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Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Review:
12:16 pm | January 10, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

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. 

BD range

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.

Premium VPN

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.

Disinfection

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.

User interface

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.)

Customize UI

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

User interface scan

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.

Scan times

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.)

Schedule scan

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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. 

Custom scan

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.  

Generic AV Test

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.

AVC awards

Bitdefender was AV-Comparatives’ Outstanding Product of the Year 2023, winning top awards in all the main tests  (Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

Threat blocked

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.

Ransomware

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

File permissions

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

Block tester

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

PC Mark

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

False alarms

Recent testing shows Bitdefender doesn’t waste your time by raising endless false alarms for entirely safe apps (Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

Safepay banking alert

 Bitdefender detects when you access a banking or other sensitive site, and prompts you to open the page in its hardened browser, Safepay. (Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

Vulnerability scan report

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.
 

Free connected

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

VPN Free locations

Bitdefender VPN Free doesn’t allow you to choose a location. The app automatically selects the nearest server and that can’t be changed  (Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

VPN features

Welcome VPN bonus features include effective ad and tracker-blocking  (Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.)

VPN protocol settings

Bitdefender VPN has some surprisingly capable settings, including support for the very secure OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols  (Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

VPN autoconnect

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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.

Password manager

(Image credit: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus)

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. 

Password manager import

No need to enter all your old passwords manually - Bitdefender Password Manager can import credentials from browsers and a bunch of other privacy tools  (Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.

Password generator

Bitdefender Password Manager can generate secure passwords when you need them direct from its app and browser extension  (Image credit: Bitdefender )

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.

Anti-tracker

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

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.

File shredder

Securely wipe sensitive files to make sure they can’t be undeleted  (Image credit: Bitdefender )

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. 

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I tested Tidio, a live chat platform with AI chatbot features, all for a bargain price
7:14 pm | December 12, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

Tidio is a complete customer service helpdesk platform aimed at improving support and boosting sales for small and medium businesses. It combines live chat with AI chatbots, allowing real-time customer engagement while automating responses to common questions. Tidio is known for its easy-to-use interface and quick website integration, enabling businesses to start communicating with customers in minutes.

Tidio simplifies customer communication across channels like live chat, email, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram, all from one inbox. This cuts response times and enhances customer satisfaction. Its automation features let companies manage inquiries 24/7 with chatbots. The Lyro AI agent learns from FAQs and can address up to 70% of customer issues without human help. Tidio also offers visitor tracking, letting you see real-time visitor activity and start chats based on user behavior.

Case studies show great results. Integratec boosted qualified leads by 25% after integrating with Tidio. Meanwhile, ADT Security Retailers, e-commerce stores, and service companies benefit greatly from Tidio. Pricing starts at $29/month, with a free option and an annual discount, making it an accessible choice for businesses of all sizes to enhance customer engagement, automate support, and drive sales.

Tidio pricing

(Image credit: Tidio)

Tidio: Plans and pricing

Tidio's pricing has been updated to a simpler structure with four main tiers: Free, Starter, Growth, Plus, and Premium. The pricing mainly depends on the number of conversations handled each month, advanced analytics, and AI features.

The Free plan is great for beginners or those wanting to test the platform. It offers basic live chat with up to 50 conversations per month. You also get essential features like live chat, a help desk, and social media integrations. Plus, there’s a one-time allocation of 50 Lyro AI conversations, allowing you to reach up to 100 visitors with automated flows. This plan gives you a solid start without any financial commitment.

When you're ready to grow, the Starter plan at $29 per month increases your conversations to 100. It adds useful features like basic analytics, a live visitors list, operating hours setup, and dedicated support via live chat. You still receive the same one-time allocation of 50 Lyro AI conversations and 100 flow visitors as in the Free plan. This tier suits small businesses that want to enhance customer service without a big investment.

The Growth plan at $59 is a significant upgrade. It expands your conversations to 250 per month, with the option to scale up to 2,000. You gain access to advanced analytics and other powerful features. You can also opt to remove Tidio branding as an add-on. This plan keeps the same AI and automation limits as earlier tiers but offers more tools for businesses focusing on customer service as a competitive edge.

For complex needs, the Plus plan starts at $749 per month with a custom quota of handled conversations. You’ll enjoy premium features, including a dedicated Success Manager, custom branding, multisite support, departments, multilanguage capabilities, and OpenAPI access. AI features are enhanced, allowing up to 5,000 Lyro AI conversations and tailored visitor limits. This tier is for larger organizations needing better limits, more integrations, advanced features, and premium support.

At the enterprise level, the Premium plan starts at $2,999 per month and offers unlimited handled conversations with the most comprehensive features. It includes a guaranteed 50% Lyro AI resolution rate, priority service, super admin role capabilities, advanced analysis tools, and Lyro AI as a managed service. This plan includes up to 10,000 Lyro AI conversations and custom flow visitor limits. It’s designed for complex businesses with extensive customer service operations needing top-level automation and support.

All paid plans come with a 7-day free trial. You get full access to features without needing payment info upfront. This lets you evaluate the platform thoroughly before committing financially. Compared to similar platforms, Tidio offers competitive rates and a comprehensive feature set, especially in AI capabilities and conversation handling limits. The scalable plans ensure you can start with a basic package and upgrade as your business grows and your customer service needs change.

Tidio features

(Image credit: Tidio)

Tidio: Features

With Tidio, you get a full set of customer service tools. These tools help improve your business communication and boost sales. Tidio combines live chat, automated chatbots, helpdesk features, and analytics into one system. And it balances all of this with a user-friendly design. You can set up advanced customer service solutions without any tech skills.

Tidio started as a simple live chat tool. Now it’s an all-in-one customer experience platform. It covers your entire customer communication journey, from first contact to ongoing support and analytics. Tidio connects various communication channels — like website chat, email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp — into one inbox. This creates a smooth experience for both customers and support teams.

Live chat

The Live Chat feature is the most important part of Tidio. It allows real-time chats between your support team and website visitors. You can customize the chat widget to fit your brand. Plus, it has advanced tools like live typing preview. This lets agents see what customers type before they send messages, helping them respond faster.

Your team will find helpful tools like canned responses for quick answers to common questions. Pre-chat surveys gather visitor information before chats start. These features cut response times and boost your support team's efficiency. Live Chat also includes real-time visitor tracking. Agents can offer help based on what customers are doing. You’ll have chat transcripts for records, multilanguage support for global clients, and tools to measure customer satisfaction.

AI-powered chatbots

Tidio offers Lyro as an advanced AI agent for all your support tasks. You can train Lyro using your company documentation and website content. This allows it to handle up to 70% of customer inquiries automatically, without needing human help. The system uses natural language processing to understand questions and provide accurate replies that feel human.

This means your business can offer 24/7 support, even during off-hours. It significantly cuts response times while keeping customer service quality high. Tidio's chatbots go beyond just answering questions. You can also use a visual flow builder to create automated conversation paths that trigger based on user actions or behaviors. These flows can include conditional logic, enabling personalized interactions based on customer inputs or past actions.

Unified inbox and helpdesk

With Tidio's Unified Inbox, you can manage all customer communications in one place. This includes website chat, email, and social media. This approach ensures that no message goes unnoticed, no matter which platform customers use.

Your support agents can see full conversation histories and customer profiles with the click of a button. This helps them give more personalized and thoughtful responses. The system also features automatic chat assignment, which directs new chats to available agents. It even includes tags and contact properties for better organization and team collaboration tools. These tools let agents work together on tough customer issues.

The helpdesk expands these features with ticketing options. These help your team track, prioritize, and solve customer inquiries quickly. You can categorize requests, assign them to team members, and monitor them until resolution. Plus, you get performance metrics to measure response times and resolution rates.

Having an organized approach to support helps your business keep service quality high as you grow. It leads to better customer retention and loyalty. A unified platform also eases the workload for support teams. It allows them to spend more time meeting customer needs instead of juggling different tools.

Visitor tracking and engagement

Tidio's visitor tracking tools provide real-time insights into customer behavior on your website. You can see which pages visitors browse, where they are located, how they found you, and how long they stay.

This data helps your support teams understand what customers want. For instance, if a visitor spends time on product comparison pages, you can send a helpful message to guide their choice. Likewise, someone looking at shipping info might need a nudge about delivery options.

The engagement tools work with tracking features to turn insights into action. You can set automated triggers based on visitor behavior. For example, show special offers to returning customers, start chats with visitors who have items in their cart for a while, or offer help to those struggling on a page.

These proactive strategies can greatly impact your business. Case studies show conversion rates can increase by 30% or more when implemented well. By spotting and addressing friction points in the customer journey, you can lower abandonment rates and boost sales while enhancing the customer experience with timely, relevant help.

Multichannel integration

With multichannel integration, you can connect with customers on different platforms. You can manage all communications from one interface. For now, the system supports website chat, email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. You can also integrate this data with your CRM software.

This is especially useful for businesses with a global presence or those targeting younger audiences who use a lot of messaging apps. By centralizing these channels, you avoid needing separate tools. This reduces the chance of missed messages or inconsistent responses.

Tidio analytics dashboard

(Image credit: Tidio)

Tidio: Analytics

When you use Tidio, you get a powerful analytics suite built-in. It gives insights into customer interactions, team performance, and support operations. The platform also has detailed dashboards that track many key metrics, including conversation volumes, response times, customer satisfaction ratings, and chatbot effectiveness.

