Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. However, any earnings do not affect how we review services. Learn more about our editorial integrity and research process.

Best Free Password Manager

Best Free Password Manager in 2024: Best Free Password App for Multiple Devices

Password managers are critical for ensuring your online security, and you shouldn’t skimp on the tool if you don’t have the budget for a premium plan. This guide covers five of the best free password manager options to ensure quality online security.

Mauricio PreussAleksander HougenVildana Bratic

Written by Mauricio Preuss (CEO & Co-Founder)

Reviewed by Aleksander Hougen (Managing Editor)

Facts checked by Vildana Bratic (Video Editor, Fact-Checking Editor)

Last Updated: 2024-02-09T21:38:00+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

A password manager is one of the de facto standards for making your online life more secure. Weak passwords can take seconds to break by brute force. Using duplicate passwords can mean that one data breach provides a hacker access to many of your accounts. Using an encrypted vault can prevent both of those scenarios, and the best free password manager will do it at zero cost.

Key Takeaways:

  • Bitwarden is the best password manager for free, providing nearly premium features at no cost and with trusted security.
  • Sticky Password or Zoho Vault have good free plans that will cover most use cases.
  • RoboForm provides key features if you don’t mind a little extra effort, and LastPass is slick but limited.

For these top free password managers, we used our overall ratings for the best password managers to select quality service providers that offer free plans. Any of these services will secure your accounts — whether you’re switching services or just starting with a password manager. Plus, most have paid plans if you really like what they offer.

As a spoiler, Bitwarden takes first place as a strong and full-featured free password manager. Its industry-standard security practices are externally audited and verified through its open-source development model. The free plan even allows you to share your vault with a friend. There’s more of course, so read on for details on Bitwarden and the top competitors.

  • 11/04/2022 Facts checked

    Rewrote the review; updated ordering of services, prices and overall justifications. Removed RememBear, as the service will be discontinued July 18, 2023.

Top Free Password Managers

  1. 1
    • :
    • :
    • :
    • : Android, iOS
    • :
    $0.83 / month(All Plans)
  2. 2
    • :
    • :
    • :
    • :
    • :
    $2.50 / month(All Plans)
  3. 3
    • :
    • :
    • :
    • :
    • :
    $0.90 / month(save 10%)(All Plans)
  4. 4
    • :
    • :
    • :
    • :
    • :
    $1.66 / month(save 16%)(All Plans)
  5. 5
    • :
    • :
    • :
    • :
    • :
    $3 / month(All Plans)

What Makes the Best Free Password Manager?

The best password manager should be secure and easy to use for your digital lifestyle. It has to work with your apps and accounts while fitting your budget. 

However, the best free password managers fit anyone’s budget. You only have to check whether the free version meets your needs. For instance, a premium version might provide dark web monitoring or biometric authentication.

We tested and evaluated the security and usability of these free password managers. We looked at the apps and browser extensions for features like password generation, password sharing and encrypted storage. A password manager should be more than just a password vault. It should be a security manager. Here are the best free password managers to consider.

  1. Bitwarden — Fully featured, open source and multi-device; unlimited credentials
  2. Sticky Password — Strong features, nice mobile and desktop apps, secure notes
  3. Zoho Vault — Solid app and features; needs additional Zoho apps for best results
  4. RoboForm — Plenty of free features, but multi-device requires manual importing
  5. LastPass — Great usability and features, but limited to a single device

There are actually plenty of free password managers out there. Unfortunately, most have a crippling limitation that’s a non-starter. We want to recommend a tool that works well; free users shouldn’t be limited to the barely passable. On this list, Bitwarden stands out for providing many of its paid features along with its verified security. It also allows for two shared vaults.

Sticky Password looks great, with its secure notes feature, but it doesn’t have multiple vaults. Zoho Vault is definitely feature rich, but you need to incorporate its Zoho ecosystem. 

RoboForm has really improved its usability, but you can’t auto-sync with the free version. Lastly, LastPass is still quite usable despite its security breaches, though it can only be used on a single device type.

The 5 Best Free Password Managers 

Now let’s dig in and take a deeper look. You’ll be well-served if you choose based on the bulleted list alone, but keep reading if you need extra details. Hopefully, we’ll cover some crucial requirements that will make your selection easier.

1. Bitwarden

bitwarden free ui
Bitwarden’s freemium open-source model means you can pay less and still benefit from improvements made for the business and enterprise users.

