: Integrations and Compatibility

As an admin of a Dashlane business plan, you can integrate the password manager with some of the best Identity Providers (IdPs) including Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, as well as with LDAP. This will help your employees log in to Dashlane using their existing corporate credentials.

You can also plug Dashlane with System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM) to automate user provisioning and de-provisioning. Once connected, when new employees join or leave the organization, their Dashlane accounts will be created, or revoked, automatically, which streamlines user management, and improves security.

Dashlane also integrates with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools so you can monitor suspicious activity, such as logins from unrecognized devices, unusual deletion of credentials, and more. Currently, it offers integration with Splunk, and is working to offer support for Microsoft Sentinel in the near future.

Dashlane Business plans also have a new feature called Nudges, which connects the password manager with the Slack messaging platform. Once integrated, Dashlane will send alerts to employees about their weak, reused, and compromised passwords via Slack.

Dashlane also has a public API that provides read-only access to all kinds of data, and insights about your Dashlane business plan, its users, and the devices they use. You can use this API, for instance, feed these details to tools like compliance platforms, and help them audit and verify your organization’s security posture.

Dashlane Business: Ease of Use and Deployment

Navigating the web-based admin console is pretty straightforward, and it allows admins to manage their organization-wide Dashlane deployment remotely.

From the Dashboard, you can view the Password Health score of the entire organization, along with the total number of compromised passwords. You can also track the number of licenses left before inviting new users, or purchasing more seats.

You can also track the individual user’s Password Health score from under the Users tab, along with the number of total, safe, weak, reused, and compromised credentials for each user. The panel also makes it fairly simple to change a user’s rights, remove them, create groups, and add users to groups.

Dashlane offers several mechanisms to onboard users. You can invite users manually by mentioning their email address, which sends them an invitation to join. If you have to invite a lot of users, it’s best to upload a CSV, or TXT file that contains multiple email addresses. The admin console also lets you send reminders to all users who haven’t yet accepted the invitation.

You can also activate an invite link from the admin console, which you can then send to the employees via other means such as an instant message.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, you can also integrate Dashlane with your IdP from the admin console. If you’ve set up SSO for Dashlane, you can also enable Just in Time Provisioning, which further simplifies onboarding employees.

Installing the Dashlane browser extension is a critical part of using Dashlane. All members will be asked to install the extension when they get onboard, but you can also install it for them by mass deploying it for Windows users with Group Policy Object (GPO), and Microsoft Intune, or with Jamf for Mac users.

Dashlane: Customer support

Dashlane has a well-organized and easy-to-navigate support page that we could access through the web app and browser extension. It has a prominent search bar top and center to look for content and plenty of articles that guide users through key app features.

FAQs are comprehensive and arranged into categories such as Account & Security, Passwords & Data, and Platforms & Browsers.

Live chat support is available in English during working hours on weekdays, while out of hours, it's possible to consult the chatbot and contact the support team via email. We tested all options and were impressed with each of them, as there was no queue on the live chat and our request was dealt with quickly and professionally. Our email was answered quickly with information on contracting the live support staff, but the chatbot was a little underwhelming compared with other similar experiences across the web, especially during an era of generative AI. The responses and pre-determined inputs were somewhat limiting.

Remember, too, that certain product tiers also included phone support – ideal if you need help in a hurry.

Dashlane: The competition

Dashlane's biggest competitor is LastPass, which is consistently voted among the best password managers on the market.

Dashlane has a cleaner, more user-friendly interface, but LastPass wins on value for money. Its free version is only slightly different from its paid one, while Dashlane's free product misses out on features like dark web monitoring and VPN support.

KeePass is Dashlane's closest competitor in regard to security. The company sells its service on its security merits, but, unlike Dashlane, this advanced security comes at the expense of convenience. Another strong competitor is N-Able Passportal, which is well-suited to demanding businesses.