These tools help you spot patterns in customer inquiries. You can monitor peak activity times and see which issues are most common. You can see which pages get the most inquiries and which products prompt the most questions. You’ll also see how different visitor segments interact with your support channels.

Tidio's chatbot analytics are equally noteworthy. They provide detailed performance metrics for your automated conversations. You can track completion rates for chatbot flows. You’ll see where customers drop off or ask for human help. And you can even measure conversion rates for automated sales.

The platform also has A/B testing for chatbot messages and flows. This lets you optimize automation strategies based on real data. That way, you can create effective automated experiences that balance efficiency with customer satisfaction.

For team management, Tidio offers performance analytics. You can monitor individual agent productivity using metrics like average response time, resolution rate, and satisfaction scores. This helps you identify top performers and those who need more training.

The platform also provides workload distribution analytics. This ensures balanced coverage across different times and channels. By optimizing team performance through data-driven insights, you can boost operational efficiency while keeping high-quality customer service. This leads to better customer retention and increased revenue.

Tidio interface

(Image credit: Tidio)

Tidio: Ease of use

You can use Tidio via web browser, mobile app (iOS/Android), and desktop app (Windows, Mac, and Linux), though the latter doesn’t run as smoothly as on the browser.

Setup is quick, collecting your name, email address, website, and your main goal, such as solving customer problems, increasing sales, or both. Then, personalized instructions for platforms, including Shopify and WordPress, help you add the Tidio chat widget to your website.

The dashboard nudges you to complete the next steps, such as connecting Facebook Messenger and Instagram. On the left, a taskbar takes you to Inbox, Flows, Visitors, Contacts, and Analytics. Overall, the Tidio account section is very easy to navigate.

Operators can chat directly from the Inbox, where conversations are classified as open, unassigned, and solved. The Flows section lets you select and personalize templates according to specific scenarios, which include a cart booster, a post-purchase discount, and an Instagram autoresponder.

We simulated a live chat conversation being taken over by a bot and were impressed by the modern design and speed with which messages appeared on-screen.

Tidio support hub

(Image credit: Tidio)

Tidio: Support

It may sound counter-intuitive but not every 'Help Desk' website is particularly helpful in terms of offering help with getting started. Sometimes they'll have a 'troubleshooting' section plus a chatbot and leave you to the rest.

This is an area where Tidio truly shines. There's a dedicated Help Center that discusses common topics like getting set up, customizing widgets, managing chatbots, and so on.

You can access this via the 'Resources' section on the main website. We were astonished to see that Tidio also offers a free e-book for download here on how to use AI tools to improve customer service for your online business. This forms just one of the titles available in the extensive 'Playbook Library' on the Support pages - other free-to-download works include manuals on sales techniques and how to replicate an in-store shopping experience using chatbots.

The 'Resources' section also contains helpful comparisons between Tidio and other help desk software providers.

If you're on the Free plan then you'll have to make do with standard e-mail support during normal business hours. Conversations and Chatbots plans have priority email support, including weekends, and 24/5 live chat. Tidio+ additionally boasts 24/7 emergency phone support. Our live chat conversation with a Tidio operator had an almost immediate first response time and a knowledgeable response.

Tidio security

(Image credit: Tidio)

Tidio: Security

Tidio also claims to offer encryption for all Tidio chat connections using "the 256bit SSL protocol." As SSL was officially deprecated in 2015, we assume they mean they use the TLS protocol instead and are simply using 'SSL' as its more familiar term.

We were more reassured to learn that all Tidio domains use HTTPS and that any sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers are stored in their databases using a one-way cryptographic hash.

Their infrastructure uses AWS servers, which are generally considered to be very secure and reliable.

Tidio also pledges not to share or redistribute any customer data but we'd have been more reassured to see that they regularly go through independent security audits to prove this, as other providers like RingCentral do.

Tidio: The Competition

Intercom is a strong alternative to Tidio, offering not only live chat, conversational bots, and ticketing, but also help centers, lead qualification, and A/B testing to optimize performance. Give Intercom a go if you fancy advanced features across Support, Engage, and Convert plans. However, Tidio combines quality support and sales features for an affordable price.

LiveChat is closer to Tidio, focusing on live chat, chatbots, and ticketing. Its chatbots are optimized for both support and sales, just like Tidio. However, LiveChat doesn’t have a self-learning AI chatbot. Its plans start at $20 per operator, per month (billed annually), with no free plan. For basic chat features, Tidio’s cheaper plans may be the better option.

Tidio: Final Verdict

Tidio grabs attention with a slick design, quick messaging, and straightforward features. It gives customers plenty of support options, from live chat and chatbots to ticketing, Instagram messages, Facebook Messenger chat, email, and WhatsApp. A self-learning AI response bot sets it apart from similar competitors, while the free plan offers a basic option for the budget-conscious.

While we're on the subject of budgeting, this is one area where we think Tidio falls down. The basic 'Flows' plan includes just 2,000 'triggers': a 'trigger in this case is any time a chatbot is activated per unique customer. This remains true even if the customer doesn't interact with the chatbot in a meaningful way, meaning you could burn through your allocation of 'triggers' pretty fast. Of course, you could just increase your quota to 40,000 per month but that will cost you nearly five times the amount of a standard 'Chatbots' plan at $139. Tidio does reassure users though if you create multiple chatbots who interact with the same customer simultaneously, this still only counts as one 'trigger'.

The company is also pushing forward with new innovations, including Lyro, a conversational AI chatbot for SMEs. Lyro AI chatbot can automate up to 70% of your support requests.

This, combined with the broad number of features in the free plan and excellent support resources make Tidio a very strong contender in the help desk arena. It's easy to see why hundreds of thousands of users deploy it every day.

We've compiled a list of the best ITSM tools.

Canva PDF Editor review
12:37 pm | November 21, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

Canva may be famed for its impressive - and impressively simple - online design app. But the platform offers a lot more than that. 

The company offers easily one of the best free PDF editors - especially if you’re looking for a simple-to-use PDF editor in your browser, look no further.

With a new set of tools, including some AI cleverness, we've re-reviewed the latest version of the popular online document design platform to see how it compares today.

Canva PDF Editor: Pricing & plans

  • Generous and entirely free with only a few limits

Across the board, Canva costs nothing. It’s not just the PDF editor that’s gratis - you can also use the video editing software, photo editor, free logo designer, and a whole host of other digital design tools without opening your wallet, let alone breaking the bank. 

It’s generous. But there are a few limitations on the free plan. Premium assets like stock photos and illustrations are locked behind a subscription. 

Canva has three monthly/annual subscriptions, Pro, Teams, and Enterprise (the yearly plans are at least 16% cheaper than the monthly ones). Each unlock more tools like cloud storage, social media scheduling, and brand kits - ideal for maintaining consistent company colors and logos across multiple designs. There are also additional plans for those in academia. Pro is for individuals, Teams needs to include a minimum of three people, and you pay per seat, and Enterprise is a more bespoke plan, with uniquely tailored pricing.

You can check out the tool by clicking here

  • Pricing & plans: 5/5

Canva PDF Editor: Interface & experience

Canva PDF editor during our latest review process

With Canva PDF Editor, you have full editing control over the existing content of a PDF for free (Image credit: Canva)
  • Easy to use in almost every way

In order to start working on a PDF, you have to create an account with Canva (if you don’t already have one). Don't worry, just like the PDF service we’re exploring, doing this is free, and only takes a few minutes to perform. Once in, all you need do next is upload the file you wish to work on.

Creating a new PDF document through Canva's editor is different to, say, Adobe Acrobat (or the countless best Acrobat alternatives out there). Rather than setting you free on a blank canvas from the get-go, you’ll need to upload a file. 

Once you’ve got your document uploaded, Canva will process it and transform it into an editable file. And it works far better than you might expect, capable of identifying images, text blocks, and backgrounds. 

There’s very little you can’t modify at this point simply by clicking on the relevant component. Just to make it even easier, hover over any on-page element and a pink outline will let you know what can be edited, deleted, or moved in your PDF. 

If you’d rather build a document from scratch, you can do this through the main Canva design app by creating an A4 canvas, using one of the many templates included, then exporting as a PDF. The design process, however, remains the same. 

The PDF editor’s layout is more or less the same as with its graphic design software, and even the Canva Logo Maker and Canva Video Editor

So, if you’re familiar with these, you should have no trouble getting started here. But even if this is a new platform for you, Canva is delightfully simple to use - it’s one of the key reasons it’s become a popular tool for businesses. 

Tools line the left-hand panel. It’s here where you can select a new template, find new elements (in the PDF realm, this is mostly stock photos and vector graphics), upload your own media, and tweak background colors for all or individual pages. 

Head down to the Apps category and you’ll find a host of useful extras. Want to connect your Google Drive or YouTube channel to the platform? This is where you’ll do it. It’s also where you can import media files from the likes of Box, Dropbox, and Google Photos. 

Elsewhere, you’ll find a basic, but fun drawing tool that lets you - what else? - draw on your PDF files like it’s Microsoft Paint. 

Notably, the section includes a QR code creator - the comeback kid of the tech world. Just add your URL and hit Generate QR Code. Just like everything else in Canva, these are customizable, with options to change both background and foreground colors to fit your brand and your PDF design.

Ultimately, the Apps category is pretty vast, and we recommend exploring it top to toe to find tools that’ll fit your workflow. 

  • Interface & experience: 5/5

Canva PDF Editor: Editing & modifying

Canva PDF editor during our latest review process

Drag and drop pretty much anything around the page to change the layout at will (Image credit: Canva)
  • Simple software for editing PDFs

Dragging and dropping is the name of the game in Canva PDF Editor. Once an element - be it a text box, image, or anything else - is added, you can get it into position simply by dragging it around the page. 

