By: Gunnar KallstromHead of Information Systems and Cybersecurity Research
Password managers are invaluable tools to assist your family in generating and remembering strong passwords, filling out online forms, and safeguarding sensitive information. Use this list to discover the ideal password that caters to your family’s needs.
Best password managers for families
(4.8)
1Password consistently ranks among the best password managers for individuals, so it only makes sense it would be the best for families, too. All the features people love on an individual level are offered with family plans plus more: guest accounts and basic monitoring, all for only $4.99 per month.
| Starting price 4.8/5 | Platform compatibility 5.0/5 | User experience (UX) 5.0/5 | Form filling 5.0/5 | Security 4.5/5 | Two-factor authentication (2FA) 5.0/5 | Storage capability | Top features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.99 per month | Works with almost every operating system and browser. | User-friendly design gives a concise view of all available features. | Automatically populates login, billing, and shipping information and bypasses CAPTCHA requirements. | Uses robust AES 256-bit encryption with a Secret Key for optimum security. | 2FA available with authenticator apps, security keys, or Duo. | 1GB per person for most plans or 5GB per user for business plan. |
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1Password remains one of the best password managers I’ve tested. In a crowded market, it stands out for its exceptional user interface (UI) and value, especially for family plans.
While 1Password doesn’t offer the lowest-cost family plan on this list, I chose it as the best for families overall because I feel it offers the best value for the price. You can find other great cheaper password managers, but, in my opinion, 1Password offers superior features and usability that warrant its marginally higher price.
These features include military-grade AES 256-bit encryption alongside a Secret Key to keep your data safe. It also has one of the best 2FA features I’ve encountered that includes a wide variety of authentication options. To date, there’s no evidence of 1Password ever being hacked.
The family plan includes basic reporting capabilities, which are essentially just monitoring your account, but I consider this a huge asset over the individual plan. Family plans also include the option to add guest accounts, although this costs $1 per guest.
Who is 1Password best for?
1Password is best for families of all sizes who can use the additional features for a flat rate of $4.99 per month.
Recent upgrades to 1Password:
The newest version of 1Password, called 1Password 8, introduces dark mode and more admin features, like copying, archiving, and creating password groups. 1Password 8 also offers full support on Linux, further expanding 1Password’s operating system compatibility.
You’ll also find entry editing is easier in the latest version, and improved performance and security. Finally, item icons have been updated, the sidebar was redesigned, and there’s now a detailed view for items and vaults.
1Password pricing:
While 1Password is the only password manager on this list that doesn’t offer an always-free plan, these free options are always limited to individuals only. Families must pay for a premium plan with any password manager they choose, and 1Password’s pricing is competitive.
For $4.99 per month, families of two and more can access all of the password manager’s features except single sign-on (SSO), available only to Business and Enterprise customers. There’s no limit on the number of users. Dashlane’s Friends & Family plan cuts off at 10 people and costs $7.49 per month. LastPass’s costs $4 per month but limits you to only six people. You can get a 14-day free trial on all of 1Password’s plans, compared to up to 30 days for free with Dashlane and LastPass.
Pros and cons of 1Password
Best customer support password manager for families
(4.7)
Dashlane offers a compelling value on all plans, but it is the only password manager to offer a virtual private network (VPN) — and for only $4.99 per month. That said, this premium plan is for individuals only. However, all plans benefit from Dashlane’s live chat customer support, which is far superior to the email and FAQ support offered by 1Password and LastPass.
| Starting price 5.0/5 | Platform compatibility 5.0/5 | User experience (UX) 4.8/5 | Form filling 4.8/5 | Security 4.8/5 | Two-factor authentication (2FA) 4.3/5 | Storage capability | Top features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Works with Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, OS, iOS, Android | Simplistic and easy to navigate. | Automatically populates login information but occasionally struggles to recognize other fields. | Uses top-notch AES 256-bit encryption with zero-knowledge architecture and live dark web monitoring. | 2FA available on all plans. | From 1GB to 1GB per person, depending on the plan |
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While Dashlane is not the cheapest password manager, it does have one of the widest plan varieties. I think the best value is the premium plan, which includes a VPN for only $4.99 per month, which would cost $12.99 on its own. While Dashlane’s version is more limited than if you bought the VPN separately, it’s still a tremendous value.
Dashlane’s plans use military-grade AES 256-bit encryption and include various premium features, such as live dark web monitoring and a password health checker. Your data is also protected by its zero-knowledge architecture, which encrypts information at the device level rather than in the cloud. I haven’t found evidence of any security breaches with Dashlane.
