'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
The best LastPass alternatives of 2023
Back in February 2021, LastPass announced some big changes to its free offering. Changes that weren't good. Changes that make the service more restrictive for people who want to access their passwords across multiple mobile devices and computers.
The changes restricted free accounts to one device type, either PCs or mobile devices, with support for additional types moving over to Premium and Family plans.
Then, LastPass was subject to a security incident in December 2022 -- its second of the year. In a March update, the company said the first incident involved the compromise of a software engineer's laptop, and "information stolen in the first incident was used to identify targets and initiate the second incident." In the second scenario, an attacker gained unauthorized access to cloud backups, including "system configuration data, API secrets, third-party integration secrets, and encrypted and unencrypted LastPass customer data" -- although no user master passwords were involved, as LastPass doesn't store them.
LastPass is a consumer and business-focused password manager which stores account credentials, autofills forms, synchronizes passwords across multiple devices (with the right plan), and manages a vault that can only be decrypted and accessed at the device level -- which means that only you have access with your master password.
However, considering the recent issues and restrictions, you may now be looking for a different password vault and manager. These are the best LastPass alternatives on the market in 2023.
Also: How to completely remove your data from LastPass's servers (eventually)
- Great security
- Easy to use
- Fully-featured password manager
- Advanced features require payment (although most users will be able to live without these)
Bitwarden features: Home or business plans available | Password manager | Autofill capabilities | Device synchronization | AES-256 encryption | Password health monitor
Bitwarden says that "everyone should have access to password security tools," and to support this, the company offers a free subscription that offers unlimited syncing across all your devices, a password generator, and even the option to self-host your data.
It's also platform-agnostic, offering solutions for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, and on the browser front, it covers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and more, with open source transparency a bonus.
For $10 a year -- yes, a year -- you can unlock advanced features such as Bitwarden Authenticator, two-step login and authentication, with YubiKey, U2F, Duo, a vault health report, and the ability to set up emergency access.
Bitwarden is a fantastic choice both for those looking for a free option or a paid service. As an alternative to premium subscriptions, you can also sign up for a family plan at $3.33 per month, or a business package starting at $3 per month, per user.
- Ability to store passwords and other data
- Unlimited device support
- The premium plan is very competitive
- Free plan restricted to one active device
NordPass features: Password manager | Data breach scanner | Autofill | Credit card and note storage | Free trial | Home and business plans | 30-day money-back guarantee
The free plan allows you to store unlimited passwords, notes, and credit cards and sync them to an unlimited number of devices, but you can only have one active device (in other words, you'll be logged out of other devices).
The premium plan, which starts at $1.69 a month if you take out a two-year plan, is one of the best-value premium offering out there. NordPass will then include a data breach scanner, detection for weak and reused passwords, and the ability to stay logged in to up to six devices at a time with one user account.
A free trial is available for the home and business plans, no credit card required.
- Seamless across the Apple ecosystem
- Easy to use
- It doesn't work on non-Apple devices
- The cost of entry into the Apple club is high
Apple iCloud Keychain features: Apple ecosystem compatibility | Account credential synchronization | Autofill | Easy setup
This is a great choice for those in the Apple ecosystem. Save a password on one device, and it's available on all your Apple devices.
It works well for saving web and app login details, but it's not really suited to other passwords and things like PIN codes. However, should you forget a password -- whether it's for your social media or your router -- Apple has made it easy to tap into your credential list.
It's free, but the cost of entry into the Apple ecosystem can hardly be considered free.
- A great cross-platform solution for Google Chrome users
- Passwords accessible across different devices
- Restricted to passwords and can't store other data like PIN codes and such
- Lacking the advanced security features of a dedicated password manager
Google Chrome password storage features: Password management | Autofill | Data breach checker | Free vault | Cross-platform
If you're a Google Chrome user, then you already have a cross-platform password manager that will work anywhere you have Google Chrome installed and signed in to your Google Account.
It works well for saving web and app login details and is easy to synchronize, but it's not really suited to other credentials like PIN codes. This password manager is worth considering If you're after a barebones password vault.