Usefully, when moving elements, the tool adds invisible guidelines. This makes it incredibly easy to align blocks with each other or lock an element dead-center. So, even if you’re new to creating and modifying PDFs, you can walk away with a professional-looking document. 

If you’re printing your PDF, you can also add margins and bleed lines to ensure you haven’t placed objects too close to the edge, thereby cutting off content. 

To remove or edit existing content, click on an element. This reveals a small pop-up just above it, letting you add a comment (to engage in online collaboration), duplicate, or delete the element. Hit the three dots to that menu’s right to unfurl even more options, such as copy, paste, align and work with layered elements.

For even more efficiency, Canva PDF Editor supports keyboard shortcuts - the traditional ones you’re used to, such as copy, paste, duplicate, undo and redo work as expected, you can precisely move elements using the arrow keys, or select an element, hit delete and it’ll vanish.

It is quite remarkable the level of control you have over a PDF: usually, being able to alter the existing content of a document is relegated to the premium side of a service, but here, you can do it all for free.

  • Editing & modifying: 5/5

Canva PDF Editor: Tools

Canva PDF editor during our latest review process

Insert new templates, elements, text boxes and more (Image credit: Canva)
  • Limited tools beyond PDF creation and editing

One of the features that sets top PDF editors apart are the inclusion of advanced tools like eSign software and OCR software. For example, Foxit PDF Editor is equipped with a powerful set of redaction tools - perfect for businesses that need to remain compliant with the raft of data security regulations and laws. The same goes for EaseUS PDF Editor, which has a massive range of professional editing tools. 

And this is where Canva’s online PDF editor begins to show its (admittedly few) limitations. Since Canva is, first and foremost, a digital art tool, it doesn’t feature the usual bag of tricks you’ll find in dedicated editors. 

Take PDF conversion as an example. Many platforms let you upload a file and convert it to another. That’s technically possible with Canva PDF Editor - but it’s a more complicated method than most, as you’ll upload a document or image file and download it as a PDF (and vice versa). But it’s not a true PDF converter. It lacks a range of output formats. Nor is it as efficient as other platforms because of this. 

As such, it’s tailor-made for creating, say, marketing assets or admin forms (there’s even a Canva Forms tool for this specific purpose, with Typeform integration, too). 

It's also remarkably easy to share files for review, simply by clicking the Share button, which is where you can also change the filetype and download your documents. However, it likely won’t suffice if, for example, you need to track the documents you send to others, check who’s signed them, and perform OCR on scanned documents.

  • Tools: 3/5

Canva PDF Editor: Scorecard

Should I buy?

Canva PDF editor during our latest review process

Your export options are limited, especially if you wish to convert your PDF to another format (Image credit: Canva)

Buy it if…

You need a simple but powerful PDF editor to create new PDF documents or modify existing files.

Don’t buy it if…

You need an advanced PDF service with more collaborative tools, including signature tracking and OCR capabilities.

Canva PDF Editor: Alternatives

Adobe Acrobat, Foxit PDF Editor, EaseUS PDF Editor, and Nitro PDF Pro are great if you want extra power from your PDF editor. 

Soda PDF Online, PDF24 Creator, PDF Candy, and SmallPDF are ideal when you want a simple PDF editor in your browser.  

Tungsten Power PDF
8:32 pm | November 1, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: , | Comments: Off

When we last reviewed Tungsten Power PDF, it was known as Kofax Power PDF - so, we wanted to see what's changed with this software beyond the name.

Having tested the best PDF editors around, we were curious to see if Tungsten Automation's app still deserves a place in the round-up of top-rated apps around.

Tungsten Power PDF: Pricing & plans

  • A multi-platform tool with a two-week free trial

Power PDF is available on a free 15-day trial, no credit card required, although you will need to give them your name, email address, and country of residence, in order to gain access to the link to download it. We appreciate the fact the software is multi-platform, although puzzlingly there are some disparities between platforms. You have ‘Power PDF for Mac’, and ‘Power PDF Standard’ and ‘Power PDF Advanced’ for Windows.

The specs for Windows include a minimum of 1.5GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and 1GB of Storage. You also need to have anything from Windows 8.1 to 11 installed. Mac users require MacOS 10.15 to 14 - although we tested it on Sequoia (MacOS 15) and it worked fine there too.

Should you decide to purchase the software (yes: purchase, not subscription!), Standard for Windows or the Mac version will set you back $129 / £95 / $171AUD. Windows’ Advanced version is available for $179 / £131 / $237AUD. As you’d expect, Advanced has more features, which we’ll dive into later in this review.

You can check out the software by clicking here.

  • Pricing & plans: 4.5/5

Tungsten Power PDF: Interface

Tungsten Power PDF during our review

The latest redesigned interface looks clean and elegant with all tools available when you select the right category (Image credit: Tungsten Automation)
  • Clean traditional interface makes it easy to find all the tools you need

Launch the PDF reader and editor and you’ll find the interface to be very clean and uncluttered. There’s a small menu bar at the top with seven options. Click on one to reveal a series of contextual tools represented by large icons right underneath that menu bar, all specific to each category. The bulk of the interface highlights some frequently used tools and your recently opened documents, or showcases the PDF you’ve got currently open.

One thing we greatly appreciated is a welcome improvement to the interface since we last explored this software: prior to this version, Tungsten Power PDF was very old school, with each new file opening a brand new window with its own menu bar, tools, etc. Now, each opened file appears in its own separate tab, within the main window, decluttering your workspace massively.

  • Interface: 5/5

Tungsten Power PDF: Tools

Tungsten Power PDF during our review

A big advancement is the inclusion of tabs, with each new open document available through its own tab in a single window (Image credit: Tungsten Automation)
  • Many excellent tools to annotate, reorder, and otherwise modify existing PDF, and create new ones

If you’re familiar with such PDF tools, you’ll find the features instantly recognisable. Being able to convert any Microsoft document (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) to PDF, or grab files directly from your scanner is but a few clicks away. A browser extension is available for Chrome and Edge to allow you to open and create PDFs directly from there (although this is superfluous on Macs, as they've been able to do this as standard from any app, since the early days of Mac OS X).

All this is pretty basic stuff. What’s more interesting is how you can modify an existing PDF - and Power PDF doesn’t disappoint.

You’ll find a lot of hands-on manipulation is possible, like dragging the thumbnail of a page from one document onto the sidebar of another (although you’ll have to open those files as two separate ‘instances’ for that to work: you can’t move pages that way from one tab to another). But it doesn’t end there: if you need to reorder the pages of a PDF, just click on its thumbnail and drag it up or down the list to change its position.

Right-click on a thumbnail grants you access to more controls, such as being able to rotate a page or even delete it (although handy keyboard shortcuts are also available to invoke such commands more quickly).

Tungsten Power PDF during our review

Annotate a document however you feel (Image credit: Tungsten Automation)

You’re able to annotate a PDF with ease - most handy when collaborating with others, or if you need to set reminders for yourself. The options here are quite extensive. You have a highlighting tool with a choice of colors, as well as the ability to underline, squiggle or strikethrough content. Annotations are done by adding a text box, speech bubble, callout, or even an attachment, among others.

You can create forms with various options such as checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdown menus, add shapes (polygons, rectangles, ovals, that sort of thing), and there’s even a freehand tool. With all of this available, you can alter a PDF, or even create one from scratch, to your heart’s content.

Other tools allow you to look for specific sections with the help of a handy search field. You’ll also find an OCR tool, and the ability to apply digital signatures with the built-in eSign software. There’s a lot there to enjoy, including what is probably the most important aspect of PDF software: being able to edit the original content. In that respect, Power PDF does an excellent job: it’s well implemented, and easy to use, allowing you to select paragraphs, edit them, move them around and resize them, and do the same for images and other media.

  • Tools: 4.5/5

Tungsten Power PDF: Advanced options

Tungsten Power PDF during our review

Right click on a thumbnail to reveal additional tools (Image credit: Tungsten Automation)
  • Some Standard tools for Macs only included in the Advanced PC version

Interestingly enough, the Mac version possesses a couple of tools not present in the Standard Windows version. These include the ability to redact text and graphics from PDF files.

It could be because many of the other tools Tungsten Power PDF offers are already present in Apple Preview. One of the best free PDF editors available, which comes bundled with every Mac, so a few additional power options are most welcome.

The Advanced version is a more powerful - and more expensive - package, which also has other features not present in the Mac version, such as password protection, batch processing, and real-time collaboration. It’s clearly designed with businesses in mind, and as most of those work with Windows, which could explain the lack of support for Macs for those tools.

  • Advanced options: 4/5

Tungsten Power PDF: Scorecard

Should I buy?

Tungsten Power PDF during our review

The redact tools is simple to use (Image credit: Tungsten Automation)

Buy it if...

You need to make alterations to PDF documents, reorder pages, delete some altogether, make annotations, add text - the list is quite extensive, and would cater to most needs short of radically altering the PDF’s existing content. 

Don't buy it if...

Your needs are more basic than that, and all you require is just the ability to read a PDF, or complete a form. In this case, Tungsten Power PDF risks being overkill. 


For more PDF tools, we reviewed the best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat.

DreamHost review
6:40 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Website Hosting | Comments: Off

DreamHost is a popular US web hosting provider with 400,000+ customers, managing 1.5 million+ websites, and with an impressive 25 years in the hosting business. 