The family plan is a bit more expensive than competitors but allows up to 10 individuals compared to LastPass’s cheaper plan, which caps you to six users. Unfortunately, there is no free trial for the family plan. But you can always test drive the premium plan for 30 days or try the always-free version, which is more limited than the premium offerings.
What stands out to me about Dashlane is its support available via live chat rather than email or support tickets, as with many of its competitors, including 1Password and LastPass. This could be a real asset, especially to family users or anyone new to password managers.
Who is Dashlane best for?
Dashlane is best for newbies or folks who think they’ll need assistance getting it up and running, as it offers the best support of any password manager I’ve tested. VPN users will also find tremendous value in its premium plan, which includes a VPN.
Recent upgrades to Dashlane:
Dashlane’s latest upgrade brought a new CSV import process for moving information from other password managers into Dashlane. You’ll also find a bulk delete function that helps you quickly clean up information you no longer need, and a new extension lets you add your own linked websites and subdomains to your logins that share the same Dashlane account.
Dashlane pricing:
Dashlane is on the more expensive side where password managers are concerned, but it is also a testament to the adage “You get what you pay for.” All of its plans offer tremendous value for the price, with a special nod to the premium VPN plan.
Families of up to 10 won’t break the bank either at $7.49 per month with the Friends & Family plan that includes all the features you could need, including live chat support. That said, 1Password and LastPass are both much cheaper options at $4.99 per month and $4 per month, respectively.
Pros and cons of Dashlane
Best low-cost password manager for families
(4.4)
LastPass is the best cheap password manager for families with a rock-bottom price of $4 per month, plus the option to earn a 10% discount for exploring everything it offers.
| Starting price 4.5/5 | Platform compatibility 5.0/5 | User experience (UX) 5.0/5 | Form filling 4.5/5 | Security 3.0/5 | Two-factor authentication (2FA) 4.7/5 | Storage capability | Top features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Works with ChromeOS, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge, iOS, Android, Windows PC, MacOS, Linux | Understandable and generally simple to navigate, plus rewards you for exploring. | Easily create data sets for automatic form filling. | AES 256-bit encryption | Included with all plans. | Ranges from zero storage on free plan up to 1GB per person on group plans. |
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LastPass’s family plan offers a compelling value at only $4 per month for up to six users. You can also get a 10% discount on that price by completing different “achievements” as part of the onboarding process. I’ve yet to find any other password manager that offers this type of rewards program, but I think it’s a great idea.
LastPass’s family plan offers a range of features, but a few are notably missing, including guest accounts, which none of the plans offer. Also, SSO and reporting are only offered on the team and business plans.
I think LastPass mainly falls behind its competitors in support. While it boasts high levels of support, I had a less-than-satisfactory experience getting issues resolved. Customer service is primarily a self-serve exploration of FAQs with the option to submit a support ticket and wait an indeterminate amount of time for a tech expert to respond.
Compared to Dashlane’s live chat feature, this type of support was hard to swallow. That said, you only pay $4 per month with LastPass compared to $7.49 with Dashlane.
Finally, while LastPass uses the same military-grade AES 256-bit encryption as 1Password and Dashlane, it has been the target of several data breaches over the years.
Who is LastPass best for?
LastPass is a great option for families of six or fewer looking for an inexpensive password manager. It includes all the features most people could want for one of the lowest prices on the market. However, don’t expect top-notch support for a rock-bottom price as LastPass largely leaves you to your own fixes when problems arise.
Recent upgrades to LastPass:
LastPass has an updated browser extension interface and 2FA support for YubiKey. Business clients will appreciate the new support for adding multi-factor authentication to incoming Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connection requests.
LastPass pricing:
LastPass has the lowest-cost family plan on this list at only $4 per month. That said, it comes with a few limitations: it caps you at six users, compared to 10 with Dashlane, and provides mediocre support at best.
Dashlane’s Friends & Family plan is considerably more expensive at $7.49 per month, but in addition to allowing for four more people, it also provides the best support of any password manager I’ve tested. And 1Password, at $4.99 per month, offers the most compelling value with top-tier features for only a slightly higher price than LastPass.
Pros and cons of LastPass
While I chose 1Password as the best password manager for families, both Dashlane and LastPass have compelling offerings. All three provide five-star UX with applications that are easy to understand and navigate.
1Password outshone the competition by offering the best value for the price. At only $4.99 per month, I gave it five stars nearly across the board. The main area where I thought there was room for improvement was in its 2FA offering, which doesn’t include biometric authentication.