Dashlane: Final verdict

The simplicity of Dashlane's interface means even first-time users can benefit from the advanced password management services and security. The free product is a decent option for essential password protection. There's plenty of functionality available in all of Dashlane's products, especially if you upgrade to the paid versions. However, it's worth noting that some of Dashlane's business products are relatively expensive compared to other password manager tools.

We've also featured the best password recovery software.

What to look for in a password manager

Your online identity has never been more crucial in today's digital age. With many login credentials to remember, the convenience of using a password manager can sometimes overshadow the importance of choosing one that offers top-notch security and reliability. When selecting a password manager to safeguard your digital life, here are key features and considerations to remember.

The primary objective of a password manager is to keep your passwords secure. Look for services offering robust encryption protocols, such as AES-256, which is the industry standard. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is another essential feature, adding an extra layer of security by requiring a secondary form of identification beyond just the master password. Additionally, please find out about the company's security company's breach history to gauge its commitment to security.

In our multi-device world, it is key to ensure your password manager works seamlessly across all your devices and operating systems. This compatibility allows you to access your passwords on your phone or computer, regardless of the operating system.

The best password manager is one that you will use consistently. It should have an intuitive interface, be easy to set up and offer simple tools for password generation, storage, and auto-fill capabilities. The less friction it adds to your daily routines, the more likely you will keep using it.

Password-sharing capability is necessary for those who need to share account access with family members or colleagues. However, this feature should not compromise security. Ensure that the password manager allows for secure sharing, enabling you to share access without revealing the passwords.

A top-tier password manager stores your passwords, helps you create strong, unique ones for every account, and evaluates your current pass. The strength of your current passwords is invaluable in maintaining a secure online presence, as it helps eliminate weak or reused passwords.

Data breach alerts are increasingly common, and they are a proactive security feature that notifies you if your information has been compromised in a data breach. This early warning system allows you to change your credentials before they can be misused.

Beyond passwords, many people need to securely store other types of sensitive information, such as bank account numbers, secure notes, or personal documents. Beyond password manager, a good password should also offer encrypted storage for these items.

Consider the cost of the password manager and what you get for your investment. Many offer a basic free version, which might suit your needs. However, premium features like advanced multi-factor authentication, secure file storage, or family plans usually require a subscription. Ensure that the price aligns with the benefits provided.

Finally, take the time to read user reviews and expert opinions on the password manager. A robust and positive reputation within the industry can be a good indication of reliability and user satisfaction.

Choosing a password manager is a crucial decision that can significantly affect your online security. Take the time to compare features, understand your security needs, and select a service that doesn't just remember your passwords but actively contributes to your online safety and convenience.

A global proxy provider for individual and business use established in 2020, IPRoyal has grown to offer infrastructure to over 10,000 businesses around the world. What started out as an IPv4 and IPv6 address leasing business is now a full-fledged proxy service provider for a wide array of clientele, ranging from individual developers to startups to data teams to enterprises.

Currently, the platform bestows access to residential, mobile, and datacenter proxies, with locations in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and more. It includes more than 650 tools and software integrations, and has so far provided over 98,000 petabytes (PB) of data traffic for its clients.

IPRoyal: Plans and Pricing

IPRoyal offers different proxy types and pricing plans. Users can choose among residential proxies, ISP providers, datacenter proxies, and mobile proxies, each with their own particular characteristics and perks.

You can purchase residential proxies either on a pay-as-you-go basis or as a subscription (with a 5% discount in this case). Pricing is based on the amount of traffic you want, which begins at 2 GB and costs $6.25 per GB. The more GBs you take, the lower the price goes per GB, so 10,000 GB is priced at $1.84 per GB.

The pricing for ISP proxies (previously called static residential proxies) is based on the plan duration and the number of proxy locations you require, whereas the traffic is unlimited. For instance, 24 hours of one proxy will set you back by $2, while adding another location brings the price up to $4.60, and three months of one address cost $3.60/month ($2.70/month/address if more than one).