What types of hosting does DreamHost offer? 

DreamHost has a wider-than-usual range of products for every level of user. (That's not just an advantage when you're shopping. Having plenty of alternative plans gives you more upgrade paths if your website grows.)

A website builder product is a very easy way to create a simple but good-looking website, while cheap shared web hosting plans are ideal for small or low-traffic sites.

Custom WordPress plans are specially optimized for speed and include useful WordPress-related site management tools and extras.

DreamCompute is a developer-friendly cloud hosting service with full root access and the ability to use DreamHost's object storage service, DreamObjects.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting gives your site more resources, improving speeds, and is often a better choice for heavy-duty or business-critical sites.

Dedicated server hosting plans provide an entire server for your own use, for maximum speed and control.

That's a lot to explore, but keep reading and we'll break down DreamHost's key products, look at where they score, and where they don't, and identify which plans might work best for you.

An image of Dreamhost's Shared Hosting page

(Image credit: Dreamhost)

Shared hosting

Shared hosting is one of the most popular hosting types. It’s a simple scheme where one web server hosts multiple websites—everyone shares both the costs and the server's resources (CPU, RAM, network connection). This makes shared hosting very cheap, but speeds are lower than other types of hosting (although you can still handle thousands of visitors a month on a shared hosting plan).

Right off the bat, I like how DreamHost keeps things simple with just two shared hosting packages. 

Shared Starter, priced at a low $2.59 a month over three years (renews at $5.99), offers exceptional value thanks to 50GB fast SSD storage, free SSL, automated WordPress migrations, a free WordPress website builder, free domain with free domain privacy (a valuable privacy protection feature), unlimited bandwidth, automatic backups, and so much more. In fact, DreamHost’s feature set is more or less on par with Hostinger, which is the best-shared hosting service in our testing.

The only noticeable downside to the Shared Starter plan is that it doesn’t come with any email accounts. Well, technically it does but that will be an additional purchase. This is a surprising miss by what's otherwise a well-rounded service, especially considering that almost every single rival on the market offers free email addresses even on their most basic plans. 

Additionally, it allows you to host just a single site. Hostinger, for example, allows you to host a whopping 100 websites on its cheapest plan—and even InMotion offers a decent 2 website support.

Next is the Shared Unlimited plan, which as the name suggests, supports unlimited web space, sites and email addresses, and is priced at $3.95 per month for the first three years, $10.99 on renewal.

Overall, though, DreamHost’s shared hosting plans score high marks on affordability and pack enough features to keep most individuals and small businesses happy. Still, it’s tough to recommend it over Hostinger, our #1 shared web hosting service, as it supports 100 email addresses, has 100GB storage, can host 100 websites, and includes a free domain, SSL, backups, a free migration and more.

An image of Dreamhost's Cloud Hosting page

(Image credit: Dreamhost)

Cloud hosting

DreamHost really does stand out as a cloud hosting provider. It’s rightfully placed in my list of the best cloud hosting services because it’s one of the very few to offer true cloud benefits. These include geo-redundancy and auto-scaling, where you can automatically change your server resources through OpenStack-compatible API requests. 

Auto-scaling helps you manage infrequent spikes in your website traffic by temporarily increasing More DreamHost featuresyour resources—and allowing you to only pay for resources you actually use.

DreamHost offers its cloud service under a product it calls DreamCompute. It’s among the cheapest cloud hosting services on the market right now (almost twice as cheap as OVHcloud). You can get started at just $0.0075 per hour and enjoy access to 512MB RAM, 1 vCPU, free bandwidth, and 80 GB SSD storage. Even better, it comes with a maximum monthly price, which is $4.50 for the above-mentioned plan.

As is the story with DreamHost, even its cloud hosting plans are more geared towards individuals and small businesses. This is because it caps out at 8 vCPU and 16GB RAM, so if you’re a large business with need for tons of resources, you’ll be better off with, say, ScalaHosting that comes with custom cloud hosting plans and can go as high as 24 CPU cores, 64 GB RAM, and 2,000 GB storage.

An image of Dreamhost's WordPress Hosting page

(Image credit: Dreamhost)

WordPress hosting 

WordPress is a hugely popular website creator because not only is it easy to use for hosting newbies but also powerful enough to handle even the largest of business-critical sites.

DreamHost offers two tiers of plans for WordPress. The first one, WordPress Basic, is essentially its shared hosting plans, with the same features and the same price (from $2.59 a month). They're cheap, and if you're just looking to learn the WordPress basics, they should be more than enough. 

These plans come with a handful of custom WordPress features, including a WordPress installer, free automated WordPress migrations, a simple website builder to create an elegant WordPress website, and automated WordPress updates.

However, if you're aiming to build a serious WordPress site, I'd recommend DreamPress, which is DreamHost's professionally managed WordPress hosting range, capable of handling anything up to one million visitors a month. The resources here are not shared, so other users cannot affect your website’s performance—and you get a high-performance cloud server environment, which is a huge plus on the reliability and performance fronts.

The starter DreamPress plan has 30GB SSD storage, unlimited email, free SSL, and on-demand and daily backups. In addition to the custom WordPress features in the shared hosting plans, you get specialist WordPress support and 1-click staging for easier website testing. DreamHost says the plan is built for 100k monthly visitors, and it looks good value at $16.95 billed monthly on a yearly subscription.

The second tier, DreamPress Plus, is an interesting one. It costs 50% more ($24.95 a month) than the above-mentioned plan for which it doubles your storage and increases the number of phone support callbacks to 3. That’s it. It’s worth noting that earlier this plan added the powerful Jetpack Professional toolkit (backups, malware scanning, CDN, and more), which is now offered on all the three plans. While this is undoubtedly a good thing, it does bring down DreamPress Plus’s appeal quite a fair bit. 

Spending $71.95/month on the top-of-the-range DreamPress Pro gets your more resources, priority support (expedited help, advanced troubleshooting, and proactive monitoring), and lifts the suggested visits per month figure to one million. However, that's an advisory figure only, DreamHost won't cut you off if you have more.

A highlight of DreamHost is that it’s recommended by WordPress.org, the makers of WordPress. This is because DreamHost has been actively involved in the WordPress community and has contributed to WordPress’s development over the last 10 years.

Overall, DreamHost is one of the best WordPress hosting providers, offering very capable managed WordPress plans which are well worth considering if you're managing a high-traffic site. However, experienced or more technical users should check out Hostinger and InMotion Hosting's WordPress ranges, too. 

An image of Dreamhost's VPS Hosting page

DreamHost has four VPS hosting packages (Image credit: Dreamhost)

VPS hosting 

VPS (Virtual Private Servers) improves on shared hosting by providing resources that only your site can use. That's great news on the performance front, because the less time a web server has to spend dividing up its RAM and CPU time, the more time it has to just serve your site, and the faster it'll be.

DreamHost has four very simple VPS plans. 

All plans support unlimited websites, traffic, and email addresses. There's also free SSL for as many sites as you need.  

A very important highlight of DreamHost’s VPS plans is that they're all managed, which means DreamHost handles complex low-level tasks like updating the operating system for you. However, the service isn’t a fully managed one as anything to do with managing your site comes under a different DreamHost service, which will cost extra. 

Coming back to DreamHost, it offers a capable range for VPS newbies, with all the core features you need, and for a very fair price. If you have a simple goal—you're building a business-critical WordPress site and need better speeds (which are also more reliable) than shared hosting, DreamHost's VPS range could be a smart choice. 

However, more experienced users may not be as happy. For instance, the plans don’t mention the amount of CPU resources they offer. This is because the CPU scheduler is based on time instead of the percentage of utilization. Next, there just aren't many features or configuration options here, no root access, nor do you get a choice of operating system.

DreamHost doesn’t have unmanaged VPS hosting, either. So, if you’re adept enough at handling server issues, and are willing to compromise support for a lower price, you can consider Hostinger’s unmanaged VPS plans.

Also, strangely enough, while the plans say that they’re VPS, you don’t actually get a VPS server. You get a Linux container with kernel-level isolation, which, in all fairness, is still more reliable than shared hosting plans, but you don't get the sort of security benefits you would with a typical VPS server. This is because OS vulnerabilities in a Linux container can cause isolation breakouts.

If you think you might need more than DreamHost's bare-bones plans, check out my guide to the best VPS hosting providers.

An image of Dreamhost's Dedicated Hosting page

DreamHost provides a custom control panel of its own (Image credit: Dreamhost)

Dedicated hosting 

Buy a dedicated hosting plan and you get a server just for you. This way, you can wave goodbye to sharing resources and unexpected slowdowns because someone else on your server is having a bad day. Dedicated hosting means great performance all the time.

DreamHost has significantly tweaked its dedicated hosting offerings of late, and the change is for the better. Where earlier it offered HDD storage for most of its plans and SSD only if you picked the 12-core CPU, it now offers SSD on all plans, and has completely done away with HDD storage. 

However, this also means that the starting price which was earlier $149/month has been increased to $165/month (on a yearly subscription). This gets you a 6-core/12-thread CPU, 16GB RAM, and 480GB SSD. 

You also have the option to opt for a more powerful 12-core/24-thread CPU where you can go as high as 128GB RAM and 1920GB SSD—meaning DreamHost’s dedicated hosting is large-business-friendly, which isn’t the case with its shared or cloud hosting services.

When compared to the best dedicated hosting services right now, DreamHost has one up on most providers thanks to 100% network uptime guarantee. With emergency generators, data centers around the world, redundant cooling, and constant monitoring, DreamHost is a must-have for you if you just can’t afford to have your site down.

