Password Manager 2020 In The Test: The Winners At Stiftung Warentest

2023 Author: Sheila Hailey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 15:18

placement	product	price	offer
The test winner:	Keeper	29.99 euros / year	At Keeper Security
The highest security:	1Password	approx. 36 euros / year	At 1Password
The free alternative:	KeePass	free	At KeePass
The best handling:	Dashlane	39.99 euros / year	At Dashlane
Ideal for purists:	LastPass	approx. 32 euros / year	With LastPass

The test winner: keeper

Buy keeper

The test winner among password managers with a final grade of 2.4 (good) is the keeper, according to Stiftung Warentest. Passwords are saved across devices and you can even log on to websites using your fingerprint or face. The password manager costs 29.99 euros a year, making it one of the cheapest on this list.

Keeper Security also offers other services that can optionally be booked for a corresponding surcharge. For example, there is the Messenger KeeperChat, a file storage and the Darknet monitoring tool "BreachWatch". For safety-conscious parents there is also a family subscription (up to five people) for 59.99 euros a month. There is also a free version of "Keeper", but the use is limited to a single device. The fill function also only works on mobile devices.

Advantages:

• Cheap price
• Free version
• Family subscription

Disadvantage:

• Cumbersome installation and commissioning
• Defects in the terms of use / terms and conditions

Defects in the terms of use / GTC: The Stiftung Warentest had the terms of use of the respective providers checked by a lawyer and noted this accordingly in the test results. Specifically, this means clauses that could possibly disadvantage users, or terms that are incomprehensibly formulated, since the respective texts are only available in English, for example.

The highest security: 1Password

Buy 1Password

In second place with the final grade 2.5 (good), the password manager 1Password from AgileBits lands at Stiftung Warentest. As a special feature, the password manager also supports ChromeOS in addition to macOS, iOS, Windows, Android and Linux. No other provider offers such a high level of cross-platform compatibility.

At around 36 euros a year, this password manager is a little more expensive than keeper, but many useful functions such as alarms for websites at risk or secure document storage are already included in the price. There is also the option for a family subscription. A family of five pays just under 60 euros per year, and additional people can be added if necessary for a corresponding surcharge.

Advantages:

• Available for almost all platforms
• Flexible family subscription

Disadvantage:

• No German instructions for use
• Defects in the terms of use / terms and conditions

The free alternative: KeePass

Get a KeePass

"KeePass" is a free password manager that is also open source. Stiftung Warentest awarded the grade 2.5 (good), which makes the password manager as good as the fee-based competition. Nevertheless, there is an important difference to the password managers presented so far: Setting up and using KeePass requires more technical knowledge. In addition, there is only one Windows app officially. In order to use "Keepass" on other platforms, you need third-party apps.

For this, users benefit from the transparency on the part of the developers, since they make their program code publicly available and it can therefore be viewed by third parties at any time. In this way, both internal and external developers can contribute to improving the software.

Advantages:

• Completely free
• Open source

Disadvantage:

• Complicated setup
• Cumbersome handling
• Officially available for Windows only

The best handling: Dashlane

Buy Dashlane

Dashlane: Welcome to the password paradise.

With a test result of 2.7 (satisfactory), Dashlane comes in fourth place at Stiftung Warentest. The intuitive handling of this password manager is particularly praised. At around 40 euros a year, this solution is the most expensive, but has many useful extras. These include dark web monitoring and a VPN for WLAN protection.

Dashlane is also available in a free version, but with a limited range of functions. Only a limited number of passwords can be saved here. The app can only be used with one device at a time. In contrast to the competition, Dashlane does not currently have the option of a family subscription.

Advantages:

• Easy to use
• VPN included
• Free version

Disadvantage:

• High price
• No family subscription
• Defects in the terms of use / terms and conditions

Ideal for purists: LastPass

Buy LastPass

LastPass but not least: With a final grade of 2.8 (satisfactory), “LastPass” comes in 5th place at Stiftung Warentest. “LastPass” is more intended as a browser extension. There is an app for Android and iOS, but none for your computer. Similar to Dashlane, you can choose between a free, stripped-down or paid version for around 32 euros a year.

While many features of competing products in LastPass find again, but even the paid version has some features such as the darknet monitoring or VPN refrain. Families with up to six members can benefit from the family subscription for around 43 euros per year.

Advantages:

• Free version
• Inexpensive family subscription

Disadvantage:

• Reduced range of functions
• Not a desktop app
• Defects in the terms of use / terms and conditions

The best password manager 2020: How it was tested

Choosing a password manager can make everyday digital life a lot easier. You only need to remember one master password, the program does the rest for you. However, the providers differ from each other very strongly in certain points. What functions does the password manager offer exactly? Which of these do I need and why? How secure are the solutions and how intuitive is their use?

To bring a little more clarity to the matter, the Stiftung Warentest tested a total of 14 password managers. The most important factors were security functions (30 percent), handling (30 percent), range of functions (25 percent), basic protection of personal data (15 percent) and defects in terms of use / terms and conditions (0 percent). Further details on the test procedure and the detailed test results can be found at test.de.

Password manager: you should pay attention to this

There are many password managers who remember your passwords and have practical functions. Depending on how serious you are about protecting against possible cyber attacks, you can hardly avoid paying services. Before you choose a password manager, there are a few things to consider. Therefore, the most important information follows.

How does a password manager work?

The basic principle is the same for almost all password managers: It stores all your passwords including the associated website for login. In order to protect the password manager and your passwords, you assign a so-called master password at the beginning. When opening the password manager, you then only enter your master password and can access all other passwords. Most solutions also include a password generator that automatically creates secure passwords. Safe in this context means that it is at least eight characters long and ideally both upper / lower case letters as well as numbers and special characterscontains. The longer and more complex the password, the better. This applies in particular to your master password.

Since you are automatically logged into websites or apps, you do not have to remember any of these passwords. Only the master password should always be ready. But remember the password well! If you forget it, you can no longer access all other saved passwords. Ideally, inform yourself beforehand whether the provider of the password manager can help you with a forgotten master password and, for example, set a new master password.

How safe are such tools?

Both your master password and all other passwords are encrypted using several methods for maximum security. Known encryption methods are the "Advanced Encryption Standard" (AES) and the "Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2" (PBKDF2). Your passwords are never saved in plain text, but rather as a randomly generated sequence of letters, characters and numbers and are therefore theoretically uncrackable. In the following video we will tell you how you think of secure passwords yourself:

No more stupid passwords! - TECH facts

To further increase security, these encrypted passwords are only stored locally and on the provider's secure servers so that they can be synchronized between your devices. The only exception is the master password, which is never saved or transmitted in any form for security reasons. Likewise, many password managers can also be combined with biometric authentication methods, i.e. a fingerprint or face recognition.

How secure is my password?

When should I use a password manager?

Suppose you buy an expensive bike and want to protect it from theft. Ideally, you should use a high-quality lock. The lock alone is not enough, because it is just as important that you lock your bike properly. The situation is similar with passwords, which are supposed to protect our digital life from fraud or other abuse. Password managers have the following advantages:

• remember only one password (master password)
• Automatic login to websites or apps
• Auto complete forms and payment details
• Password generator
• Cross-device password storage
• VPN for safe internet surfing
• Darknet monitoring and security breach alarms
• Secure file storage

Of course, such tools also have disadvantages:

• Software dependency
• Increased effort during initial setup
• Possible loss of the master password means the loss of all other passwords
• Often paid software

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