RoboForm vs. LastPass: Compare Password Managers

RoboForm and LastPass are two of the top password managers. LastPass appears on our list of best cheap password managers, and both are in our compilation of best free password managers. These services are comparable in price, features, and compatibility.

While LastPass has a slight edge due to a broader range of multi-factor authentication (MFA) procedures and other security options, RoboForm is no slouch either. The two trade equal blows from category to category — winning the same number each. Ultimately, our recommendation is based on one key factor — security.

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

Neither is a bad value proposition, and both offer similar features and services, so it comes down to which will cost you the least. And while the price difference for a family plan may be negligible, RoboForm is still technically more affordable on that count in addition to a significantly cheaper individual plan.

The only caveat is if you need to support six users on a family plan — in which case LastPass is your better option. But since this is only applicable to a specific segment of the market, RoboForm takes the win here.

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.

RoboForm doesn’t have a stand-alone application for MacOS like LastPass, but in our testing, the browser extension for Safari performed just as well, if not better. I found little reason to install anything besides the browser extension with RoboForm, which helps immensely with cross-compatibility. If you’re running a supported browser, it doesn’t care what OS you’re using.

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.

I loved the amount of control I had over what data set to use when filling forms and found editing and adding addresses and identities to be a breeze.

While LastPass works just as well, I found 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, this could make the form-filling drop-down menu significantly more difficult to use.

Your master password, and the keys used to encrypt and decrypt data, are never sent to LastPass’ servers and are never accessible by LastPass.

Despite this, it is worth noting that 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.

This adds a welcome layer of security and a level of control over that security method. Yet it’s a little disappointing this feature is only available to unlock your LastPass account itself, without an option to add MFA to specific website logins you might want to keep more secure.

This was a tight call, as both providers have a lot to offer. But ultimately RoboForm wins this matchup with a slight lead.

While LastPass has a lot to offer, it took a major hit on the security end because of recent data breaches at the company. It likely does not affect user data or stored passwords thanks to its encryption of password data and a zero-knowledge infrastructure, yet it’s still a pretty big black mark on what is essentially an internet security company.

RoboForm, as of writing, has suffered no such leaks. And when the competition was as close as this, that was enough to push it forward into the winning slot.

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.