However, services like InMotion and IONOS (this one has a pay-as-you-go pricing model) are certainly more value for money, and a better pick for the majority of users. InMotion, for instance, starts at $69.99 per month and gives you 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, a decent 4-core/8-thread processor, and a full-fledged security suite, as well as a choice of control panel. 

The cost difference is even more substantial for large businesses who need tons of resources (think 128GB and more). DreamHost doesn’t allow you to pair an SSD with a secondary high-storage HDD, which is something you get with Liquid Web. 

More DreamHost features

In addition to the above, I’d like to point out a few DreamHost offerings that caught my eye. The first one is dedicated email hosting, starting at $1.99 a month - or $1.67 a month if you go for a yearly commitment. 

This will be a top-up to your existing hosting plan and get you professional emails @yourdomainname.com, 25GB storage per mailbox (Gmail’s free offering gives you 15GB), real-time syncing across mobile and desktop, and an ad-free experience. 

Next, there’s integration with Google Workspace, which can be a value addition for teams. Here, you’ll get Google Meet voice and video conferencing, team chat, shared calendars, business email through Gmail, access to other Google products, 24/7 assistance from Google Workspace experts, and more. 

It’s worth noting that the extent of features you unlock will depend on your chosen Google Workspace plan. There are two plans: one at $7.20 per user per month and the other more feature-packed one at $14.40 per user per month.

DreamHost Pro services

DreamHost offers a slew of professional services, including custom website designing, SEO marketing, social media marketing, dedicated web software and backend management, and web development. 

Just note that these services cost a pretty penny. For instance, you’ll have to shell out $1,499 if you want DreamHost experts to create a polished, professional website tailored to your needs. Other services range anywhere between $59/month for website management to $399/month for social media marketing. 

With that said, they offer excellent bang for buck for those who’d like to get things done by a professional and skyrocket their business’s growth without wasting time with a hands-on and trial-and-error approach.

Does DreamHost have a website builder? 

If you don't have a website, and creating something with WordPress feels too much like hard work, a website builder could be the perfect solution. Most builders either come with a choice of prebuilt sites, or can create one for you from scratch. You can add elements like text, images, videos, maps or forms by dragging and dropping, then customize the content much as you would in Word or any editor.

DreamHost's website builder, which is included in all of its plans no matter the hosting type, is based on WordPress, but don't let that put you off: it's still an easier way to create a simple site. It comes with 200+ sample websites for various categories (photography, food, music, fitness, fashion and more). Next, you get a handy drag-and-drop mechanism using which you can choose from a selection of over 100 blocks, add some content of your own, and you could have a small site ready to go within a couple of hours. 

The website builder is easy to use, block-based, and might just about be enough to create a small family site, or a low-traffic blog. It even comes with real-time SEO recommendations so that you can create content that’s optimized for search engines. There are enough customization options, too, and you can tinker around with pretty much everything, whether that’s the font size or text color. 

However, the templates are basic and there aren’t any image-editing tools, either. If you want an out-and-out website builder with more than just the basics, I’d recommend choosing from one of the best website builders instead. Hostinger, for example, gives you the option to have a website created entirely by AI. 

Like DreamHost, Bluehost, too, has a WordPress website builder. It includes website templates to help you get started, and has a simple drag-and-drop page editor. But even its most basic $2.99/month plan includes contact forms, social media sharing, and other useful business tools—and the top-of-the-range product even allows you to build a web store.

DreamHost WooCommerce homepage

(Image credit: DreamHost)

Can I build a web store with DreamHost? 

DreamHost doesn't have the range of ecommerce plans we see with some providers, but it does have one capable option: a VPS-based WooCommerce range with the power to build some very powerful web stores. WooCommerce is widely considered as one of the best ecommerce platforms for WordPress.

However, it’s worth noting that although DreamHost describes this as 'WooCommerce hosting,’ it's the company's regular WordPress hosting (DreamPress) underneath, with the same prices and specs. If you skipped the WordPress section, I like DreamPress a lot—it has plenty of features and the power to handle 100k to a million visitors a month, enough to cope with some very busy web stores.

Opting for the WooCommerce plans does get you a few tiny extras. WooCommerce is preinstalled with a few themes and plugins, for instance, and DreamHost updates both WooCommerce and WordPress. Good news, but that doesn't really help you build, manage, and troubleshoot your new web store.

If you like DreamHost's WordPress hosting and you're happy to work on the WooCommerce and web store building tasks yourself, then these powerful plans are well worth considering. 

However, if you're looking for something simpler, many website builder plans include the ability to add a web store. HostGator supports a tiny three-product store with even its most basic plan, and Bluehost and GoDaddy both have capable ecommerce plans.

DreamHost support page

The support knowledgebase has helpful articles on many topics (Image credit: DreamHost)

DreamHost Customer Support

DreamHost’s customer support has come a long way since our last review. Now, it offers free 24/7 technical support via email and live chat across all time zones from three continents: North America, South America, and Europe. Supported languages include English and Spanish.

While DreamHost does not have a call-in phone number for technical support, you do get the option to request for callbacks. However, that’s only available with higher-end DreamHost hosting packages.

To test its claims, I throwed some genuine questions at the support agents. I’m happy to report that individual support agents performed well in my tests. Plus, live chat queries had responses within minutes, tickets in under an hour or two (as claimed by the company, so that’s good too), and replies were helpful and detailed.

Furthermore, it also has an in-depth knowledge hub with tons of helpful articles and step-by-step tutorials, which you can use for general know-how and help on the fly.

A standout DreamHost offering is its exceptional 97-day money-back guarantee (for shared hosting products). This also suggests that the company has real confidence in its service, long-term. If you decide to sign up, that's plenty of time to find out how DreamHost works for you.

DreamHost support issue

DreamHost customer support issue (Image credit: DreamHost)

DreamHost uptime score

DreamHost performed quite well in our uptime tests and reasonably in our performance tests (Image credit: DreamHost)

How fast is DreamHost? 

Uptime, the proportion of time your website is accessible to the outside world, is a key measure of any web host. A provider can have the fastest and most powerful servers around, but none of that will matter at all if your site is regularly down.

We tested DreamHost's uptime over a week, and those results were good, with our site showing 100% uptime, and an average response time of 0.342 seconds (that's the fourth fastest score in our last 15 tests). 

DreamHost GTMetrix score

(Image credit: DreamHost)

Next, we asked GTmetrix to access a page from our test site and calculate how long it takes to display its main content (a figure known as Largest Contentful Paint, or LCP). Most decent hosts manage somewhere between 0.55 and 0.90 seconds, and DreamHost scored a perfectly acceptable 0.732 seconds. 

DreamHost k6 performance score

(Image credit: k6)

Fast load speeds are good news with a single user, but what happens when a site is busy? We use k6 to unleash 20 virtual users on a site at once, and see how the server copes. DreamHost handled an average 16 requests per second, fractionally outperforming most of the competition (the average score is 10-15 requests).

To conclude, DreamHost is an extremely reliable hosting service that delivers on its promises to load both light and heavy web pages without missing a beat. Its 100% uptime guarantee, especially at its price point, is nothing short of outstanding—top dogs such as Hostinger and Bluehost offer 99.96% and 99.95%, respectively, and HostGator doesn’t guarantee uptime at all.

DreamHost offers free site migration

DreamHost offers free WordPress website migration (Image credit: DreamHost)

How easy is DreamHost to use? 

Although DreamHost doesn’t offer the industry-standard cPanel—and offers a custom-built control panel instead—it’s fairly easy to use and get started with. 

The control panel looks good, with colorful icons, and everything from your domains and websites to one-click installs and support options, as well as your account and billing info and hosting configurations, is available on the left-hand sidebar. This is when around half of that sidebar is just an ‘Add Product’ section displaying the different DreamHost plans you could subscribe to. Cheeky, yes, but it doesn’t pose any real navigation issues.

Installing WordPress is child’s play. You also get an option to pre-authorize the WordPress installation, meaning DreamHost will send you an email once WordPress is set up. I suggest opting for the pre-install option since DreamHost takes a while to install WordPress—around 20-30 minutes. This is in sharp contrast to other providers who either do it instantly or take no longer than just a few minutes.

What’s more, even creating a new email address is ridiculously simple. Just click the ‘Create New Email Address’ button, fill out your details, and that’s it. All in all, DreamHost is one of the easiest to use web hosts I’ve ever tried my hands on, meaning it’s great for beginners and the non-tech-savvy folks who’d very much like a plug-and-play solution.

Final verdict

DreamHost's lengthy down time got our review off to a bad start, but there's still a lot to like here: lots of products, WordPress solutions for personal to major business sites, fair prices, and a reassuring 97-day money-back guarantee for shared hosting customers. Worth considering. 


What types of payment does DreamHost support?

DreamHost accepts payment via card and PayPal. 

Does DreamHost offer refunds?

DreamHost offers a spectacular 97-day refund period for shared hosting products. The industry average is 30 days, and only InMotion Hosting gets close with its 90-day policy.

There's one potential complication. DreamHost accepts payment via credit card and PayPal, but the Terms and Services page says only those paying via card are eligible for the 97-day deal. A Refunds page in the Knowledgebase doesn't say that, and just says you should contact Support for help, but we'd recommend keeping that in mind. If you sign up and have a choice, paying via card could make for an easier life later.

There are different rules for other products. For example, dedicated hosting users can also get a full refund if they cancel within 30 days. And if VPS users cancel within 30 days of purchase, they're charged for the first month, but are refunded the rest of their fees.

Does DreamHost have an uptime guarantee?

DreamHost has a 100% uptime guarantee, hugely impressive in an industry where most hosts stop at 99.9% (which translates to an 'acceptable' downtime of 43.83 minutes a month.)

Even better, this isn't just about your website. If any part of its service is down - website, databases, email, FTP, SSH or webmail - is unusable due to 'failures in DreamHost systems' outside of scheduled maintenance, you'll qualify for compensation.

DreamHost says it will credit your account with one day of hosting for every hour (or partial hour) of downtime, up to a maximum of 10% of your next renewal fee.

It's an interesting idea, and an improvement on what we see with many providers. But there's a notable catch in the small print. DreamHost counts downtime as starting when you raise a ticket, so if your site goes down for a few hours when you're asleep, on holiday, or any other time you're not paying full attention to your hosting, you won't get any compensation at all.

Where are DreamHost's data centers?

DreamHost has two USA data centers in Ashburn, Virginia, and Hillsboro, Oregon.

Most top providers have data centers spread more widely around the world. For instance, GoDaddy can host your website in North America, India, Singapore or Europe. 

If your website isn't primarily for the USA, you're able to choose a data center closer to your audience location, immediately improving performance.

DreamHost IP Address

(Image credit: DreamHost)

What is my DreamHost IP address?

Finding the IP address of your DreamHost web server can help you solve some initial website setup problems, such as how to point a domain registered with another provider to your DreamHost web space.

To locate the IP address for your server, first log into DreamHost's control panel (panel.dreamhost.com).

Click Domains in the left-hand sidebar, then Manage Domains.

Find the domain or subdomain in the list which you're hosting, and click its DNS link.

Scroll down to the DreamHost Records section. Your server IP address is displayed as the Value for most record types (www, @, more). 

What are DreamHost's nameservers?

DreamHost's nameservers are ns1.dreamhost.com, ns2.dreamhost.com and ns3.dreamhost.com. 

How to cancel DreamHost

(Image credit: DreamHost)

How do I cancel a DreamHost product?

Log into DreamHost's control panel (panel.dreamhost.com)

Click your account name at the top right of the screen, and choose Account Information.

Scroll down to the Active Plans list.

Find the plan you'd like to cancel, and click its Manage button.

Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click the Begin Account Closure button.

Follow the instructions to complete the cancel process. Be sure to read any warnings carefully, because there's a lot of information here, covering everything from exactly when your files and email access will disappear to whether you qualify for a refund, and how to claim it.

Keeper Review: pros & cons, features, ratings, pricing and more
2:18 pm | October 31, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

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 business plan review

(Image credit: Keeper)

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.

Keeper business plan review

(Image credit: Keeper)

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 Password Manager interface screenshot

(Image credit: Keeper)

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.

Keeper business plan review

(Image credit: Keeper)

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.

Keeper business plan review

(Image credit: Keeper)

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.

Keeper business plan review

(Image credit: Keeper)

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 compliance reporting

(Image credit: Keeper)

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 Help Center

(Image credit: Keeper)

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 Review: Pros & Cons, Features, Ratings, Pricing and more
2:18 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

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

LogMeOnce pricing

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

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.

LogMeOnce pricing

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

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

LogMeOnce apps

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

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

LogMeOnce security

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

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.

LogMeOnce business plan review

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

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.

LogMeOnce business plan review

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

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.

LogMeOnce business plan review

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

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 business plan review

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

LogMeOnce business plan review

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

LogMeOnce: Support

LogMeOnce Help Center

(Image credit: LogMeOnce)

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.

ProRankTracker review
1:41 pm | October 27, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

ProRankTracker is a comprehensive SEO tool designed for tracking website search engine rankings accurately. It supports multiple search engines, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo, and offers detailed insights on keyword rankings, search volume, and competitive analysis. It further provides daily updates, mobile and desktop rankings, localized rankings, and tracking for videos and Amazon products. We extensively researched this tool and used it ourselves to determine its true value. So, here is everything you must know about ProRank Tracker before using it. 

ProRankTracker: Plans and pricing

ProRankTracker 1

(Image credit: ProRankTracker)

ProRankTracker offers a range of pricing plans designed to cater to different users, from beginners to large agencies. Currently, they have these four plans.

Free Trial

The Free Trial is a great way to start. It lets you monitor up to 500 terms for 14 days, along with all the premium features. It's perfect for anyone who either has a very small task to run or for someone who wants to use all the features of the plan before going for a paid plan. 

Starter 

The Starter plan, priced at $49, is perfect for SEO beginners or those with minimal tracking requirements. These plans include 500 to 1,000 term options, daily rank updates, local and mobile tracking, unlimited URLs and reports, full SERPs, and 1,000 Insta-Check credits. This plan is ideal for individuals or small business owners looking to establish a strong SEO foundation.

Pro

Starting at $109, the Pro plan offers term plans ranging from 1,500 to 2,500. It includes all the features of the Starter plan, as well as update-on-demand, the MyRanks client app, support for 10 users, and 10,000 Insta-Check credits. These plans are ideal for managing more advanced SEO operations.

Agency

The Agency plan by ProRankTracker is priced at $189 and can be customized for a vast analysis, ranging from 3,000 terms to unlimited, with all the features of Starter and Pro plans. It also has more benefits including API access, dedicated customer service management (CSM), unlimited users, and 20,000 Insta-Check credits. This plan is perfect for large agencies needing strong, enterprise-level features and support.

ProRankTracker: Features

Rank Tracker

ProRankTracker features

(Image credit: ProRankTracker)

ProRankTracker delivers precise and up-to-date SEO ranking data and delivers satisfactory results. Surprisingly, it provides quite accurate data in real time. This reliability and daily automatic updates mean you'll always have a fresh, real-time picture of your website's search engine performance.

It further simplifies the rank-tracking process. With this tool in your hands, you can forget about managing proxies or infrastructure, as ProRankTracker does it all for you. It covers all the major bases with international rank tracking across popular search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, YouTube). It also supports both desktop and mobile results.

ProRankTracker's local and mobile tracking is a great tool for businesses competing in local markets. It tracks your organic search rankings on Google alongside your "Google Business Profile" listings with precise local resolution (cities and zip codes). This lets you fine-tune your SEO strategy for maximum visibility where it matters most, i.e., to your local customers.

Competitor Analysis 

During our tests, we loved how ProRankTracker automatically identifies your competitors based on targeted keywords or industry niches and gets back to you with their keyword rankings, overall visibility, and traffic sources, including both organic and paid channels. It critically evaluates backlink profiles, spotlighting incoming links' quality and dynamics while shedding light on content strategies and keyword gaps that show the various untapped opportunities. 

It further adds value to this analysis with PPC insights, revealing competitors' ad spends and strategic keywords. Plus, with real-time alerts on significant competitive shifts and a historical data perspective, you receive a concise yet comprehensive overview coupled with strategic recommendations. This helps you create a refined SEO strategy that leverages competitive insights for a tangible edge in search rankings, making Competitor Analysis an indispensable feature for SEO professionals.

SERP

ProRankTracker features

(Image credit: ProRankTracker)

ProRankTracker's SERP Checker is a powerful tool that provides immediate access to Search Engine Results Pages (SERP). As already mentioned, it provides data from multiple search engines and platforms.

You can check local SERPs from anywhere in the world and assess your website's performance on mobile devices. Along with traditional website rankings, ProRankTracker's SERP Checker also looks into Google Business Profile (GBP) listings, Amazon listings, and YouTube videos and offers insights into your online presence.

Furthermore, ProRankTracker also caters to users with different needs. That's why they provide three convenient methods for checking SERPs: form submission, file upload, and API, to make sure that you can choose the approach that best fits your workflow. Not to mention, the option to export results in different formats (JSON, XLSX, CSV, and PDF) enhances the tool's flexibility.

For a more thorough analysis, you can also consider utilizing the optional Google Search Volume data (accessible through API checking). This additional information provides deeper insights and lets you target keywords with proven search potential.

SERP API

By using SERP API, you can easily incorporate ProRankTracker’s rank-tracking data into your own systems, dashboards, and custom tools. This helps you make the most of its insights in a way that suits your needs.

For instance, you can see exactly how traffic and search positions affect each other, giving you a complete understanding of what's going on. Plus, you can even automate client reports, which will save you time and give you valuable rank tracking information. 

The API is designed with developer ease-of-use in mind. It provides clear documentation and straightforward implementation to get you started seamlessly. This ensures that you can extract maximum value from your rank tracking data. The API not only allows you to pull data but also manages your ProRankTracker account. This means you can automate keyword additions, updates, and much more.

Reporting

ProRankTracker features

(Image credit: ProRankTracker)

ProRankTracker understands that having clear, easy-to-understand reports is important. Instead of overwhelming you with raw data, the platform focuses on turning rankings into valuable insights. You can customize your reports to highlight the most important metrics, giving clients, stakeholders, or your team a detailed view of your SEO progress.

Similarly, by white labeling your reports, you can maintain a professional look that aligns with your brand. It even lets you save time while formatting as ProRankTracker streamlines the design process. With the option to schedule reports for daily, weekly, or monthly delivery, everyone stays informed without any extra effort.

Moreover, these reports are not just about how things look. ProRankTracker helps you examine the data and understand the reasons behind it.  It shows you when rankings change, trends in the data, and how your competition is doing. Plus, it also gives actionable tips and steps to improve your ranking on the SERP.

ProRankTracker: Interface and in-use

ProRankTracker 3

(Image credit: ProRankTracker)

ProRankTracker’s UI and features have all been carefully designed for quick ease of use, and effortless access to all of the software’s functions. You can customize groups, tags, and saved filters for quickly changing how data is broken down and displayed via graphs and charts, and you can categorize and order your results based on simplicity or complexity- all depending on just how much data you want to see.

The way rankings get organized is seriously impressive. Data is broken down based on many different parameters, including the search term, platform, language in use, overall rank, or specific tags. Additionally, you can efficiently, via a few clicks, dive deeper into your data, such as reordering it to highlight trends and uncover any potential issues.

ProRankTracker: Performance

ProRankTracker guarantees that the information it has is not only up-to-date but also accurately shows the latest search trends. Additionally, ProRankTracker has great system uptime. This means there will be fewer interruptions, and it can track data continuously, which is really important for professionals who need constant information for their plans.

It further performs well in delivering comprehensive, customizable reports that provide deep insights into keyword rankings, competitor analysis, and SEO progress, all while supporting multiple languages and locations for truly global SEO strategies. The tool's robust keyword discovery and analysis capabilities and competitor tracking features help you stay ahead in your SEO game. 

Additionally, ProRankTracker's API access and reliable customer support make it a highly versatile and dependable choice for SEO professionals seeking to optimize their digital presence effectively and efficiently, with flexible pricing plans to suit various needs. Furthermore, the reviews and testimonials on ProRankTracker's website prove how genuine and powerful it is.  

ProRankTracker: Support

With every agency plan, you receive a Dedicated Customer Success Manager. These individuals are not just there to assist you but also to proactively lead you through your SEO journey with ProRankTracker. If you have any questions or face sudden obstacles late at night, their 24/7 quick ticket support system is available to give you prompt answers.

For a quick time solution, their Live Chat is staffed by support agents who are ready to help you, making assistance just a message away. And if you want a more personalized approach, they provide 1-on-1 guidance through your preferred video conferencing tools, such as Google Meet, Zoom, Teams, or Skype.

And for those who are good at self-learning, there is a comprehensive knowledge base full of self-help tutorials and videos. This library is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn independently or at their own pace.

ProRankTracker: The competition

Two services comparable to ProRankTracker are SEMRush and HubSpot Marketing. Here is how the three of them compare:

Price

ProRankTracker’s Starter plan starts at $13.50 per user per month, but HubSpot’s entry-level plan costs a higher $50 per user per month, making both these applications suitable for small to medium-sized businesses, however ProRankTracker is the better value. SEMRush is even higher and charges almost $100 per user per month for the basic plan although it comes with more functionality for higher-level plans, making it better suited for larger businesses. 

Business Setting

ProRankTracker plans work better for small and midsize companies (up to 1,000 users). HubSpot’s services are geared more towards startups and small companies, as most of their customers are businesses with fewer than 50 people. SEMRush is designed for use by professionals, as it supports larger deployments of 1,000+ users making it a great tool for the likes of professional marketing departments and public relations agencies. 

User interface

ProRankTracker and HubSpot both have slick and easy-to-use user interfaces. Sorting data, applying filters, or breaking down search terms can be done easily with just a few clicks. As a counterpoint, SEMRush is a little clunky with a somewhat cluttered look, and it is occasionally difficult to find certain filters and features, particularly with its steep learning curve.

ProRankTracker: Final verdict

ProRankTracker is a powerful SEO tool with a wide range of features for different SEO tasks. The keyword tracking feature stands out for its detailed insights and user-friendly interface. Plus, their mobile app lets you stay connected to your data on the go. However, it does have a steep learning curve for beginners who have not used a rank-tracking tool in the past. Plus, the pricing plans are also a bit on the higher end for individuals or small businesses. Despite these drawbacks, PRT comes with an exceptional toolset and offers plenty of rank-tracking and SERP-checking features, reports, API access, and support. All this makes it an ideal choice for SEO experts and agencies.  

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Keyword Tool review
1:40 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Keyword Tool is a powerful keyword research tool that uses Google's autocomplete feature to find tons of relevant keyword variations for you. You can also find the user search intent and untapped keywords and eventually optimize your content for better reach through this tool. It is primarily very useful if you’re a content creator, blogger, or online marketer. Along with some free features, Keyword Tool also offers some paid plans that have multiple features and use cases. But, before going for it, it's important that you understand its use case, pricing, detailed features, and even its customer support. In this review, we’ll cover all this and much more. We’ve gone through the tool step-by-step and created this guide to give you a one-stop solution for Keyword Tool’s accurate review.  

Keyword Tool: Plans and pricing

Keyword Tool pricing

(Image credit: Keyword Tool)

Keyword Tool.io offers a tiered pricing structure to cater to various user needs, from individual bloggers to large enterprises. The plans are divided into Pro Basic, Pro Plus, and Pro Business, each offering a set of features tailored to different levels of demand.

Pro Basic: This is the cheapest plan available in Keyword Tool and is priced at $69 per month (when billed annually). It is ideal for users who are looking for relevant keywords and search volume data. With this, you get features like volume data, more keywords, and bulk search volume analysis for one user account.

Pro Plus: Next up, is the Pro Plus plan charging  $79 per month (annual billing). It is probably the most subscribed plan of Keyword Tool as it builds on the Pro Basic simply by adding fixed cost-per-click data and competition data. It offers up to 5 user accounts and is ideal for small to medium-sized teams

Pro Business: Designed for larger organizations and agencies, this plan costs $159 per month (with annual billing). It offers all the features of the Pro Plus plan but extends the offering to include 50 API requests per day and up to 10 user accounts. This makes it the most expensive plan on the list and with the features available under this bundle, it is highly suitable for SEO agencies and websites that are highly dependent on keyword research and SEO. 

API Service 

Keyword Tool.io provides a robust API service for businesses and developers who need direct access to keyword data for integration into their tools or platforms. The API offers accurate search volume data and keyword suggestions for millions of keywords proving to be a reliable solution for large-scale keyword research and search volume analyses. There are various plans under their API services, including:

API Lite: Coming at $299 per month, this plan gives 100 API requests every single day and offers up to 100,000 keywords with search volume data daily.

API Basic: Priced at $999 monthly, the API Basic offers 400 API requests per day and up to 400,000 keywords with search volume data.

API Plus: Lastly, API Plus is the most expensive plan from Keyword Tool which is priced at $1,999 per month. In this,  you get 800 API requests daily and up to 800,000 keywords with search volume data. This comes in handy for large data and analytics companies.

Along with this, both the Pro plans and the API service come with a 30-day money-back guarantee which means that you can try the service risk-free and determine if it meets your needs.

Keyword Tool: Features

Extensive keyword suggestions across platforms 

Keyword tool features

(Image credit: Keyword Tool)

One of the primary features of Keyword Tool is to generate a vast array of long-tail keyword suggestions across various platforms including Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon, and eBay. For this, it uses Google Autocomplete to find highly relevant and frequently searched terms and delivers insights beyond what's available on Google Keyword Planner. This feature is super handy for developing actionable SEO strategies that extend beyond Google search, like optimization for video content on YouTube, product listings on Amazon, and more. All of this helps it present a holistic approach to keyword research​​​​. 

Keyword Tool features

(Image credit: Keyword Tool)

For those who opt for the Pro version, the Keyword Tool offers detailed insights into search volumes and trends for keywords. This data is crucial for prioritizing keywords based on potential Return On Investment (ROI). With the feature to discover profitable keywords that are not just frequently searched but have low competition as well, the Keyword Tool Pro gives you a strategic approach to content creation and SEO practices. For instance, it provides detailed search volume information, trends, and competitive analysis, all providing informed decisions that align with market demand and competition levels altogether​​. 

Competitor analysis

The competitor analysis feature of this tool is a game-changer for SEO strategists. However, you can only get your hands on this after subscribing to their paid plans. During our tests, as we entered a competitor's website URL, the tool revealed all the keywords they are ranking for, along with search volume, trends, and competition data. This feature can take you a step ahead of your competing websites by the identification of keyword opportunities that your competitors might be using efficiently. This real-time, accurate data supports strategic decision-making and helps refine SEO and content strategies to improve your rankings on the SERP.

Global and local SEO strategies 

Keyword Tool's support for over 192 Google domains and 83 different languages shows that it can lead your keyword research for global and local SEO strategies. This feature is a must-have for those businesses that operate in different markets or target specific geographic locations. It does this by presenting localized search volume data and trends, which signifies that your content and SEO strategies are effectively tailored to each market's unique characteristics and search behavior and helps maximize visibility and engagement across diverse audiences​​. 

Keyword Tool: Interface and in-use

Overall, the interface of Keyword Tool is quite neat and easy to use. You get a well-structured dashboard that has all the primary features and historical operations in front of you. And, even if you’re not a pro at keyword research, it has many guides and an easy-to-use toolset to get started.  From the moment you enter a seed keyword, the Keyword Tool efficiently generates a list of relevant long-tail keywords derived from Google Autocomplete. This process is not only quick but super efficient as it delivers up to 750+ keyword suggestions for each search term in the free version. Not to mention, the Pro version extends this number significantly.

Moreover, you can even filter keywords based on various parameters such as language and location, which adds a layer of customization. This enhances its utility for global and local SEO strategies. Plus, the streamlined experience is further complemented by the option to download keyword data in Excel or CSV formats. This is very useful if you want to run a large number of keyword research and analysis.

