Our bottom line: While LastPass does many things right, a major stumble on the security end ultimately gives this victory to Dashlane.
LastPass and Dashlane made our top free password managers list, while LastPass also appeared in the best cheap password managers. These services are comparable in price, features, and compatibility.
While both services have a lot to offer and trade significant blows back and forth, a big stumble toward the end of the match-up clinches the win for our victor. Which password manager should you get? Let this LastPass vs. Dashlane face-off help you decide.
Review factor | Winner |
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Price | Dashlane | (4.7)
Platform compatibility | Tie: LastPass | (5.0), Dashlane (5.0)
User experience (UX) | LastPass | (5.0)
Form filling | Dashlane | (4.7)
Security | Dashlane | (4.7)
Two-factor authentication (2FA) | LastPass | (4.7)
Best overall | Dashlane | (4.7)
Our bottom line: While LastPass does many things right, a major stumble on the security end ultimately gives this victory to Dashlane.
Password manager | Details | Basic plan features |
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LastPass Overall rating: (4.4)Read our full LastPass review. | Starting price: Free Platform compatibility: ChromeOS, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge, iOS, Android, Windows PC, MacOS, Linux Security: AES 256-bit encryption, 2FA |
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Dashlane Overall rating: (4.7)Read our full Dashlane review. | Starting price: Free Platform compatibility: Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, Web (Brave, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari), Windows Security: AES 256-bit encryption, 2FA |
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Price winner: Dashlane | |
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LastPass | (4.5)Free plan for single device users; $36 per year for premium; $48 per year for up to six users |
Dashlane | (4.7)Free plan for single device users; $59.88 per year premium; $89.88 per year for up to 10 people |
Until a few months ago, LastPass and Dashlane cost essentially the same amount per year. However, after Dashlane eliminated its Advanced tier, the lower paid plan is now $59.88 per year, significantly more than LastPass at $36. What was previously a tie has now been weighted heavily in LastPass’ favor.
Dashlane charges $89.88 per year for a family plan that can support up to 10 people, compared to $48 per year for up to six users with LastPass. While this works out to be fairly similar on a price-per-user basis, in each case, you have to pay the same amount no matter how many people are actually benefiting from the account.
Since Dashlane took away the Advanced tier, LastPass’s premium tier and Dashlane’s premium tier are the best point of comparison. Dashlane offers an interesting value prospect on top of password management in its premium tier, where you can access a VPN, but it comes at a significant price increase. Other than the included VPN, the level of service is effectively the same, really making this a question of whether you want (or need) a VPN.
Ultimately, Dashlane still takes the win for offering better value in the most commonly purchased plan tier and for having additional tiers with added benefits not offered by LastPass. It may be more expensive, but you’re getting a much better value overall — VPN access on its own typically costs more per month than Dashlane’s Family & Friends plan.
Winner: Dashlane wins plans and pricing because it offers more plans, a cheaper single-user plan, and more variety and flexibility.
Platform compatibility winner: Draw | |
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LastPass | (5.0)OS: ChromeOS, iOS, Android, Windows PC, MacOS, Linux Supported browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge |
Dashlane | (5.0)OS: Android, iOS, Linux, MacOS, Windows Supported browsers: Brave, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari |
Both LastPass and Dashlane are compatible with a variety of platforms, including all of the most popular web browsers and operating systems.
LastPass recommends running Windows 8.1 and above, Catalina 10.15 (for macOS), Chrome OS, or one of the most common distributions of Linux. Supported browsers include Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. Full support with automatic form filling requires Android 8.0 Oreo or later. Still, the app will run on Android 5.0 Lollipop and later.
Dashlane is available on a wide range of platforms and browsers and in the Google Play store, meaning it can be added to devices like Kindles and Nooks. Also, compared to some other password managers, Dashlane works with older versions of Android and iOS, which can be useful to some.
Winner: It’s a tie, as both services support all the major platforms.
UX winner: LastPass | |
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LastPass | (5.0)LastPass’s browser extension is simple, understandable, and generally easy to navigate, with an interesting mechanic that rewards you for exploring its features. |
Dashlane | (4.7)Dashlane has a simplistic, easy-to-navigate platform — no one will wonder how to use it. |
LastPass and Dashlane offer browser extensions and mobile apps as their main implementations, with a simple-to-navigate UX.
On the LastPass side, the desktop app has six primary and five secondary sections, making it a bit more like the web experience. While the macOS version is fairly robust, the Windows desktop app is no longer being developed and has some significant limitations. However, LastPass’ browser extension and web app are all you’ll ever need.
Importing passwords from other password managers, both stand-alone and browser-based, is a breeze in LastPass, which supports imports from nearly 30 different platforms.
Similarly, Dashlane also has a simplistic, easy-to-navigate platform. I found its desktop app to offer one of the cleanest, most visually appealing interfaces I’ve encountered in a password manager.
On the other hand, I found its browser extension quite congested. Dashlane essentially packed its desktop interface into the extension. While some may find this useful, I only use the extension to quickly add or retrieve passwords so it felt a bit cluttered for my liking.
Winner: LastPass wins by offering a highly polished experience across every platform we tested it on.
Form filling winner: Dashlane | |
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LastPass | (4.5)Form filling works as intended, with a big, friendly reminder in text fields that might warrant it. |
Dashlane | (4.7)I found no difficulty with the password or username autofill, but it did struggle at times with more comprehensive fields, such as payment and shipping information. |
Both LastPass and 1Password offer form filling — including logins, addresses, and credit card information — on both desktop and mobile.
LastPass’s form-filling function on mobile devices works via a Safari browser extension for iOS 8 and above and as a built-in app feature for Android 8.0 Oreo or later. Using the data you’ve filled in via the “Addresses,” “Payment Cards,” and “Bank Accounts” sections, an unobtrusive red box alerts you that it detects a form. Upon clicking the form, you can select whose information to choose.
While this feature works fine, it isn’t apparent how to distinguish between data sets until you’ve set up a few, particularly if you have multiple addresses under the same name. The system seems to assume each address will be for a different person. But if you’re adding many addresses under the same name (for example, a P.O. box or a business address), this could make the form-filling drop-down menu significantly more difficult to use.
During my testing, I found Dashlane’s form-filling capabilities worked mostly fine. There were times when it didn’t recognize certain fields in a given form — however, I found that it was usually the form’s fault. Where Dashlane can improve, though, is by offering custom fields.
That said, most people should find Dashlane’s built-in sections more than adequate. Logins, payment information, addresses, and IDs can all easily be inputted and auto-filled.
Winner: Dashlane fills forms with more consistency and less potential hassle than LastPass.
Security winner: Dashlane | |
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LastPass | (3.0)
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Dashlane | (4.7)
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Most password managers, including LastPass and Dashlane, use powerful 256-bit AES encryption, and both password managers’ vaults are unlocked on your device only after you’ve entered your master password.
LastPass paid users have access to the Security Dashboard, which analyzes all your stored passwords for weaknesses and whether any have been compromised in data breaches.
Other features, such as identifying weak or compromised passwords, worked well, with helpful suggestions on strengthening your security. Yet LastPass experienced a security breach on November 30, 2022. While the company assures users’ passwords were not leaked, it admits the attacker gained access to certain elements of customers’ information, though the specifics are unclear.
No-knowledge architecture, 2FA, local encryption, and password health are further industry-standard security measures Dashlane offers across all its subscription tiers.
Dashlane’s security stands out, though, with two unique offerings:
While many password managers offer dark web monitoring, few offer Dashlane’s live version. When Dashlane detects your information on the dark web, it notifies you in real-time. This is a very useful feature because such matters can be timely.
Winner: While both offer great, easy-to-use security tools, Dashlane has a better track record regarding internal security and data breaches.
2FA winner: LastPass | |
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LastPass | (4.7)
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Dashlane | (4.2)
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Both LastPass and Dashlane support 2FA via authenticator apps (which use time-based one-time passwords, or TOTPs) but only LastPass supports physical security keys.
LastPass’s free plan works with authenticator apps, including LastPass Authenticator, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Duo Security, and Transakt. Those with a LastPass premium subscription can also use hardware authenticators such as Yubico’s YubiKey, a fingerprint sensor, or a smart-card reader.
The platform also offers a 2FA feature called Grid, a chart you can print out to generate security codes manually.
Dashlane’s implementation of 2FA is limited to a first-party authenticator app, which is not my preferred method of 2FA. I prefer biometric or SMS authentication –– options which many competitors offer. Introducing biometric or SMS authentication would make it an even more competitive option.
Winner: LastPass offers more 2FA options, even at the free tier.
Bottom line winner: Dashlane | |
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LastPass (4.4) |
Best for: Those who are willing to pay more to get additional security features |
Dashlane (4.7) |
Best for: Those who want more premium features |
LastPass and Dashlane are two players roughly on a level playing field — they both offer similar levels of service at a similar rate. While Dashlane may offer an extra incentive in the form of a tier that includes a VPN, this may not even be a feature you were looking for to begin with and has little to do with password management.
If not for a big stumble from LastPass in a fairly recent security breach, this would have been a much harder fight to referee. Even though security protocols make it incredibly unlikely that customer data was decrypted, it’s still a bad look for an internet security company to have a significant data breach.
For this reason, we must call the match-up in favor of Dashlane, one of our favorite password managers of the year.
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:
Learn more about our review methodology.
About the Password Manager, Gunnar Kallstrom:
Kallstrom is a Cyber Team Lead for a Department of Defense (DOD) contracting company in Huntsville, Alabama, and has also 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).