Dashlane is the most expensive option, but for a higher price, you get to include up to 10 people and have access to live chat support.
LastPass is the cheapest option, but it limits you to six people and is one of the most lackluster support systems I’ve tested. It has also been exposed to several security breaches over the years.
All in all, you can’t go wrong with any of these password managers. All offer great family plans at fair prices.
Other password managers we considered but didn’t rank among the best include:
See how the best password managers compare to other top-tier options:
| Password manager | Details | Best features |
|---|---|---|
| 1Password Overall rating: (4.8) Read our full 1Password review. | Starting price: $2.99 per month Platform compatibility: Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web (Brave, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari), Windows Security: AES 256-bit encryption, 2FA |
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| Dashlane Overall rating: (4.7) Read our full Dashlane review. Consider Dashlane if: You’re only interested in a personal plan. | Starting price: Free Platform compatibility: Android, iOS, Mac, Web (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari), Windows Security: AES 256-bit encryption, 2FA |
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| LastPass Overall rating: (4.4) Read our full LastPass review. Consider LastPass if: You want additional features and are willing to pay a high price. | Starting price: $3 per month Platform compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile platform Security: Zero-knowledge security model |
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| Keeper Overall rating: (4.6) Read our full Keeper review. Consider Keeper if: You want to enjoy the feature of secure biometric logins. | Starting price: $3.75 per user Platform compatibility: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iPhone, and iPad. Browser extensions for Safari, Opera, Firefox, Edge, Chrome Security: AES 256-bit encryption, PBKDF2 |
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| RoboForm Overall rating: (4.5) Read our full RoboForm review. Consider RoboForm if: You want to sync your passwords through multiple platforms and won’t mind its compatibility with fewer platforms than 1Password. | Starting price: $24 per year Platform compatibility: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android support for their respective major browsers, including Edge Security: AES 256-bit encryption, 2FA |
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| NordPass Overall rating: (4.3) Read our full NordPass review. Consider NordPass if: You want the same packages for your family and business. | Starting price: $2.49 per month Platform compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and popular browsers, such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Safari Security: XChaCha20 encryption algorithm and a zero-knowledge policy |
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Family password managers work the same way as individual ones but allow you to include multiple people. Different plans have varying limits, such as six or 10 users or even custom pricing on a per-person basis, but all provide the same level of security and features as individual plans. Also, there are often extra tools to help families store and share their information without putting their data at risk.
We chose 1Password as the best password manager for families because it offers superior value at a reasonable price. Those looking for optimum support may prefer Dashlane, while those seeking the lowest price options could go with LastPass.
When choosing a password manager for your parents, ease of use and support are key. For this reason, we recommend Dashlane, which offers one of the most intuitive UX and live chat support.
Using a password manager to share family passwords is the best way to ensure your information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Password manager family plans include a method of securely sharing your information to keep it safe and just between family.
While each person should have their own password manager account, with family plans, you can include multiple users for one price. Most family plans allow for up to six to 10 people, although some will allow for more with per-user pricing options. Each person gets their own login credentials but all are covered under the same plan.
We believe the most accurate one is 1Password. It offers some of the best features and usability of any password manager we’ve tested. Dashlane also offers superior accuracy.
While all password managers are designed to fulfill the same function of generating and storing passwords, not all are created equal. To create our list of the best password managers for families, we compared the features that matter most to families, including price, UX, security, and user support.
I signed up for a plan with each provider to test:
Learn more about our review methodology.
About The Password Manager, Gunnar Kallstrom:
Kallstrom, The Password Manager, is a Cyber Team Lead for a Department of Defense (DOD) contracting company in Huntsville, Alabama, and has worked as a Computer Network Defense (CND) Cyber Analyst. An author and content creator for a cybersecurity academy, Kallstrom spent nearly 15 years in the Army as a musician before entering the cybersecurity field.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Thomas Edison State University and a master’s in organizational development and leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word.
Kallstrom has completed several Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) courses, including Security+, Network+, A+ Core 1, and A+ Core 2. He earned a CompTIA Security+ Certification. Additionally, he has completed the Cyber Warrior Academy program with more than 800 hours of hands-on, intensive, and lab-driven technical training in cybersecurity methods and procedures.
Passionate about all things cyber, Kallstrom was a speaker on a panel at the 2022 InfoSec World conference, giving a talk entitled “Hacking into a Cyber Career – True Stories.” Kallstrom is also a mentor to entry-level cybersecurity candidates seeking to break into the field. When he’s not working, he still enjoys playing guitar and fishing (not phishing).