By: Gunnar KallstromHead of information systems and cybersecurity research
There are many options when seeking the best password manager for your personal and business needs. I’ve tested and reviewed several popular password managers. While Google may not reinvent the wheel, it’s already included in what may be your browser of choice, giving it an automatic edge for Chrome users.
Read on to learn about the pros, cons, features, and pricing of Google. And get answers to frequently asked questions about Google.
| Google Password Manager standout features | |
|---|---|
| Support |
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| Best for | Those who already use Chrome |
Google is a known entity in the tech world, and Chrome is one of the world’s biggest web browsers. This is both a blessing and a curse for its password management service. It’s an easy, pre-installed option for Chrome users, yet you can’t use it outside the proprietary browser.
Here are the details of its pros and cons:
(5.0)
There are no plans or pricing for Google’s password manager, which is free like Chrome. The trade-off is a lack of flexibility and other features offered by stand-alone services — part of why it doesn’t make the cut as one of the best free password managers. Even though it’s free and integrated into a browser you might use, you may be better off choosing a low-cost option with the security features you’re looking for.
| Google Password Manager | |
|---|---|
| Price | Free |
| Best for | Chrome users |
| Free trial | Not needed |
| Platform compatibility | Android, Chrome |
| Autofill capability | Yes |
| Guest accounts | No |
| Number of passwords | Unlimited |
| Password sharing | No |
| 2FA | No |
| Account recovery | Yes |
| Support types |
|
| Encryption | Encryption of an unspecified type |
| Reporting capabilities | No |
| Single sign-on (SSO) | No |
(3.0)
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Google’s password manager and autofill services are exclusive to Google products, compatible only with Chrome, its web browser.
Google’s password manager is available only through Chrome and can be run on any device on which the browser is available. As an integrated part of the browser, it is not available as a stand-alone installation or an extension for other popular browsers.
If you already know that Chrome is not the web browser for you, this is an obvious dealbreaker. On the other hand, if you’re using Chrome then you’re probably already using Google’s password manager.
(4.0)
Your password manager and form filler are available through your Google account, but navigating my way to what I needed was more difficult than I’d prefer.
One of the benefits of using Google for your password management and form filling is that it’s already built in (if you’re using Google Chrome). Both features are accessible through your Google account.
Yet I found this to be something of a drawback — as a feature included automatically, it doesn’t walk you through how to find or use it. You have to access the “Settings” through Chrome, hit the menu button, then select “Autofill,” where both your passwords, payment information, and addresses will be stored.
Once there, it’s easy to see which websites have saved login credentials and edit or delete that information as you see fit. This will also happen automatically if you change your information through the site — a pop-up will ask if you want to update your login information.
While I may not have found it to be the most elegant UX, it was fine once I managed to learn my way around.
(4.0)
Form filling is available through your Google account, but it can be a little tricky to find and edit your information.
Autofill on Chrome is enabled by default and will save and store addresses as you fill out web forms, compiling a database for you to use later.
While all of this works fine in the background, it can be difficult to find where this information is stored in your account to edit or delete these data sets. The easiest way is by clicking “Manage Addresses” on the drop-down menu when a form is detected. But if you’re not currently on a form, this information can only be accessed through your Google account settings.
(3.5)
Google offers end-to-end encryption for data stored in its password manager as well as featuring breach detection but loses points for a lack of transparency.
The password manager suffers from being just a bullet point feature of the web browser, Chrome, one of Google’s most used products. I found that information was hard to come by regarding how exactly the company keeps your data safe. Eventually I found a partial answer in the Google Chrome Help Center:
While it is reassuring data is encrypted before being sent to Google’s servers, the company isn’t specific on what kind of encryption is being used. Also, while it says my data was encrypted with a secret key known only to my device, this feature is not enabled by default and is buried in the settings.
Data is still encrypted, but it is decrypted using your account information, which is significantly less secure. As for other security features, the Password Checkup seems to work fine, but I did find that it didn’t identify as many compromised passwords as other services.
(3.5)
2FA is available, yet not directly with Google Password Manager.
There isn’t a robust 2FA system with many options for securing individual accounts. But Google makes liberal use of its 2FA system to verify your identity before you can access or make changes to your account — including your password manager.
This is accomplished mainly through the Google app on your Android phone. It will send a notification to your phone if you (or anyone else) are trying to log into your account through an unknown device. If you don’t have an Android phone, this notification will go to your email.
But the bottom line is you don’t have to use 2FA right before you can access passwords — just to get logged in.
Google Chrome is constantly being worked on, with updates for each major platform it’s available on releasing regularly. The last major update for the password manager was released in June of 2022 and included:
| Password manager | Details | Best features |
|---|---|---|
| Google Password Manager Overall rating: 3.8/5 | Starting price: Free Platform compatibility: Android, Chrome Security: End-to-end encryption |
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| 1Password Overall rating: 4.8/5 Read our full 1Password review. Consider 1Password if: You’re seeking unlimited password management at a fair price. | 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: 4.75/5 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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| Keeper Overall rating: 4.6/5 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: 4.5/5 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 Google. | Starting price: $24 per year Platform compatibility: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android support for their respective major browsers, including Microsoft Edge Security: AES 256-bit encryption, 2FA |
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| LastPass Overall rating: 4.4/5 Read our full LastPass review. Consider LastPass if: You want to get additional features and are willing to pay a high price for it. | Starting price: $3 per month Platform compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile platform Security: Zero-knowledge security model |
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| NordPass Overall rating: 4.3/5 Read our full NordPass review. Consider NordPass if: You don’t want different 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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While Chrome and its password manager are free, it’s a bundled deal — you can’t have one without the other. It’s also not as transparent as other password managers; you may not even realize it’s already there.
You can trust Google only as much as any large data-mining organization. Google is one of the dominant tech companies in the world and has built that empire by selling the data it collects.
While Google claims not to sell individual user data, this statement may stretch the truth a bit. Always be prepared to ask, “How much does this ‘free’ product cost?” and proceed accordingly. When the product is free, that usually means you are the product, in the sense that your data is used to show you ads for products and services.
Yes. Google’s password manager is the default option, but you’re not restricted to it. As one of the largest web browsers in the world, almost every other major password management service runs on Google Chrome.
Passwords and all other auto-fill information are encrypted and stored on Google’s servers. While you can enable local encryption for your information, this is not enabled by default.
Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, is a multinational technology company that focuses on online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, consumer electronics, and of course, its eponymous search engine.
Created in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, doctoral students at Stanford University, Google is considered one of the most powerful companies in the world. Google owns and operates a diverse range of services, including YouTube, Waze, Android, Chrome, and Workspace.
Our rating process involves a thorough and detailed study of the various features stacked against the competition. I looked at the multiple facets and features provided by Google Password Manager compared to other significant industry players using direct testing to ensure an accurate rating. I’ve also applied my personal experience using Google over several years to provide a user’s perspective.
When testing Google Password Manager, I kept in mind:
Learn more about our review methodology.
About The Password Manager, Gunnar Kallstrom:
Gunnar Kallstrom, The Password Manager, is a Cyber Team Lead for a DOD contracting company in Huntsville, AL, and has also worked as a CND Cyber Analyst. An author and content creator for a cybersecurity academy, Gunnar 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 CompTIA courses, including Secruity+, 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).