- Free and open source
- Not cloud-based
- Relies on unofficial ports
Keepass features: Open source technologies | Password manager | AES-256, ChaCha20 and Twofish encryption
Not a cloud service, but a free, open source, lightweight and easy-to-use password manager for Windows. Not using Windows? There are unofficial ports for a variety of platforms, including Android, macOS, iOS and iPadOS. Indeed, there is a huge range of plugins and extensions available. However, it does lack the seamless cloud synchronization of many modern password managers.
Still, as an open source offering, KeePass is a great (and free) LastPass alternative for more technically-minded users.
What is the best LastPass alternative for you?
LastPass, despite recent restrictions for its free plans, remains a solid option for a password manager and security vault. However, if you want to explore alternative offerings, there is a huge range of options available to you.
You should decide on an alternative by considering factors including price points, whether or not you need a multi-platform vault, and whether or not you are looking for a business-ready product.
LastPass alternative | Price | Multi-platform? | Business plans available? | Open source? |
Bitwarden | Free to $5 per month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
NordPass | Free, $1.69 for a premium plan | ✓ | ✓ | x |
Apple iCloud Keychain | Free | x | x | x |
Google Chrome password storage | Free | ✓ | x | x |
KeePass | Free | Unofficial ports | x | ✓ |
What is the best LastPass alternative?
My pick for the best LastPass alternative is Bitwarden. It has both free and affordable subscription options for both individuals and companies that support single sign-on portals, syncing across unlimited devices, and advanced security features to keep your personal and professional profiles safe.
Bitwarden also works across multiple web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari as well as different operating systems like Windows/Android, Mac/iOS, and Linux.
Choose this LastPass alternative... | If you need... |
Bitwarden | An affordable, encrypted password manager that works with multiple systems and browsers. Bitwarden is a one-stop-shop alternative to LastPass. |
Apple iCloud Keychain | A password manager for your Apple device network, and you aren't worried about a product for the Windows or Android ecosystem. |
Google Chrome password storage | A free password manager for your Chrome profiles. Best suited for users of the Chome browser who need a slick, easy-to-use password manager. |
NordPass | A free or very affordable password manager for your PC and mobile devices. NordPass also offers a VPN service, although it can be pricey. |
KeePass | A free and open-source password manager. It might not be the most attractive user interface, but by being open source, the solution's security practices are transparent. |
How did I choose these password managers?
In putting together this list of the best password managers, I looked at third-party reviews and opinions from security experts. I also have hands-on experience with these password management tools, because that's the only way to really get to know how usable a service like this actually is.
My brief descriptions are not intended to be comprehensive but rather are designed to help you decide on an alternative to LastPass, depending on your situation, needs, and budget.
After you narrow down possible contenders, you really should test them yourself to ensure they meet your expectations.
How hard is it to move from one password manager to another?
Not hard at all. Most services offer ways to export your data as a CSV (Comma Separated Variable) file that can be imported into your destination service.
How this is done depends on the service you're moving from and to. Information on how to export a CSV file out of LastPass can be found here.
What is LastPass?
LastPass is a password manager that stores your passwords online so they can be accessed across your various devices. LastPass supports millions of users, but its reputation has taken a recent battering due to security incidents in 2022.
How do password managers work?
Different password managers have different user experiences and different feature sets, but all offer subscribers a similar set of core features:
- A password generator
- Secure sharing of passwords with trusted contacts
- Form filling, including the option to automatically enter credit card details
- Secure notes
- A sync engine that replicates the database across devices, using a cloud service or a local host
Are there any other LastPass alternatives worth considering?
If none of the above recommendations suit your needs, I have researched and listed several alternatives below.
BEST PRICE
LogMeOnce - A free, ad-supported product
LogMeOnce offers a free ad-supported service that offers unlimited passwords across unlimited devices. You can also get a password generator and the ability to store credit cards.
BEST PRICE
Norton Password manager - A free option from a respected company
A simple-to-use extension, mobile app, and vault. Remember to write down your vault password, though.
BEST PRICE
1Password - $2.99 per month
1Password is a subscription-based one-stop-shop password manager for consumers and business users.
Want to know more about password managers?
Everyone needs a password manager.
For a comprehensive list of the best password managers available, see ZDNET's separate guide, where we reviewed six premium password managers that offer a full set of features: