Best Password Managers 2026: 1Password vs Bitwarden vs Dashlane vs NordPass vs Proton Pass
Free plans, passkeys, breach alerts, email aliases and prices checked on each vendor's site - five popular password managers compared side by side.
Best overall: 1Password
1Password is our pick for most people and families: Watchtower breach alerts, Travel Mode, a Secret Key on top of your account password and passkey support across Mac, iOS, Windows and Android. Bitwarden is the best value, with a free plan for unlimited passwords on unlimited devices and an open-source codebase. Proton Pass suits privacy-first users who want hide-my-email aliases.
Side-by-side comparison
Every tool scored on the same criteria. Hover a column to focus it, or show only the rows where they differ.
| 5 tools compared | ★ Our pick 1Password | Bitwarden | Proton Pass | Dashlane | NordPass | Ad space Your tool here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 9.3 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.4 | 8.2 | Get your tool into this table Shown next to the top 5 security tools, labeled as sponsored. Advertise here $149/mo |
| Starting price | $2.99 /mo first year, then $3.99 | Free / $1.65 /mo | Free / Pass Plus $35.88 /yr | - | - | |
| Best for | Most people & families | Best value & open source | Privacy & email aliases | All-in-one security | Trying a free plan | |
| Free plan | 14-day trial | 14-day trial | ||||
| Passkey support | - | |||||
| Open source | - | - | - | |||
| Published independent audits | - | - | ||||
| Breach monitoring / alerts | Free breach report | Paid plans | - | |||
| Email aliases | - | Via forwarding services | 10 free, unlimited paid | - | - | |
| Family plan | $4.49/mo first year | $3.99/mo, up to 6 users | Pass Family, 6 accounts | Up to 10 people | ||
| Visit site | Visit site | Visit site | Visit site | Visit site |
Prices and features were checked on each vendor's official website on Nov 11, 2026. Prices are in USD as shown there; promotions, taxes and regional pricing can change them. Where we could not confirm a detail on the vendor's own site, we show "-" instead of guessing. Our scores are editorial judgments.
Detailed reviews
What each tool does best, where it falls short, and who should pick it.
1. 1Password
Polished, secure and family-friendly
1Password protects your vault with your account password plus a 128-bit Secret Key. Watchtower alerts you to weak, reused and breached passwords, Travel Mode hides selected vaults when you cross borders, and passkeys work across Mac, iOS, Windows and Android. The Families plan adds up to five family members.
+ Pros
- Secret Key adds a second layer to your account password
- Watchtower alerts for weak, reused and breached passwords
- Passkeys on Mac, iOS, Windows and Android
- Travel Mode for crossing borders
- Cons
- No free plan, only a 14-day free trial
- $2.99/mo is a first-year price for new customers; regular price is $3.99/mo
2. Bitwarden
Open source and unbeatable value
Bitwarden's free plan includes unlimited passwords on unlimited devices and passkey management. Premium is $19.80 a year. The whole codebase is open source on GitHub, third-party audits are published on its site, and you can run the Bitwarden server yourself.
+ Pros
- Free plan: unlimited passwords on unlimited devices
- Open source, with published third-party audits
- Premium costs $19.80 a year
- Can be self-hosted
- Cons
- Most vault health reports need Premium
- Email aliases need a separate forwarding service
3. Proton Pass
Privacy-first from the makers of Proton Mail
Proton Pass gives free users unlimited logins and devices plus 10 hide-my-email aliases. Pass Plus unlocks unlimited aliases and Dark Web Monitoring. Like all Proton apps it is open source and independently audited.
+ Pros
- Free plan with unlimited logins and devices
- Unlimited hide-my-email aliases on paid plans
- Open source and independently audited
- Cons
- Free plan limited to 10 aliases and 2 vaults
- Dark Web Monitoring only on paid plans
4. Dashlane
Premium features with a built-in VPN
Dashlane Premium includes breach alerts, real-time phishing alerts and a VPN. The Friends & Family plan covers up to 10 people. Both personal plans are billed annually, and there is a 14-day free trial instead of a free plan.
+ Pros
- Breach alerts and real-time phishing alerts
- VPN included in Premium
- Friends & Family plan for up to 10 people
- Cons
- No free plan, only a 14-day free trial
- On Friends & Family, the VPN is for the plan manager only
5. NordPass
Free and Premium password manager
NordPass offers a Free plan and a paid Premium plan, plus a family plan. NordPass did not let us read its pricing page automatically, so we don't list its price or plan limits here - check them on nordpass.com before you buy.
+ Pros
- Free plan available
- Family plan available
- Cons
- Price and plan limits not confirmed by us - check nordpass.com
How we compared
We checked every price, plan and feature in this article on each vendor’s own website on November 11, 2026. Prices are in USD as listed there, usually per month and billed annually; first-year offers are marked as such. Where a vendor’s site did not confirm a detail, the table shows ”-”. The scores are our editorial judgment.
What to look for in a password manager
- Zero-knowledge encryption - the company should never be able to see your vault.
- Passkey support - passkeys are replacing passwords; your manager should store and sync them.
- Independent security audits - published, recent and by reputable firms.
- Recovery options - understand what happens if you forget your master password.
- Renewal price - several vendors show a lower first-year price; check what you’ll pay after that.
Other tools worth a look Sponsored
Frequently asked questions
Which password managers publish independent security audits?
1Password, Bitwarden and Proton Pass all state on their websites that they are independently audited, and Bitwarden and Proton link the audit reports. Bitwarden and Proton Pass are also open source, so anyone can inspect the code.
Is a free password manager good enough?
For many people, yes. Bitwarden's free plan includes unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, and Proton Pass Free includes unlimited logins and devices with 10 email aliases.
Do these password managers support passkeys?
1Password, Bitwarden, Proton Pass and Dashlane say on their own websites that they support passkeys. Check NordPass's site for its current passkey support.
Which one has a family plan?
All five offer one. 1Password Families adds up to five family members, Bitwarden Families covers up to 6 users, Proton Pass Family includes 6 Pass Plus accounts and Dashlane Friends & Family covers up to 10 people.
Prices and features were checked on Nov 11, 2026 and can change at any time. Some links may be affiliate links; this never affects our scores. Placements marked “Sponsored” are paid and are never ranked or scored. How we make money →