Users are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding a solution to properly managing their passwords. Here is a comparison of the five most promising solutions, to see more clearly.
If you use a lot of web services and devices, the best way to manage passwords is to use software dedicated to this task. But how to choose it?
There are dozens of solutions on the password manager market and each has its own specificities. We have selected five of them, which seem emblematic to us because of their functional scope and their technological choices: 1password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, Keepass and Lastpass.
Two concerns to resolve
The two problems that a password manager seeks to solve are speed of use and ubiquity on all platforms.
Entering a password must be fluid and be able to be done on any device. This is why all the solutions we have taken in hand work on all the main browsers on the market, whether through an extension or a Web application: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi.
In the case of Keepass, which is an open source project, users can install one of the many third-party browser extensions developed by the community. They can also rely on the Keeweb web application.
In terms of heavy versions, the landscape begins to lighten. All five major operating systems – Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS – are covered, except at Dashlane, which skipped Linux.
This publisher of French origin has also announced that it wants to completely abandon heavy clients in favor of Web versions, which are used more. It is not impossible that other publishers will eventually follow suit. Also of note is the growing support for watchOS.
The cloud, two approaches
Another common point is the use of the cloud to save and synchronize the password database. But not everyone uses the cloud in the same way. Thus, they all have their own cloud platform, with the exception of the solution open source and community Keepass.
The latter allows the use of third-party clouds such as Box, Dropbox or Google, a feature that is only shared with 1password. In the others, it will be necessary to be satisfied with the homemade platform. Conversely, those who do not like the cloud, will have to turn to solutions where this technological brick is optional.
In our comparison, only 1password and Keepass allow you to not have your password database in the cloud. Obviously, we must then draw a line on the synchronization.
A variety of functions to study
On the functional side, all offer the automatic filling of passwords in a web form, the automatic generation of a password, password auditing, compromise monitoring, strong authentication and the insertion of coins. attached.
But there are also some discrepancies. Thus, when we create a new username at Dashlane and Lastpass, the password generator is not integrated into the process, while it is the case for others. What obliges to make a rather painful copy and paste.
At Bitwarden and Keepass, the user only accesses a handful of canvases to store information (identifiers, notes, bank cards, etc.), while the other three offer around twenty. If necessary, he will therefore have to create the controls by hand.
A similar disparity is found in the import-export functions. Bitwarden and Keepass support more than fifty file formats to import, while Dashlane only supports one (CSV).
In this case, it will therefore probably be necessary to get our hands dirty to adapt the data to be integrated.
On the export side, Keepass also holds the upper hand with support for ten file formats. For others, you usually have to be content with CSV or JSON.
But if you are sensitive to ergonomics and design, no need to dwell on Keepass which offers an interface worthy of the 90s and which requires a certain taste for DIY.
It is indeed a very modular solution where the functionalities are installed via “plugins” files to download. Which is not really very intuitive. The functional quality of these plugins is also quite variable, which makes sense for a community project. It will therefore be necessary to go through a testing phase before being able to build up your system.
The easiest to use, in our opinion, is 1password. Bitwarden’s interface is a bit more complex. As for Dashlane and LastPass, we regretted the lack of integration between the creation of a file and the password manager, requiring a little painful copy and paste.
Cookies in Android apps
A rather surprising aspect for an application as sensitive as a password manager, is the presence of advertising cookies in Android applications. Only 1password and Keepass do not include any.
At LastPass, on the contrary, there are seven of them. In addition, there is an oddly high number of access permissions. This can constitute a foil for users sensitive to the protection of personal data.
Your choice will also be guided by the price. Aside from Keepass, which is the only one completely free, all of them have opted for a Freemium model, offering a free version with limited functionality. Either because it does not include certain important options, or because it is only available on one type of terminal.
To be safe, it is then necessary to switch to the “Premium” version, or even “Family” if it is a question of equipping an entire household. Bitwarden stands out with a price significantly lower than the other three paid offers.
In the end, as we can see, there is no ideal solution that emerges. Each solution has its strengths and weaknesses and it is up to the user to choose according to their tastes and functional requirements.
However, we cannot resist the joy of making an overall classification. This results from the previous rankings, each area having the same weight in the final assessment. A large, rather objective podium, which will allow you to get an idea of the most versatile solution. Once you have made your choice, you will be able to move more serenely in the immense piranha pools that the Web seems to have become.