Updated on: May 1, 2023
Short on time? Here’s the best family password manager:
- 🥇
1Password : Excellent security and a ton of useful features for families. Comes with multiple vaults, dark web monitoring, account recovery, and more, and it’s the only brand on the market that lets you add an unlimited number of users under a single family plan.
I tried every password manager on the market looking for intuitive, affordable software for families. Finding a good family password manager isn’t easy — some aren’t able to fully protect a family, some are too complicated for non-technical users, and some are just too expensive.
But I managed to find a few options that are secure, user-friendly, and provide extras that are particularly useful for families, like password sharing, adjustable user permissions, multi-device syncing, and biometric login options.
The brands on this list are the best of the best — whether you’re sharing a password manager with your partner, your kids, your parents, or all three, you’ll find a product on this list that’s just right for you and your family. My top pick is
Quick summary of the best family password managers in 2023:
- 1.🥇
1Password Families — Best overall password manager for families in 2023. - 2.🥈
Dashlane Friends & Family — Secure, intuitive, and comes with unique extras like a VPN. - 3.🥉
LastPass Families — Low cost, simple sharing, and multiple account recovery options. - 4.
NordPass Family — Easy to use and intuitive user interface (good for beginners). - 5.
Keeper Family — High security with a lot of extras like an encrypted messenger. - Bonus.
RoboForm Everywhere Family — Good value with an excellent form filler. - Comparison of the Best Password Managers for Families.
🥇1. 1Password — Best Password Manager for Families in 2023
Getting started with 1Password is so simple — even my non-techy parents managed to create a 1Password account on their own, and they had no trouble understanding and using all of its features.
I also like that 1Password lets you create multiple vaults — you can make each vault private or share them so they’re accessible to your family. I like how you can also control the permissions on shared password vaults. You can choose who can use, manage, and edit logins in them — perfect for sharing sensitive accounts with children, so they can access sites without accidentally compromising or changing login information.
1Password also has:
- Account recovery.
- Biometric login.
- Password strength analyzing.
- Dark web monitoring.
- Encrypted file storage (1 GB).
- Travel Mode.
1Password’s account recovery option is pretty useful. If your kids forget their master password, you can restore their accounts in just a couple of easy steps. I also like how easy and convenient it is to set up biometric login on an iPhone, so you and your family members can access your accounts with just a fingerprint scan — no master password necessary!
I also like that 1Password has a password strength analyzing feature (called Watchtower) that notifies you if any of the passwords in your vault are weak, reused, or were compromised in a data breach. In addition to password auditing, 1Password also offers dark web monitoring, which scours the dark web and notifies you if any of your email addresses were leaked online.
Travel Mode is a unique feature that lets you hide important information when traveling. When you cross borders, border control officers can look through your phone and open your apps, so it’s a great way to prevent them from seeing data you want to keep private. Admittedly, you won’t need this feature on a day-to-day basis, but it’s handy for when your family goes on overseas vacations.
Priced at $4.99 / month,
Bottom Line:
1Password offers a family-friendly interface, good vault sharing options, and good pricing options for large families. It also comes with great security features like account recovery, biometric login, password auditing, secure password sharing, and dark web monitoring. 1Password Families provides coverage for up to 5 users, but you can purchase additional licenses for a small fee. You can try out 1Password risk-free with a 14-day free trial.
Read the full 1Password review here >
🥈2. Dashlane — Advanced Security With a VPN & Easy-to-Use Apps
Dashlane also comes with:
- Virtual private network (VPN) with unlimited data.
- Biometric logins.
- Dark web monitoring.
- Encrypted file storage (1 GB).
- And a lot more…
Dashlane is the only password manager on my list that includes a VPN — and it’s just as secure and fast as many standalone competitors. When you subscribe to Dashlane, you get a free download of Hotspot Shield Premium, which is one of the most popular VPN providers on the market — it protects user data with industry-standard features like 256-bit AES encryption and a strict no-logs policy.
During my testing, the VPN provided encrypted internet access and anonymous browsing with almost zero slowdown. I also like how Hotspot Shield has unlimited data, which isn’t offered by some “bonus” VPNs that come included with other security products.
Dashlane’s password generator is pretty good, too. It lets you generate passwords between 4–40 characters containing numbers, digits, symbols, or similar characters. Once you’ve generated a password, you can either save it with an account in your vault, or it’ll be automatically stored in the Password History section of Dashlane so you can easily access the generated password in the future. It’s not quite as good as 1Password’s generator (which can recognize specific password requirements on a website and create a password based on those requirements), but it’s still an excellent way for you and your family members to create secure passwords quickly.
I also really like Dashlane’s live dark web monitoring tool — it constantly scans the dark web in real-time and instantly notifies you if it finds any of your email addresses leaked online. An advantage of Dashlane’s dark web monitoring feature is that it uses its own data hosted on its own servers to check the dark web for leaked information — top competitors like RoboForm instead use ‘Have I Been Pwned?’s free database for their dark web monitoring.
Finally, I think it’s great that Dashlane provides a passkey feature that lets you create and log into compatible accounts without using a password. I tested it using a compatible site, and found it easy to create an account and later log in using a passkey that Dashlane automatically generated and saved for me.
Dashlane’s
Bottom Line:
Dashlane is a great option for families looking for a secure and user-friendly password manager with tons of intuitive features. It’s the only product on my list that includes a VPN (a pretty good one, too), and its dark web monitoring feature is really useful. Dashlane Friends & Family is very secure, very easy to use, and covers up to 10 users and all of their devices. It offers a 30-day free trial and a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Dashlane review here >
🥉3. LastPass — Good Family Sharing Dashboard
LastPass also offers a variety of additional features to keep your family’s passwords as secure as possible, such as:
- Multiple account recovery options.
- Password auditing.
- Dark web monitoring.
- Built-in TOTP (Time-based One-time Password) authenticator.
- 1 GB encrypted storage.
LastPass offers more account recovery options than Dashlane, 1Password, or any other competitor. These options include a one-time password, SMS recovery code, or master password hint. The most convenient one is mobile account recovery — if you forget your master password, all you have to do is log into your LastPass account on your phone using your fingerprint or facial recognition authenticator.
I really like how LastPass also offers a wide variety of two-factor authentication (2FA) options. This extra layer of security allows you to keep the information in your vault protected, even if a hacker gains access to your master password. It is compatible with popular third-party authenticator apps, including Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Duo Security, and more.
LastPass even includes its own authenticator app with all of its plans, which supports 3 different authentication methods (6-digit passcodes, SMS Codes, and push notifications). LastPass is also compatible with the USB authenticator YubiKey, in addition to fingerprint and smart card readers.
LastPass also includes an intuitive sharing center that makes it easy to securely share passwords, secure notes, and other sensitive information with your loved ones. Enter the email address of the person you want to share data with and select the accounts or information you want to share with them. It’s not quite as efficient (or intuitive) as 1Password’s shared vault feature, but it’s still a great and convenient way to share personal information with family members.
Bottom Line:
LastPass is a good option for non-tech-savvy families who want an affordable password manager with advanced features. It provides easy password sharing for up to 6 users, multiple account recovery options, dark web monitoring, biometric login, and a lot more. It doesn’t offer advanced features like a VPN or unlimited users, but it does have plenty of good features and is cheaper than many competitors. You can test LastPass for free for 30 days.
Read the full LastPass review here >
4. NordPass — Easy to Use With an Intuitive User Interface
NordPass is the easiest-to-use password manager on this list, making it a great choice for less tech-savvy families. It’s lightweight, has a streamlined and intuitive user interface, and contains various additional features to enhance your family’s password security, including:
- Passphrase generator.
- Password health checker.
- Emergency access.
- Data breach scanner.
- Coverage on up to 6 devices per user.
NordPass is one of the only password managers with a passphrase generator, and it works really well. You can generate passphrases between 3–10 words and separate them using spaces, hyphens, commas, and more. Passphrases are considered to be stronger than passwords, so it’s always great when a password manager comes with the ability to generate them. My only complaint is that you can’t access the passphrase generator from the web extension and have to open the desktop app to use it.
I also quite like NordPass’s data breach scanner. It automatically monitors emails that you’ve saved into your password vault and alerts you if it finds any leaks containing that email on the dark web. The scanner monitored over 10 email addresses in my password vault — which is great. Some competitors (like McAfee True Key) don’t offer dark web monitoring, and others limit the number of email addresses you can monitor.
I’m also a fan of NordPass’s file attachment feature — you can upload files of up to 50 MB to saved passwords, personal info, secure notes, and credit cards. I was able to upload all types of files, including pictures and documents, and easily access them in my NordPass account. I like that NordPass let’s you store up to 3 GB of files too — many competitors limit you to 1 GB.
Like Dashlane, NordPass also comes with a passkey feature. When I registered an account on compatible websites such as Arpari, NordPass issued me with a passkey so I didn’t have to enter a password at the registration screen. When I later tried to log into these accounts, I could do so automatically by using NordPass as a form of authentication — which is pretty cool.
Finally, NordPass makes it easy to provide emergency access to a trusted contact. All you need to do is enter the email address associated with your contact’s NordPass account, and they’ll be able to send you a request if they want to access your vault. You can either allow their request to provide your contact with instant access, deny it, or not respond for 7 days, and they’ll be granted access to your vault automatically. It’s not quite as good as LastPass’s emergency access feature, which lets you modify how long it takes for your emergency contact to receive automatic access, but it’s still pretty good.
NordPass is also one of the cheapest password managers on this list. You can get NordPass Family for $3.69 / month, and it comes with 6 Premium accounts that you can give to your family members.
Bottom Line:
NordPass is an excellent, low-cost option for families. It features an intuitive dashboard and a good range of additional features, including a passphrase generator and dark web monitoring for 10+ email addresses. I’m disappointed that the emergency access feature doesn’t let you change how long it takes for your contact to be granted automatic access, but it’s still pretty good. You can get NordPass Family for $3.69 / month, and it comes with a 30-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full NordPass Review Here >
5. Keeper — Best for Encrypted Chat + Storage
Keeper provides highly secure password management and tons of family-friendly features — including unique features like an encrypted messaging app called KeeperChat. KeeperChat uses advanced encryption and security protocols to keep your messaging completely private, and with 50 GB of encrypted chat storage, it’s a great way for family members to communicate and share files securely.
KeeperChat also allows you to set up group chats, similar to apps like WhatsApp, and it provides the option to unsend messages and set self-destruct timers. KeeperChat uses military-grade encryption to protect your messages, along with a strict zero-knowledge policy. This way, not even Keeper employees can view your private messages.
Keeper also has:
- Password and file sharing.
- Password auditing.
- Advanced 2FA.
- Dark web monitoring.
- 10 GB of encrypted file storage.
Keeper’s dark web monitoring feature, called BreachWatch, is an add-on feature that you can purchase separately. BreachWatch continuously scans all of the passwords and login credentials in your Keeper vault to see if they’ve been involved in a data breach or leaked on the dark web. While BreachWatch works very well, I’d prefer it if Keeper included dark web monitoring with all of its plans, like Dashlane does.
Like LastPass, Keeper comes with a good range of 2FA options. You can use a TOTP generator like Microsoft Authenticator, receive one-time SMS codes, use your biometrics, and more. I particularly like how you can use your smartwatch (Apple Watch or Android Wear) as a form of 2FA. Not many password managers on the market have smartwatch compatibility, and it’s honestly one of the best ways to protect your password vault in 2023.
Keeper’s vault-sharing function is really well-made — it allowed me to easily share passwords with everyone on my plan, monitor usage, and set permissions to make sure my family and my sensitive accounts stayed safe. I also like the generous 10 GB of encrypted storage that Keeper offers to families. Dashlane and 1Password only offer 1 GB of storage per person. You can also get up to 100 GB of cloud storage for an extra fee.