Keyword Tool: Support

Keyword Tool offers a ticketing support system where you can enter your query along with attachments to their team. During our tests, we got a response from their support team after a day which is fair considering that they’ve mentioned it themselves on their website. However, if in case you’re looking for instant support, we’re afraid that you might get stuck as their customer success team is available Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm, Gulf Standard Time (UTC+04:00). So, if you’re caught with some issues over the weekend, you can only wait till Monday to get a response.   

Keyword Tool: The competition

Keyword Tool faces tough competition from some of the industry leaders, including Moz Pro and Semrush. Primarily, Keyword Tool uses Google’s autocomplete features for keyword discovery and presents a streamlined, user-friendly interface ideal for those prioritizing simplicity and efficiency in keyword research. Now, this contrasts with the broader, more complex offerings of Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz Pro, which deliver features like site audits, rank tracking, and backlink analysis, catering to a wider spectrum of SEO needs.

However, it is the pricing factor that turns the needle towards Keyword Tool as its cheaper than most of these alternates and is a great option for budget-conscious people. However, Semrush, Moz Pro, and Ahrefs together might be at a higher price point but they also offer a plethora of tools and features to users. The learning curve associated with these comprehensive tools can be steeper, but they also promise greater scalability and data accuracy, crucial for in-depth SEO strategies. Ultimately, the choice between Keyword Tool and its more comprehensive counterparts hinges on the specific requirements of your SEO and marketing strategies, balancing the simplicity and focus of Keyword Tool against the all-encompassing, feature-rich nature of all-in-one SEO platforms.

Keyword Tool: Final verdict

Keyword Tool doesn’t ring bells in multiple sectors. It's very straightforward and focuses solely on Keyword research and search volume. This makes it a niche product coming at a budget price. Be it the user interface, reports, accuracy, or speed of operations, the Keyword Tool shines bright in all the domains. However, if you’re someone who wants a tool that can do a lot more than Keyword research like site audits, content optimization, rank tracking, etc., Keyword Tool will not be the ideal option for you. 

Advanced Web Ranking review
1:40 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Advanced Web Ranking (AWR) is a top-rated SEO tool that tracks search engine rankings, analyses competitors and pulls together detailed reports. It's built for SEO experts who need accurate, up-to-date information on how keywords are performing, how they stack up against the competition, and the latest trends in the market. It focuses on offering valuable data and detailed analytics to assist you in boosting your visibility across the SEO industry. 

As of now, users from more than 170 countries use their services, and they have over 24,000 active users. It further houses data segmentation tools, insightful performance metrics, a customizable web interface, and even unlimited user accounts.  In this review, we’re going to cover the best and worst of this SEO tool and everything that you should know before spending your money on it. 

Advanced Web Ranking: Plans and pricing

AWR comes with a wide range of paid plans that can accommodate both freelancers and large-scale agencies in the SEO industry. Starting with the Pro Plan, it's ideal for small to mid-sized businesses and costs $99/ month. It lets you conduct 7,000 keyword searches monthly and crack a few basic SEO goals. It further adds a competitor discovery feature that identifies rival websites based on your keyword list, as well as a market share tool. Plus, you get daily updates in this plan, which keeps you on track without drifting towards unnecessary info.

Going a step further, priced at $199 per month, we have the Agency Plan. It houses all the benefits of the Pro Plan with a few other perks. With a solid 14,500 keyword tracking, daily updates, customizable reports, and API access, this plan is helpful for solid research. Moreover, it also has white-label reports and one-hour updates to further boost the use case of the tool.

Advanced web ranking pricing and plans

(Image credit: Advanced Web Ranking)

Next up is the “Enterprise Plan,” which stands at $499/month. It includes all the features of the Agency Plan along with Data Migration Assistance, CSV exports to FTP, Priority Support from the Customer Care team, and Developer API. You get 35,000 keyword searches and can even export data from online plugins in this plan.

Lastly, AWR also offers a “Custom Plan,” which is tailored to your needs. It offers a wide search range, spanning from 50,000 to 3,20,000 keywords per month, and the price varies accordingly.

It even assigns a Dedicated Account Manager for prompt issue resolution and includes Security Audits for agency teams. Not to mention, Advance Web Ranking offers a 30-day free trial for all plans.

Advanced Web Ranking: Features

Here are the top features coming with AWR. 

AWR SERP features

(Image credit: Advanced Web Ranking)

SERP Features Analysis

AWR helps you track where your website shows up on different parts of search engine results pages, like featured snippets, local packs, knowledge panels, and image carousels. It provides valuable insights for SEO planning, such as identifying patterns and determining visibility in prominent search results. AWR also tells you if your pages appear in the top spots of search engine results, how often your content is featured in quick answer boxes, and if your local listings are reaching the right audience. Such information helps the users create content that can increase website traffic and engagement rates. 

Competitor Analysis

The competitive intelligence feature provides a thorough analysis of the competitor's strategies. The software not only monitors the user's progress but also watches up to 50 competitors and their performance. AWR's Competitor Insight feature delivers comprehensive data on your rivals' SEO strategies. It goes beyond basic rank tracking and presents which keywords your competitors are targeting, their positions in SERPs, and how their visibility compares to yours over time. This feature is useful for finding keyword gaps and opportunities you might be missing. It also provides insights into your competitors' top-performing content, giving you a clear direction on what topics or keywords could be beneficial to target.

White Labelling Service

AWR's White Labelling Service lets you fully customize and brand your reports and dashboards. Simply upload your company's logo, which will appear on all reports and dashboards for consistent branding. You can also adjust the color scheme to match your brand, creating a cohesive visual experience.

AWR offers the option to host these reports on your own domain, making it look like an integral part of your agency's website. This involves setting up a CNAME record in your DNS settings, redirecting a chosen subdomain to AWR's reporting platform, and making it look like a part of your agency's website.

Lastly, you can automate the delivery of these branded reports, eventually letting your clients receive regular updates directly from your system without an actual effort.

Usability

AWR has a user-friendly interface that suits both experienced SEO experts and beginners. The dashboard displays important SEO stats, such as rankings and competitor data, which users can customize according to their needs. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to navigate through different features, further helping beginners.

It also has extensive tutorials and customer support for users of all expertise levels, from basic setups to advanced analysis. On top of this, it makes sure that users can make the most of the tool regardless of their experience.

Customizable Reports

As the name suggests, with the customizable reports feature in AWR, you can choose the metrics and data points that matter most to your project or client. This includes keyword rankings, competitor analysis, visibility scores, or any combination of metrics AWR tracks. Simply select the data, choose a layout, and decide how to visualize it with charts, tables, or summaries. These reports can be generated with the company's brand logo, which is essential to maintain a brand identity. Plus, we were also able to generate and deliver reports automatically, which saved a lot of time. 

Data Comprehension

AWR gives access to ranking data from over 3,000 search engines and simplifies it into easy-to-understand formats, using visual analytics like graphs, charts, and tables to showcase trends and patterns. 

We also observed that it provides the data in a very easy-to-understand format. With the option to filter user statistics by location, device type, and more, it becomes effortless to analyze the data.  Additionally, you can also add annotations and notes to highlight important events or changes that may impact your SEO strategy. It even has the ability to surpass Google's restrictions on accessing history, which is usually limited to 50 days in the past. And, if you’re someone who wants to implement it with other tools, AWR has integrations with Google Looker Studio, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Advanced Web Ranking: Interface and use

AWR has a super-dynamic and user-friendly interface. You can easily personalize and filter out unnecessary information by simply using its Dashboard. In the same way, you can also use different filters to sort out the information according to the specific time period and type of data. Plus, colorful graphs and charts help you see clearly how you rank in various searches. And you can refine your view by selecting specific elements through each filter. 

Advanced Web Ranking: Support

If you’re ever stuck somewhere or have a query, AWR offers both call(lines set up only for US and UK customers) support and email support. They also have a form in their “Contact Us” section where you can ask your query and submit it. While we tested this, we got a reply from AWR’s support team in a couple of hours. Moreover, they provide extensive learning materials, including blogs, FAQs, and video tutorials.  

Advanced Web Ranking: The Competition

Although AWR is one of the best rank-tracking tools out in the market, there are a few things where it lags behind. And this is where its competitors shine well. On top of the list is SEMrush. This SEO tool has everything you need, like finding keywords, checking backlinks, analyzing competitors, and an easy-to-use interface. On the other hand, KWFinder and ProRankTracker are more suitable for helping users find the right keywords by analyzing their competition. 

KWFinder provides a wide range of 45 filters, surpassing what we discovered with AWR. Additionally, ProRankTracker can help users with comprehensive site audits, a feature that AWR lacks. On top of this, since AWR stopped its $49/month Starter Plan, many agencies have switched to other budget-friendly alternatives. That said, AWR still sits on the creamy layer of rank-tracking tools when it comes to extensive data and reliability. 

Advanced Web Ranking: Final Verdict

AWR is a great option for people who want to keep track of their website's performance in organic searches. It has a user-friendly interface and powerful features to help you monitor your website's ranking. Additionally, its customizable and detailed reports, help the agencies to improve their online presence and attract more visitors. 

However, there's room for improvement in AWR's customer support and price plans.  Not to mention how many unnecessary features make its use complex, unlike other tools and alternative software. That said, it still caters to anyone and everyone who prioritizes SERP ranking and data. So, if you're specifically looking for a tool that can deliver accurate and crisp data on your organic visibility, AWR can be a great tool for you. 

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