More details about Bitwarden:

  • Pricing: Free, $0.83 per month (one-year plan)
  • Provider website: bitwarden.com

Pros:

  • Unlimited devices & passwords
  • Open-source & externally audited
  • Two user vaults per free account

Cons:

  • Security dashboard not included in free version

Many lists include Bitwarden as one of those top-notch password managers, with a free tier that can compete with some premium password managers. Other password managers do have some slick dashboards and reporting tools, but even the free Bitwarden plan has enterprise security features.

Signing up for Bitwarden Free will get you all the core features. You get a secure password generator and can store credential data or notes for all your accounts. Usernames and passwords automatically fill when you go to login pages. The service will sync passwords, whether you’re on a computer or using a mobile device. Those key functions are built in and easy to use.

Share Your Secrets With Someone Special

Sharing your vault with a second user is what really sets Bitwarden’s free plan apart. Without paying a cent, you have unlimited password sharing with someone else. You can organize your passwords into specifically shared folders, or you can synchronize everything between vaults.

Some paid password managers don’t even provide that capability.

Bitwarden’s two-user sharing is especially perfect if you’re looking for a plan with a significant other. The other user’s vault instantly becomes a backup location for all your stored passwords. Plus, that friend or spouse also gets access to accounts that might be crucial for emergency access. This feature is key to making Bitwarden an excellent free password manager.

bitwarden pricing
The Bitwarden free plan is enough to improve your online security, but you won’t have to pay much if you ever want to upgrade to one of its paid tiers.

Bitwarden does a lot for the low cost of free. You get an open-source password manager that has been externally audited, and you can store your passwords in a secure encrypted vault. It will even integrate with your two-factor authentication app. If you do want an upgrade, it’s only $0.83 a month. Features like encrypted file storage will cost $3.33 a month.

If you stick with the free plan, Bitwarden will still keep your credentials safe while enabling secure password sharing with a friend. You won’t get a nice dashboard though, so it isn’t easy to know whether you have weak or duplicate passwords. If that doesn’t bother you, check out Bitwarden. If you still need more, read our Bitwarden review.

Free
  • Unlimited storage, Multi-device sync, 2FA
Premium
  • 1GB of encrypted file storage, Additional 2FA options, Password health reports, Priority customer service
More plans
Teams Organization
  • Per user, includes all premium features
Enterprise Organization
  • Per user, includes all premium features and families plan for all users,

2. Sticky Password

stickypass free ui
It’s almost quaint to have a full desktop app, but Sticky Password keeps its features available whether you use a desktop, a web browser or a mobile device.

More details about Sticky Password:

Pros:

  • Secure digital wallet & notes
  • Many OS & desktop options
  • Desktop & travel versions

Cons:

  • Free users lack shared vaults
  • No emergency access
  • Manual sync required between devices

Our second choice for free password managers is Sticky Password. It earns that place by being well-grounded in features while offering a few unique capabilities. It also doesn’t skimp on core requirements like strong encryption or password generation. Likewise, it has unlimited password storage, good apps and nice browser extensions, and its security dashboard is helpful too.

The service does have one major drawback: You can’t automatically sync between devices. Instead, you’ll have to export passwords from computer to mobile and vice versa. Then again, that might not be a dealbreaker if you don’t change accounts that often. Just remember that master password. With it, the service will work on as many devices as you like.

It’s Not Just on the Web

Sticky Password is one of the few password managers that isn’t entirely web- or app-based. Because of that, you can autofill passwords for some of your apps on Mac or Windows. Installing the application only takes a few moments, and it offers a similar interface to its web extension.

Additionally, it has an offline and portable version, which means you can keep your passwords close while traveling. The portable version doesn’t need to be installed, so you could even run it from a thumb drive. That’s only available for Windows users, and free users will have to export from other devices to keep their vault updated.

stickypass free cta
Sticky Password supports all the major browsers and operating systems, and it provides its full functionality for free.

Quality free software is becoming increasingly rare, but Sticky Password provides a password management application and a password manager service at zero charge. 

The desktop app looks like it came from the last decade, but that might not be a deal breaker for some users. Despite its aesthetics, it’s still perfectly capable and easy to navigate.

If you opt for the paid plan — costing $3.33 per month — Sticky Password will synchronize across all your devices and its cloud per your settings. You can still limit that process if you prefer. Still, Sticky Password free is a nice password manager, and it doesn’t cost anything to give it a try. Check it out, or read our Sticky Password review to learn more.