Datacenter proxies have 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day subscriptions, and a one-month access to one proxy is $1.80. As is the case with ISP plans, this offering also includes better discounts with lengthier plans and more numerous proxy addresses. There are also bundle-based plans with their own specifics and discounted prices, but the traffic is unlimited, whichever you choose.

Finally, mobile proxies (supporting 5G, 4G, 3G, and LTE), arranged by the location and provider (e.g., T-Mobile and Verizon for the U.S., Orange for Spain, and so on) and rotating automatically every six minutes, are also priced according to the plan duration and the number of locations. Bandwidth and sessions are unrestricted.

Although IPRoyal doesn’t offer a free trial, it does give access to its trial proxies so you can test its features before deciding. If unsatisfied after paying, you can request a refund or a replacement, but this has to happen within a short 24-hour window, which is a lot shorter compared to some of the competition.

IPRoyal supports payment using credit cards, over 25 cryptocurrencies, PayPal, Google Pay, and Alipay.

IPRoyal: Features

Accessing IPRoyal’s features starts with creating an account. You can sign up with your email address or use an existing Google or LinkedIn account. You’ll be redirected to your dashboard after registration, where you can access these features:

Residential IPs

Residential proxies are sourced from real devices across the globe. Every internet-connected device has a unique IP address, and people agree to contribute their IP addresses to IPRoyal’s network for a benefit, e.g., a VPN subscription. As an IPRoyal user, you can then use one of these IP addresses to surf the web and bypass geographical restrictions.

IPRoyal offers roughly 34 million IPs, of which residential proxies constitute the majority (32 million). The countries with the largest available residential IPs are the U.S. (1.4 million), the U.K. (422,000), and Germany (439,000). You can choose an IP address by country, state, and city, making it easy to protect your anonymity and bypass geographical and IP restrictions.

Suppose you run a flight deals website that frequently scrapes prices from airlines’ websites. Many airlines don’t like external data scraping, so they use geographical and IP restrictions to block it. For example, website admins identify IP addresses used by scraping bots and block them from further access. In that case, IPRoyal’s residential proxies let you circumvent this block.

You can choose an endless list of proxies to scrape data from external websites. If one gets blocked, choose another and continue your scraping activity. Residential proxies also hide your online identity and prevent third-party tracking. As far as a website is concerned, your device is browsing from whichever IP proxy you use and not the actual location. You could be in the U.S. and surf the web with a German IP address.

During our test, IPRoyal’s residential proxies provided a reliable and fast internet connection. We noticed no slowdown compared to browsing without a proxy IP address. The dashboard provided detailed insights on our proxy usage, including bandwidth and speed.

ISP proxies

IPRoyal now also offers a wide selection of ISP proxies across over 30 countries, with 100% dedicated IPs, unlimited traffic, HTTPS and SOCKS5 support, speeds of up to 10 Gbps, and highly customizable plans. Users can select a specific number of proxies starting from a single IP.

After funding your account, you can select the exact number of proxies you need for the offered duration - 1, 30, 60, and 90 days - in your user dashboard on the IPRoyal website. Besides selecting the duration, number of proxies, and their location, you have the option to list extra requirements for an additional fee.

Once set up, you’ll be able to see your ISP proxies’ orders and their status in your online dashboard, filter them for easier navigation, or search through them based on the notes you left. Clicking the Details button for a specific confirmed order will take you to the configuration page for those particular proxies.

Upon testing, there were some problems with erroneous rerouting of certain proxies to wrong locations (like choosing a Portugal IP address and getting a UK one). Thankfully, the IPRoyal staff was helpful and quick to act, so we got the correct location not long after contacting them. That said, some users have reported not getting proper assistance with similar issues.

Mobile Proxies

IPRoyal offers a network of 2.5 million+ IP addresses from real mobile devices. These IPs mask your IP address for data scraping, ad verification, social media management, and many other use cases.

