Dashlane vs. LastPass: Compare Password Managers

Dashlane and LastPass ranked highly among the best password managers we reviewed this year. Both services are comparable in price, features, security, and compatibility. Both are simple to use, and easy to navigate.

Dashlane comes out ahead because of its robust features like a virtual private network (VPN) for Premium users and Team or Business subscribers. Both offer a free plan for one device only, but you’ll find more plan variety with Dashlane, along with no record of security breaches so far.

Which password manager should you get? Let this Dashlane vs. LastPass face-off help you decide.

I think LastPass has a real edge with its free tier. Unfortunately, I find it isn’t as good of a deal as it used to be — the plan is now limited to syncing data only among computers or only among mobile devices.

Overall, you’ll find more plan variety with Dashlane and robust features that LastPass does not offer — such as a VPN.

What I love about LastPass is its user incentive program that supports you for exploring its features. You receive a 10% discount for completing “achievements” that teach you how to use the platform. As you explore the service, you can also save money on the annual subscription. Plus, this incentive encouraged me to dig into the service and really use its features.

Importing passwords from other stand-alone and browser-based password managers is a breeze in LastPass, which supports imports from nearly 30 platforms. With Dashlane, you have to export passwords to a CSV file. I felt this process was simple, though you can’t import a CSV file to Dashlane using the iOS or Safari app. You must use Dashlane’s web app or Android app.

Overall, I found Dashlane’s built-in sections for logins, payment information, addresses, and IDs easy to input and autofill.

I like how Dashlane offers live dark web monitoring and a VPN if you select its Premium plan, or Teams and Business tiers. You can also choose to add on Dashlane’s licensed version of Hotspot Shield, which costs $12.99 per month on its own. If I chose this option as a Dashlane subscriber, I’d only have to pay $4.99 per month.

Both platforms are Service Organization Controls (SOC 2) compliant, meaning they both have carefully documented security policies and undergo regular audits.

But a big downside to LastPass is that it experienced two security breaches recently, whereas there is no record of security breaches for Dashlane. LastPass is transparent about the incidents — it provided this security breach statement that states the company completed a thorough investigation and has not identified any threat-actor activity since Oct. 26, 2022.

LastPass says it has invested resources to improve overall security operations. The company shared that the threat did not originate in-house but from third parties. While I wouldn’t discount LastPass’s secure environment because of these incidents, the winner is clear if we compare LastPass to Dashlane with no security breaches.

Dashlane supports 2FA, but there is currently no biometric option, which would have been preferable. You can enable 2FA through the Dashlane authenticator. I added a layer of security to specific log-ins by selecting those in the Logins section of Dashlane’s web app. Then in Preferences, all you have to do is turn on Require Master Password.

Dashlane comes out ahead with more plan variety, features like a VPN, and tight security with no record of security breaches as of publication. Both are considered among the best password managers and tie for platform capability.

LastPass has a leg up when it comes to importing passwords from other platforms, and it also has a slight edge with 2FA because of the ability to get fingerprint sensors if you select a premium plan.

Both password managers use the gold standard 256-bit AES encryption. But LastPass is dealing with the fallout of a few security breaches that it has addressed by hardening security across the board. That said, Dashlane has a clean record, so that gives me a bit more peace of mind.

Overall, Dashlane and LastPass offer competitive, comprehensive password manager services. I chose Dashlane because of the robust features and security.

On the surface, all password managers essentially generate and store passwords. As I evaluated providers, I dug deeper, comparing software on what matters most, including price, platform compatibility, security, and other factors.

I signed up for a plan with each provider 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. We included a wide array of free and paid password managers to find the one that works best for you.
• 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 MFA, 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.

Learn more about our review methodology.