Free
  • Unlimited storage, Digital wallet, Portable version

3. Zoho Vault

zoho vault free ui
The Zoho dashboard gives you a great snapshot of your password security, and you can click on specific charts to get details.

More details about Zoho Vault:

  • Pricing: Free, $1 per month (one-month plan)
  • Provider website: zoho.com

Pros:

  • Many professional features
  • Attractive security dashboard
  • Passwords folders for sharing

Cons:

  • Confusing user interface
  • Emphasizes Zoho ecosystem

The free Zoho Vault offers enterprise-level password manager features. Tools are included to provide password reports and activity auditing. Basic functions — like generating strong passwords and auto login — work well. You also get unified synchronization across unlimited devices.

Zoho caters more to businesses than individual users — it’s one of the best password managers for small businesses. The average user will probably never need to export a PDF about their imported passwords. Some of the enterprise features could be hidden to streamline the service. It’s also annoying that you have to use Zoho’s 2FA app to enable two-factor authentication, and the file attachment feature only works with Zoho mail.

A Dashboard That Really Works

Zoho recently upgraded its user interface, and that’s a good thing. A few questionable choices remain, but those extra buttons can be ignored. An extra worth keeping is the Zoho Vault dashboard, which gives you a pretty set of color-coded charts and graphs about the security of your login credentials.

Zoho Vault lets you click on a chart to display all affected items. Risky categories include weak passwords, reused credentials or passwords that include a username. In our testing, eight imported accounts had reused passwords. We then launched the associated websites from the dashboard and used Zoho’s password generator to create new complex passwords for each account.

zoho free cta
There’s an admirable list of features for Zoho Vault, but keep in mind that some of those features require additional Zoho apps or accounts.

Zoho Vault has some unique quirks that stem from its enterprise focus, but don’t let that dissuade you from the password manager service. It still allows for unlimited passwords on multiple devices, and it will sync passwords wherever you login. It’s a safe password manager, even if you’re only using the free version.

To upgrade from the free plan, the standard tier is $0.90 per month. For groups, the Professional and Enterprise plans require at least five users. They cost a respective $4.50 and $7.20 per user per month. 

Just remember that all of Zoho’s plans have an expectation that you’ll use additional Zoho products to enable features like encrypted file attachments or 2FA. You can read our Zoho Vault review to learn more.

Free
  • Unlimited password storage
Standard
  • User management, Vault backup, G Suite & Office 365 integration
Professional
  • User groups, Password groups, Password changer
Enterprise
  • SSO for cloud apps, Password event notifications, Integration with OKTA & OneLogin

4. RoboForm

roboform free ui
Efforts have been made to improve the RoboForm user interface, so it’s gained some nice dark-mode capabilities along with a simplified menu.

More details about RoboForm:

  • Pricing: Free, $1.99 per month (one-year plan)
  • Provider website: roboform.com

Pros:

  • Easy to use on many devices
  • Customized identities
  • Useful security center 

Cons:

  • No auto sync on devices
  • Menus don’t auto-close
  • No 2FA or emergency access without subscription

RoboForm is another solid free online password manager. It matches features with most password managers on this list, including unlimited password storage. It can generate strong passwords, and the autofill feature allows easy access to your accounts. The security center will also identify credentials that are weak or at risk for being reused.

As with the other password manager services, its security is locked behind a master password. Unfortunately, you can’t use two-factor authentication on the free plan. Additionally, RoboForm’s free plan doesn’t synchronize between devices. For multiple devices, you’ll have to manually export and import to keep everything similar.

Craft Your Own Identity

Most password managers have multiple login types or categories to choose from. A few others have secure notes or document storage. RoboForm includes another data type: identities. These are individual items that have form entries for phone numbers, email addresses, credit cards or bank accounts. A whole contact list can be built in the secure RoboForm vault.

Another neat thing about identities is that they don’t have to be different people. You can create different identities based on parts of your life, like business and home. You could organize all your workplace keycards and purchase cards away from your private details. For similar reasons, a secret agent might also appreciate the feature.

roboform free cta
It’s worth noting that RoboForm advertises emergency access for free accounts, but it requires someone to have an active subscription to unlock another account.