Mobile proxies work like typical residential IPs on IPRoyal. You can choose proxies from a specific country, state, or city, a specific mobile carrier (Vodafone, Orange, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) and a network type (3G, 4G, or 5G). You can auto-rotate mobile proxies or do that manually by clicking a button.

The mobile proxies were notably fast during our test, with up to 100 Mbps download speeds. Your monthly IPRoyal mobile slot subscription grants access to the entire pool of 2.5 million+ IPs with unlimited rotation.

Mobile proxies are particularly useful for social media management and research. Most social networks like Facebook and Instagram have strict limitations on the number of accounts users can create on a single device. You can bypass these limitations with IPRoyal's massive pool of mobile proxies. Your device's real location stays hidden, and the social media platform assumes it's another device because of its proxy IP address. Hence, it doesn't flag your accounts.

You can manage as many social media accounts as possible with mobile proxies. You can also create many social accounts for research purposes, e.g., an academic study, without being flagged.

Datacenter Proxies

IPRoyal runs a network of IPv4 and IPv6 proxy servers that provide unlimited bandwidth for end users. These datacenter proxies are sourced from secondary corporations rather than internet service providers (ISPs). They provide much higher browsing speeds than residential and mobile proxies. The drawback is that they’re easier for websites to detect. But even if that happens, you can spin up a new one and continue your online activities.

On IPRoyal, you have access to datacenter proxies in roughly 40 countries, unlike residential IPs available in 195 countries. Datacenter proxies cost more for IPRoyal to obtain, so their limited availability is understandable.

You can connect to IPRoyal’s proxy servers via the HTTP/HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols. During our test, they offered first-rate speed and performance with no downtime. IPRoyal places no bandwidth or session limits on proxy IPs, making them ideal for bandwidth-intensive use cases like data scraping, online streaming, content downloads, and app testing.

Browser extension

IPRoyal offers a browser extension that makes deploying and managing proxies easier. Instead of frequently logging into your dashboard to choose new proxies, you can use the extension to switch with a click. The proxy add-on is available on Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

These browser extensions offer all-in-one proxy management. You can create distinct profiles for different proxies and switch between them with a single click. Each profile can have a single proxy or use different proxy IPs for specific traffic types (HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP). You can assign a backup proxy to ensure your internet access remains secure if your current proxy fails.

The browser extension doesn’t only work with IPRoyal’s proxy IPs. You can use it to manage IP addresses from other proxy providers your organization uses.

We’ve talked much about IPRoyal’s features, but there’s a crucial feature it lacks: web scraping APIs. Many proxy providers offer APIs that let users automate data scraping tasks. Users set a target website and the type of data they want to scrape. Then, the API scrapes the data to present in a tabular format. Unfortunately, you won’t find web scraping APIs on IPRoyal, so you’ll need an external platform for automated data scraping.

IPRoyal: Ease of Use

One of IPRoyal’s strengths is its high level of user-friendliness. Users get an intuitive dashboard to manage their proxies and other complementary tools. All features are neatly arranged in the left-hand menu, whereas on the right, you can gain access to the main menu. The interface is visually pleasing and easy to navigate, and you can select between light theme, dark theme, or the automatic theme that matches your browser settings.

IPRoyal’s browser extension (for Chrome and Firefox) also contributes to its ease of use. It lets you manage proxies regardless of the web page you’re currently on. Usually, you’ll need to open your IPRoyal dashboard to do this, but the extension removes this requirement. That said, you must first set up proxies on your IPRoyal dashboard before you can manage them via the browser extension.

IPRoyal: Customer Support

IPRoyal offers direct email and live chat support. You can open a chat support ticket from your dashboard or send a support email and expect a response within 24 hours. IPRoyal’s support staff was reliable during our test and answered our inquiries speedily. The drawback is that IPRoyal does not offer a telephone support option.

