With features like masked emails and credit cards, IronVest strives to achieve more than the average password manager.
By: Gunnar KallstromHead of information systems and cybersecurity research
Updated February 17, 2023
IronVest: A Quick Overview
Bottom line:IronVest offers far more than your typical password manager, making it a more holistic internet security product. While it offers a full-featured free password manager, the high price tag for paid plans may be a deterrent.
Who should choose IronVest? Users who utilize masked emails and credit cards will find great value in IronVest’s product.
IronVest’s Editor Rating
Overall: (4.1)
After testing IronVest’s features, I’ve given IronVest 4.1/5 stars. Overall, IronVest offers a strong password manager that can keep up with the competition and offers features other password managers don’t. That said, you’ll pay more for some of those features, so it’s somewhat of a niche product.
Plans and pricing: (4.5)
Platform: (3.0)
UX: (3.5)
Form filling: (5.0)
Security: (5.0)
2FA: (4.0)
You have numerous options when looking for the best password manager for your personal and business needs. I’ve tested and reviewed several popular password managers, and IronVest is a good choice for those particularly concerned about their digital footprint. However, it may be overkill for most.
Read on to learn about the pros, cons, features, and pricing of IronVest. And get answers to frequently asked questions about IronVest.
IronVest Standout Features
Support
Biometric 2FA
Masked emails
Masked credit cards
Virtual phone number
Website anti-tracking
No-knowledge architecture
Decentralized biometric storage
Best for
Personal users who value web anonymity
Promotion
Free version available
What Are the Pros and Cons of IronVest?
IronVest separates itself from the pack by offering several high-end security features that can bolster a user’s web anonymity. For those who are particularly cautious about being tracked, IronVest is an excellent product. That said, due to IronVest’s high cost for paid plans, most users are likely better off with the free version or a more standard password manager.
Pros
Security: IronVest prides itself on securing your data far better than any password manager. Features like masked emails and credit cards prove that.
Free version: While IronVest’s free version is limited, it still offers some of the platform’s more premium features, such as masked emails.
Excellent performance: As a pure password manager, IronVest performs very well with its autofill and auto-capture capabilities.
Cons
High cost: With plans going as high as $14.95 per month, only a niche market can truly derive value from an IronVest subscription.
Some missing features: Considering IronVest’s commitment to web security, features like dark web monitoring and VPN would make them more competitive.
Limited platform capability: IronVest offers no desktop app and is only compatible with Chrome, Firefox, iOS, and Android.
Unproven product: IronVest is a new product with little user history.
Who Should Choose IronVest?
Step1.Users who want more than just a password manager: IronVest’s password manager is just the tip of the iceberg. Features like masked emails and credit cards really make IronVest what it is.
Step2.Businesses that want to bolster their security: IronVest can be a good choice for businesses that want to thwart data breaches.
IronVest Plans and Pricing
Overall: (4.5)
IronVest offers personal plans in three tiers: Free, IronVest Plus, and IronVest Ultimate. While its free version is competitive on the password manager market, IronVest Plus is more expensive than most premium password managers, especially when factoring in the extra fees associated with masked credit cards.
This puts IronVest Ultimate in its own category, although I do believe there is a market for it. Currently, there is no information on pricing for their business plan. However, you can request a demo on their website.
Free Plan
IronVest Plus
IronVest Ultimate
Business plan
Price
Free
$5.95 per month
$2 fee per masked credit card
1.5% charge for masked credit card charges over $100
$14.95 per month
$2 fee per masked credit card (first two free)
1.5% charge for masked credit card charges over $100
Quote
Best for
New users
Users who can make use of up to 50 masked emails.
Users who heavily utilize masked credit cards and emails.
Small, medium, and large businesses that want to integrate biometrics into their security.
Platform compatibility
Chrome, Firefox, iOS, Android
Chrome, Firefox, iOS, Android
Chrome, Firefox, iOS, Android
Chrome, Firefox, iOS, Android
Autofill capability
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Guest accounts
No
No
No
No
Number of passwords
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Password sharing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
2FA
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Account recovery
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Support types
Email only
Priority Support – email and chat
Top Priority Support – email, chat
24/7 online support
Encryption
AES 256-bit
AES 256-bit
AES 256-bit
AES 256-bit
Single sign-on (SSO)
No
No
No
No
IronVest Platform Compatibility
Overall: (3.0)
IronVest is a new addition to the password manager market. As a result, its platform capability is among the most limited out there. We hope to see IronVest expand its capability to make it a more competitive product. IronVest is currently only compatible with:
iOS
Android
Chrome
Firefox
It’s also worth noting that IronVest does not offer any kind of desktop app. While I don’t see this as a huge drawback, as the bulk of a password manager’s functionality comes from its browser extension, a high-end password manager should have a desktop app in order to provide an optimal user experience.
IronVest UX
Overall: (3.5)
IronVest’s platform is clean and organized. Where it loses points, though, is its lack of a desktop app. Manually inputting or changing data in your vault requires you to sign in through IronVest’s website. Personally, I prefer accessing my vault through an app, and feel as though a password manager at IronVest’s price tag should offer that. Compared to apps offered by competitors like 1Password and Dashlane, IronVest’s online vault is far more cumbersome to navigate.
From my experience with IronVest, the data importation process needs work. Like most password managers, IronVest allows you to import your data from other password managers via CSV file. However, this did not work for me. While IronVest is a new platform that’s surely working out some kinks, this shortcoming will make it very difficult for most users to make the switch.
IronVest Form Filling
Overall: (5.0)
IronVest’s form filling worked flawlessly for me. From logins to payment information, IronVest quickly recognized and autofilled each field. On top of that, IronVest’s autocapture is among the best I’ve experienced, automatically capturing and storing any new information you input. This makes IronVest a very convenient platform for users new to password managers who don’t have any previously stored data.
IronVest also makes it very easy to sign in and create accounts with a masked email. As masked emails are one of the marquees of IronVest’s platform, it’s good to see that using them is a convenient experience.
IronVest Security
Overall: (5.0)
IronVest prides itself on being more secure than your typical password manager, stating “password managers were designed to manage passwords, not protect your accounts.” While I don’t feel this statement is completely accurate, I will say that IronVest provides its users with more security tools than most, if not all, password managers.
IronVest offers industry standard AES 256-bit encryption and steps it up with no-knowledge architecture.
But two of IronVest’s biggest security draws are masked emails, credit cards, and phone numbers. In short, these are randomly generated email addresses and credit card numbers that automatically direct to your actual accounts. When you provide masked emails and credit cards online, it protects your real data from being shared, sold, or breached.
It should be noted that there are some additional fees associated with IronVest’s masked credit cards, including:
$2 fee per masked credit card (first two free with Ultimate account)
1.5% fee per masked credit card charge over $100
Because of these fees, the Ultimate account tier at nearly $15 per month, which provides no-fee single-use masked credit cards, offers the best value for those who heavily utilize masked credit cards. Do you need the expense of masked credit cards, though?
My personal stance on masked accounts is that they’re unnecessary when you have a product that provides live dark web monitoring, such as Dashlane. This is a much more affordable and convenient way to ensure your data is protected. Also, some credit card companies provide virtual account numbers for free.
IronVest Two-Factor Authentication
Overall: (4.0)
IronVest offers two-factor authentication through a unique biometric process. While typical biometric authentication involves a fingerprint, which many devices don’t support, IronVest instead uses facial recognition on your mobile device to authenticate logins on your other devices. As biometric authentication is my preferred form of 2FA, I really appreciate that IronVest has found a way to make it more accessible.
On top of that, IronVest uses a unique decentralized method of storing your biometrics. Instead of storing your information on a server, IronVest uses proprietary technology to store your information in multiple places, or nodes.
That said, I like to see password managers offer more than just one form of 2FA. Unfortunately, facial recognition is the only 2FA that IronVest supports. This is a drawback from those who prefer another form of 2FA.
Recent Improvements to IronVest
IronVest is a rebrand of Albine’s previous product, Blur. Currently, IronVest includes all of the same features as Blur. However, Albine promises significant investment in the development of their product.
Compare IronVest Alternatives
IronVest is a unique addition to the password manager market as it provides many features that the average password manager does not. Masked credit cards, emails, and phone numbers are just a few of the features that separate IronVest from the rest. That said, these extra features are only useful to a niche market. IronVest’s paid plans are far more expensive and less compatible than most password managers.
See how IronVest compares to the top-tier password managers that the PasswordManager.com team recommends:
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
Secure data sharing solution
Safe sharing of login details
Real-time breach monitoring
Data breach scanner
Frequently Asked Questions About IronVest
What are the cons to IronVest?
IronVest’s biggest drawback is its high price tag for paid plans, which is only justifiable if you can utilize its masked credit cards, emails, and phone numbers. Its platform compatibility is also limited.
Can IronVest be trusted?
IronVest uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is the standard encryption among password managers. It also uses no-knowledge architecture and decentralized biometric storage.
Is it worth paying for IronVest?
IronVest may be worth paying for if you heavily utilize masked credit cards and emails. That said, for those concerned about web security, Dashlane, which offers live dark web monitoring, is a cheaper, more convenient tool.
Is IronVest a Password Manager?
While IronVest includes a password manager, it offers more than that. Due to its host of other security features, it’s more security-oriented than the average password manager.
What Is IronVest the Company?
IronVest is the rebrand of parent company Albine’s previous product, Blur. Abine is an online privacy company that makes tools for consumers to control what personal information is shared online. Albine is also the company behind DeleteMe, the leading privacy data removal service.
Abine Inc., 18 Bow Street, #55, Somerville, MA 02143
My review process involved a thorough study of what IronVest offers vis-a-viz the competition. In addition to this deep dive, I created a personal account to give IronVest’s features and functionality a comprehensive test drive.
I signed up for a plan with IronVest to test:
Plan value: Most password managers offer various subscription plans from free to around $20 per month. While free plans may be sufficient for some, those that need more functionality may prefer paid plans.
Platform compatibility: You likely access your online accounts from multiple devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, as well as through different web browsers. Your password manager should be compatible with various devices, operating systems and browsers, and sync seamlessly between them all.
UX: This is how you interface with all the features and functions of your new password manager — if it’s bad, you’ll be less likely to use the service. While this is a highly subjective category and some will disagree, it’s important to provide an overview based on my experience.
Form filling: A password manager doesn’t have to include form-filling, but it’s somewhat standard and the ease with which it performs that function can be the deciding factor in which password manager you ultimately choose.
Security: Since a password manager is first and foremost a security tool, it should come with all of the most up-to-date standard security features. This includes the highest level of available encryption (256-bit AES with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512); 2FA, such as biometric logins or multi-factor authentication, and a password generator.
Two-factor authentication (2FA): Used all over the internet to protect your accounts, this is quickly becoming a standard security practice. 2FA is a great way to secure more sensitive accounts to ensure they’re not breached.
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).