Keeper Family ($37.49 / year) covers up to 5 users. If you’re looking for a secure, feature-rich password manager that has extras like secure encrypted messaging, Keeper is a great choice, even though it’s a little more expensive than the competition.
Bottom Line:
Keeper Family is a very good family password manager — it’s loaded with security features, like an encrypted messaging app, 10 GB of encrypted file storage (with storage upgrade options), as well as optional extras like dark web monitoring. It’s a bit more expensive than the other products on my list, but you can test Keeper’s personal plan risk-free with a 30-day free trial before deciding whether it’s right for your family.
Read the full Keeper review here >
Bonus. RoboForm — Best for Online Form Filling
RoboForm has the best web form filler on the market — it easily saves and auto-fills information on a huge variety of web forms, from social media accounts to more complex things like passport applications and vehicle registration forms.
RoboForm automatically filled my details into various online form fields with no errors at all. My parents were also impressed with RoboForm’s form filler — unlike most other password managers they tried, RoboForm quickly and correctly filled out all of their information onto various online accounting forms.
RoboForm also provides advanced password protection features, such as:
- Biometric and TOTP 2FA options.
- Password vault auditing.
- Secure password and note sharing.
- Emergency access.
RoboForm’s 2FA integration is pretty good — you can log into RoboForm with a fingerprint or an authenticator app like Google Authenticator or Authy. However, RoboForm isn’t compatible with advanced USB 2FA tools like YubiKey. 1Password and Keeper offer this level of advanced functionality.
That said, RoboForm includes a pretty good security auditing tool that alerts you to compromised passwords. This can include passwords that have been leaked in a data breach, weak passwords, and passwords you’ve reused across a lot of accounts. While this tool is helpful, the breach checker uses Have I Been Pwned — a publicly available database. Have I Been Pwned is pretty reliable, but I prefer how Dashlane uses its own servers to check for leaked information.
RoboForm is one of the only password managers on the market to offer bookmark storage. This tool lets you bookmark web pages on any device where you have the RoboForm app installed. This way, you and your family members can quickly access your favorite websites from any device. RoboForm allows you to save and store your bookmarked websites through its browser extension, web apps, and mobile apps. If you’re looking to quickly access your favorite sites across multiple devices and web browsers, this feature is definitely a big time saver.
At $27.70 / year, RoboForm Everywhere Family provides coverage for up to 5 users. It doesn’t include family-friendly vault sharing options like 1Password, but it’s more affordable than many competitors, providing secure password management at a fraction of the cost of most competitors.
Bottom Line:
RoboForm provides the best form-filling capabilities on the market and is very affordable. It also includes advanced security features like biometric login, vault auditing, emergency access, bookmark storage, and password sharing for up to 5 users. Your family can try out RoboForm risk-free using the company’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full RoboForm review here >
Comparison of the Best Password Managers for Families in 2023
How to Choose the Best Password Managers for Families in 2023
- Ensure the password manager uses advanced security measures. A good family password manager should use bank-grade 256-bit AES encryption and have zero-knowledge protocols. It’s also important that it offers a variety of useful safety features to provide 100% secure password protection. My family and I tested the products on this list to ensure they were fully secure and safe to use.
- Choose a password manager that’s easy for everyone to use. You shouldn’t need any technical expertise to use a password manager. This is particularly true of family password managers, which need to be easy for children and older people to navigate. It was great having my non-tech-savvy parents involved in the tests because that way I could check each password manager was truly simple to understand, access, and use. We found 1Password particularly intuitive, but all of the brands on the list are straightforward to use.
- Make sure the app has family-friendly features. Password managers for families need to offer simple password sharing functions, seamless device sync, and good user permissions and controls. All the brands on this list offer all these features and more. I particularly liked 1Password’s vault-sharing function, which made it easy to set permissions, protect my sensitive accounts, and keep my daughter safe online.
- Check the password manager’s additional features. Password managers often come with a range of extra features, but unfortunately, they’re not always especially useful. My family and I tested additional features like 2FA, password breach monitoring, form filling, and password auditing to make sure that these features actually worked as promised. I can confirm that all the brands on this list offer real value.
- Choose a product with reliable customer support. When you require additional information or guidance, it’s crucial for password managers to have responsive and informed customer support. In my evaluations, I considered the response time and the usefulness of the feedback from customer support of each product. Bonus points were awarded for round-the-clock support, live chat, and multilingual support.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut:
- Avira Password Manager. Avira Password Manager is a well-designed program, but it lacks some of the features that the best family password managers offer. These include password sharing, advanced 2FA options, and emergency access. Plus, Avira Password Manager doesn’t have a plan designed for families.
- Sticky Password. Sticky Password is a pretty good password manager for most individuals, but it’s not a good choice for families — password sharing between family members is complicated, and there’s no encrypted file storage.
- Bitwarden. Bitwarden is a good open-source password manager, and its family plan provides many decent features for a low price. However, I had some trouble navigating Bitwarden’s interface — it may be good for tech-savvy families, but it’s definitely not as intuitive as the products on this list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best password manager for a family?
1Password is my favorite password manager for a family in 2023 — it has excellent security, is user-friendly, and comes with many essential family-friendly features, including both shared and personal vaults, account recovery options, and dark web monitoring. 1Password is also the only password manager on the market that allows you to add unlimited users to its family plan.
Are password managers safe for families?
Absolutely — as long as your family’s using the right password manager! Since password managers contain all of your logins, along with other sensitive information like credit card info, it’s really important that your children can’t access your password vault.
All of the family password managers on this list offer secure vault sharing features and 2FA logins, so your partner, parents, or children can access all of the passwords they need without accidentally logging into another member’s password vault and messing anything up! Password managers also keep logins safe from hackers with protections like:
- Secure AES 256-bit encryption.
- Password vault auditing.
- Biometric logins.
- Dark web monitoring.
1Password has all of these features inside an intuitive interface, plus it’s one of the most affordable family options on the market, and it allows you to add as many users as you need for a small fee (something no other brand offers).
Are password managers easy to use for kids and/or seniors?
Password managers can be pretty complicated — but there are a few that are much easier to figure out for tech newbies, and once they’re set up, they can be a real time-saver.
All the password managers on this list have auto-filling and auto-saving capabilities, so you literally just have to click a single button to save new logins, and then click a single button to log into your saved sites. And with biometric login on most devices, you can access these passwords with just a fingerprint or face scan.
I found 1Password to be the simplest product on my list, with clear instructions, accurate password auto-fill, and an intuitive user interface.
Are there free password managers for families?
Free password managers have limitations and are not always suitable for families. There are some decent free options out there, but most of them only cover one user, have limited password storage and sharing, and lack other useful family features like multi-device sync, data storage, account recovery, and more
Fortunately, many affordable password managers are family-friendly. For example, 1Password Families is secure, intuitive, and comes with password sharing, password auditing, dark web monitoring, account recovery, and lots more. It’s also the only password manager on the market that lets you add unlimited users under a single family plan.
Do these password managers have 2FA?
Yes, all of the products on this list offer a few different 2FA options, and they help you securely access your password vault. The time-based one-time password (TOTP) is a really common 2FA protection. Just download an authenticator app like Authy or Google Authenticator, and your password manager will send your authenticator a one-time code that refreshes every 30 seconds. That way, you can’t log into your password manager without both your master password and the device with the authenticator on it.
TOTP authentication is great, but it’s probably too complicated for most kids or seniors. Many password managers offer biometric login that allows users to log in using biometric traits like a fingerprint, face, voice, or eye scan. This is a great option for kids and anybody else who doesn’t want to remember a complicated master password. 1Password, for example, offers biometric login for Androids, iOS devices, and even Windows 10 and 11 machines with Windows Hello set up. This is one of the reasons that 1Password is our top password manager for Windows in 2023.