Users can access complementary support resources, including a FAQ page, user guides, and extensive technical documentation. The website’s “Docs” section provides detailed information about all features, making it the ideal first place to consult when facing challenges. If you don’t find a solution in the documentation or FAQ section, you can seek direct help.

IPRoyal: The Competition

The proxy software market is very competitive. IPRoyal has numerous competitors, and we’d like to highlight Webshare, Oxylabs, and Bright Data. These platforms have pros and cons compared to IPRoyal.

Webshare offers a network of 30 million+ residential and datacenter proxy IPs, slightly less than IPRoyal’s 34 million. Residential IPs constitute the majority of Webshare’s network, just like IPRoyal. Users have an intuitive dashboard and a browser extension to manage their proxies, just like IPRoyal. Webshare differentiates itself by being more affordable than IPRoyal and offering a free-forever 10-proxy plan.

Oxylabs has a massive network of 100 million proxy IPs, nearly triple that of IPRoyal. This broader network provides users with more redundancy and reliability. Oxylabs provides web scraping APIs and ready-made datasets, two features lacking in IPRoyal. We consider it a much better proxy provider than IPRoyal, albeit a more expensive one.

Bright Data has a robust network of 72 million+ IPs, more than double IPRoyal’s network. It offers a broader selection of residential, ISP, mobile, and datacenter proxies for data scraping. Bright Data also offers APIs for automated data scraping and pre-built datasets, which IPRoyal doesn’t have. Overall, we consider Bright Data a better proxy provider for enterprises, but IPRoyal is a more affordable solution we’d recommend for individuals and small businesses.

IPRoyal: Final verdict

IPRoyal has a reputation as a reliable proxy provider for individual and business use, and for a few very good reasons. It not only provides a robust and plentiful proxy network, but also friendly and capable customer support, as well as affordable and customizable pricing plans.

While it may lack some features you’ll see in rival platforms, such as a more extensive network and web scraping APIs, its proxies have low block rates, and some of them rotate automatically. This makes web scraping almost equally easy as if you were using an API.

Its user-friendliness and low entry cost make IPRoyal an ideal platform for individuals and small businesses seeking an affordable, reliable, and easy-to-use proxy provider with premium customer support available at all times.

To find out more, see our guide to the best proxies available. You might also like to read our guide to sneaker proxies, or find out the difference between residential and datacenter proxies.

With Avast One, Avast has once again justified its reputation as one of the best antivirus software solutions out there, and third-party test labs support this with clear evidence. Among the main reasons to consider its consumer range is the sheer amount of advanced security tools on offer.

For example, every paid subscription comes with a full VPN and a helpful system cleanup tool. There’s also webcam monitoring in there for good measure, and all Avast One apps include anti-phishing, ransomware protection, password monitoring, and a simple yet effective firewall.

Despite limitations, the free antivirus tier called Avast One Basic provides a pretty good idea on what you can expect in the paid packages.

Plans and pricing

As mentioned above, Avast One Basic boasts a solid number of security tools for a free platform. They include malware monitoring, network scanning, a firewall, tracker blocking, system optimizations, and email protections.

Other, albeit limited, tools include a password protection tool that can look for compromised passwords, but you have to run it manually. The same goes for installing software updates.

Basic users can also use the secure VPN, but it’s limited to 5GB per week and a single server location. Still, this might be enough for more than a day or so of continuous music streaming or about 10 hours of watching video content.

There are two main tiers: Silver and Gold, which at their core offer a very similar service. However, their pricing is customizable in terms of the number of users covered.

Specifically, the Silver tier starts at $2.99 per month during the first year, after which the price increases to $6.67 a month (or $79.99 per year). The Gold tier starts at $6.99 per month for the first year, after which it renews at $179.99 per year. Each of the two tiers is available as an individual plan (up to 3 devices for Silver and 5 devices for Gold) or a family plan (up to 30 devices).

Silver provides everything from Basic, plus premium features that include shopping and banking safety, webcam protection, an advanced email guardian, sensitive information protections, expanded data breach monitoring, digital fingerprint masking, advanced password security, an unlimited VPN with 50+ locations, driver updater, and automatic app updater - just to name some of them.

The Gold tier essentially adds support for more users and has everything that’s included in Silver. The best part? There’s a 60-day free trial if you download the Basic app first. You just need to submit payment information and remember to cancel the subscription if you don’t wish to be charged.

Compare Avast One subscriptions

Avast One Basic

Avast One’s installer isn’t very customizable, so you won’t get to pick and choose the tools to download. At the same time, it makes the process rather straightforward. Once installed, it becomes clear that Avast One doesn’t slow down your system at all.

• Click here to sign up for any of Avast One's antivirus software subscriptions.

Interface

Avast One interface is sleek, with friendly graphics and easy access to all of the platform’s core features. They are available by scrolling down and there are shortcuts to scans, VPN, and other features.

The Explore button on the left reveals a full list of Avast One’s features. Some options aren’t available in the Avast One Basic, including webcam protection, web hijack guard, automatic driver updater, and the like.

Antivirus

Avast One’s antivirus features start with the Smart Scan. You can launch this with a single click, and it will take up to 10 seconds to do a quick scan for malware and check for dubious browser add-ons and PC performance issues.

A Deep Scan checks your entire system; a Targeted Scan allows you to select specific files or folders to examine; while a Boot-Time Scan checks for threats before your system fully starts. And if that’s not enough, there’s an option to create custom scan types to do whatever you want.

The configuration settings let you define what to scan (all hard drives, the system drive alone, removable drives, archives, specific folders, and so on), how to treat any threats, set file type scan priority to optimize performance, and more.

Avast One’s scan speeds are solid, on par on industry’s average, taking about 10 minutes to scan our entire system.

Protection

Indeed, the latest AV-Comparatives September 2024 summary report has placed Avast Basic close to the top antivirus products, with an impressive 95.8% online detection rate.

It dipped slightly in offline detection and wrongly tagged four files as malicious, but has nonetheless performed well against competition, earning it the ‘Advanced+’ award.

AV-Test’s Home Windows report from December 2024 placed Avast in its top antivirus group, rated in three different areas. The platform earned a perfect 6/6 score on all of them - protection, performance, and usability.

Ransomware Shield

After installation, Avast One automatically detects folders with user documents and then adds them to the company’s Ransomware Shield Protect list. Untrusted apps aren’t allowed to modify the contents of anything in these folders without permission.

Blocking malicious sites

Avast one also detects and blocks access to malicious websites with its Web Shield, reducing the chance you’ll get infected in the first place. There are no browser extensions, but it is possible to install Avast Online Security separately if you need it.

Network protection

Avast One Basic includes a simple firewall that monitors your traffic to stave off hackers and malware. It also lists apps using your connection, the amount of data they’ve transferred so far, and allows you to manually block them.

Upgrading to the paid Avast Silver tier apparently gets you more shielding of your system and detection, including hiding your info from other devices on the network, as well as adding user alerts for port scans and ARP spoofing (an exploit that potentially allows hackers to infiltrate your network).

The Network Inspector is there as another tier of protection, scanning all the devices found on your network, checking for any vulnerabilities, and listing all the networks your device has been connected to.

Avast VPN

Installing the free Avast One Basic gets you a restricted (but still very useful) version of Avast’s VPN. The major limitation is that you can’t pick a location - the app just automatically connects to your nearest server, so you can forget about unblocking streaming platforms in other countries.

There’s a data limit too, although it’s a relatively generous 5GB a week, better than the competition or even free VPN platforms. The tested speeds are very good, and the VPN connects quickly, with no evident slowing down of our download or upload speeds.

Upgrading to Avast One Silver gives you unlimited data and 59 locations to choose from, allowing you to unblock certain geo-restricted websites and services.