RoboForm is a good password manager, and it’s one of the best free password managers. Its free version provides everything needed for the average user. You can store passwords and use the password generator to make better passwords. Its main weak point is the synchronization limitation, but that won’t matter if you don’t mind exporting passwords between devices.

For automatic synchronization, you’ll have to upgrade to the Everywhere plan for $1.99 per month, annually. The Family plan includes that feature for $3.98 a month annually for up to five users. Business plans are also available, but the plan is priced per user at $3.33 per month, annually. If it sounds tempting, check our RoboForm review for more details. 

5. LastPass

lastpass free ui
There’s been a lot of debate about LastPass’ security recently, but there’s no denying that it’s a well-built platform.

More details about LastPass:

  • Pricing: Free, $3 per month (one-month plan)
  • Provider website: lastpass.com

Pros:

  • Good UI & browser extensions
  • Nicely organized data groups
  • Easy to share passwords with LastPass users 

Cons:

  • Several security breaches in recent years
  • Free account on 1 device only
  • No security dashboard for free users

LastPass has lost several points due to security breaches and plan changes in the last few years. The password manager had one security breach in 2019 and another in 2022; that’s not great for a password manager company that you need to trust. Then, LastPass also changed its free plan so that it only worked with one device type. Free users also lost email support access.

Despite all that, we still think it’s one of the best free password managers for families and small teams. After all, it still has unlimited password storage, a great user interface and built-in, secure password sharing. Users also get two-factor authentication from a third-party app or by using LastPass’ free password manager app. You just have to be picky about the device you use.

Design a Good Experience

Through all of its challenges and hiccups, LastPass continues to triumph with its attractive interface. It sets the standard for a password manager when it comes to ease of use and a well-designed workflow. New users are greeted by animated menus directing their attention to each of its features. Power users will appreciate how menus can be tucked away.

Adding items is snappy too. All of LastPass operates through a cloud-based infrastructure. Your encrypted vault gets sent to a dedicated data center. That shows, as a LastPass account hardly seems to lag or pause for processing. Combined with the well-designed interface, it makes for a satisfying user experience.

lastpass free cta
LastPass may have lost trust due to breaches and their changed business model, but there are still great features for those who need a free option.

The best password managers should be mostly transparent to a user. Enter your passwords once, and let the service take care of the rest. LastPass provides that user experience. They earned a place at the top of password manager lists. That hasn’t really changed, but the terms have been adjusted. If you only use one device, that might not even matter.

If you can afford it, $3 per month gets you LastPass Premium — it’s there that its well-designed features really shine. Or, families can share six vaults for $4 per month. Team and Business plans are $4 and $6 for enhanced capabilities, respectively. Our LastPass review will tell you more, or you can give LastPass Free a try.

Free
  • Unlimited storage
Premium
  • Priority support One-to-many sharing Application autofill Multi-device sync
Families
  • Protection for six users Family dashboard Unlimited shared folders Multi-device sync
More plans
Teams
  • Price per user Admin dashboard 5-50 users Standard reporting Multi-device sync
Business
  • Price per user Includes all Teams features Unlimited users 3 SSO apps with MFA LastPass Families for employees

Final Thoughts: Free Password Management

Password management can be an expensive game, but luckily you don’t have to pay to play. All of these free services can secure your accounts and save you from a data breach. Almost any password manager will give you peace of mind, but these free password managers also help you keep a piece of your paycheck.

Use this list to sample a few options before you choose a paid password manager. At the very least, a paid service should match the best free password managers. For a free version, choose any of these five. Bitwarden is our top recommendation, but any on this list will protect login credentials. Just keep a strong master password and let the software do the rest.

We hope our list was helpful, and we hope reviews like this influence password managers to continue to improve. Did we highlight any of your favorite password manager? If not, what would you recommend as the best free password managers? Let us know, and thank you for reading through our recommendations.

FAQ

  • Yes. Many password managers are safe no matter their price, and our team has tested and researched these password managers to ensure that they are trustworthy. All the services we recommend here are safe, and Bitwarden is the best free option.

  • We think that Bitwarden has the best free Android app for all your passwords. It can store unlimited passwords, has password sharing and uses externally validated security features.

  • Passwords should be stored in password managers that protect them from being lost or stolen. Most password managers store login data in a password vault that is backed up and encrypted.

  • Our top free password managers are all easy to use for desktop and mobile devices. Bitwarden is easiest to use for providing unlimited devices and passwords with a well-designed app.

↑ Top