Password Protection

There’s no password manager in Avast One, but you do get a couple of protective layers to keep your credentials private. Notably, all of the platform’s versions offer the option to check if your passwords are compromised in a data breach.

Avast One’s paid products add breach monitoring, where the app automatically checks for new breaches and warns you if your credentials are involved. The paid editions also throw in a Browser Shield, which limits access to passwords stored in your browser.

Software Updater

Avast One Basic’s Software Updater scans your apps, detecting and listing any missing updates. It will install them too, although you need to manually click on the Update button for each. Upgrade to Avast One Silver and you get the ability to automatically update them.

Privacy extras

All Avast One users get access to a Clear Browsing Data feature, where you can quickly get rid of your browsing history, cache, cookies, and more. This works much like any other web cleanup tool, but Avast does deserve credit for its wide app support.

As it happens, it efficiently cleans Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Brave, and even Thunderbird.

Mobile

In addition to helping protect your PC and Mac, Avast One also lets you cover your Android and iOS devices, with free and paid versions for both. The overall process of installing it on Android involves giving the same layers of permissions for all the security tools to work - as expected.

The antivirus program itself runs smoothly, scans are quick, and the interface is nice, very easy to understand and use.

Verdict

Avast’s Basic program is a stellar free app, with an impressive number of security tools for a free offering, continuously scoring high in both malware detection and zero-day threat blocking.

Avast One Silver

Paying for Avast One Silver gets you a number of additional interesting and unusual features.

It comes with the Sensitive Data Shield that automatically scans your drive for files containing sensitive information - names, addresses, passwords, financial details, and the like - and prevents your device’s other users from accessing them.

Meanwhile, the Web Hijack Guard protects browser traffic from DNS hijacking, a nasty exploit where hackers redirect your traffic to malicious websites.

Avast’s Webcam Protection controls webcam access to reduce the chance of malware accessing your device. By default, this allows trusted apps to access your webcam and blocks everything else until you give permission. However, you can also up the protection level to Strict Mode, which asks for permission whenever anything tries to access the webcam, or you can disable your webcam entirely.

Performance boost

Avast One’s paid versions round off their feature set with a collection of PC maintenance tools, including a PC Speedup that lists apps slowing down your system and allows you to optimize them to speed up your PC.

Then there’s the Driver Updater, which scans your system for missing driver updates, allowing you to download and install them in a couple of clicks. That said, this might be potentially risky as a single mistake could turn your PC unusable, so caution is advised.

Finally, Avast One’s Disk Cleaner does an excellent job of scanning your system for surplus and leftover files, potentially freeing up a significant amount of drive space.

VPN

All of Avast One’s paid subscriptions feature the secure VPN as in its Basic offering. However, at this point, you’re no longer limited to just one location and 5GB of data. With unlimited usage, you can connect and use the Avast VPN whenever and for however long you want to.

Moreover, you’re getting access to any of Avast’s VPN servers in more than 50 locations around the world. This gives you added security as it hides your real location and allows you to generate a new IP address every time you connect.

Verdict

The jump in protection between the free Avast One and paid subscriptions is impressive and well worth the money. In fact, the unlimited VPN access alone is worth the annual cost.

Avast One Gold

ID monitoring

Avast One Gold takes the password tool from the lower tiers further by introducing ID monitoring. This service checks if your online identity has been compromised and keeps an eye on the dark web for your personal identifying information, like bank accounts, credit card numbers, full names, birthdates, and SSNs.

If any personal info is found, Avast will help you contact the appropriate agencies, change login credentials, and restore your identity.

Verdict

All things considered, Avast One is considered one of the most popular antivirus software in the world, and for many a good reason. It has numerous useful protection tools, bundling them all up into a strong suite where everything works well together.

Even better, many of its advanced security tools come in the free version for home use, making it one of the best free antivirus apps you’ll find. Paid upgrades are available for those who wish to have more extensive protections in place.

• Here are the featured best cloud antivirus or try out other picks on the best free antivirus list before you go premium.