Note: This comparison is based on each vendor’s official pricing pages and help docs, checked on September 27, 2026. We did not run hands-on benchmarks. Free-plan limits and promo prices change, so confirm on each vendor’s site before you commit.
Short answer: Bitwarden Free is the best free password manager for most people. It gives you unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, passkey support and open-source code, with no session or device-type limits. Proton Pass Free is a close second if you want built-in email aliases. KeePassXC is the pick if you want an offline, local-only vault. Apple Passwords and Google Password Manager are fine if you stay inside one ecosystem. NordPass Free and LastPass Free work, but each has a limit most people will hit: NordPass allows one active session at a time, and LastPass covers only one device type. Dashlane no longer has a free plan.
Free-tier limits compared (September 2026)
| Free tier | Devices | Items | Sharing | Passkeys | Built-in TOTP codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitwarden Free | Unlimited | Unlimited | With 1 other user (free 2-person organization) | Yes | No (Premium) |
| Proton Pass Free | Unlimited | Unlimited logins, notes, cards | Vault sharing with 2 others; no single-item sharing | Yes | No (Pass Plus) |
| NordPass Free | Any device, 1 active session at a time | Unlimited | No | Yes | No (Premium) |
| LastPass Free | 1 device type (computer or mobile) | Unlimited | One-to-one | Not listed for Free | No (separate Authenticator app) |
| KeePassXC | Windows, macOS, Linux; you sync the file yourself | Unlimited | Via shared database files | Yes, via browser integration | Yes |
| Apple Passwords | Apple devices, plus Windows via iCloud for Windows | Unlimited | Shared Groups with contacts | Yes | Yes (verification codes) |
| Google Password Manager | Android, Chrome, passwords.google.com | Unlimited | With members of your Google family group | Yes | Not a listed feature |
Dashlane: Dashlane ended its Free plan on September 16, 2025. Its cheapest personal plan is now Premium at $5.42/month, billed annually, with a 14-day free trial.
Cheapest paid upgrade for each
| Tool | Cheapest paid plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitwarden | Premium | $1.65/mo, billed annually at $19.80 | TOTP authenticator, 5 GB of file attachments, emergency access, vault health reports, Duo and YubiKey OTP login |
| Proton Pass | Pass Plus | $2.99/mo on the yearly plan, billed $35.88 every 12 months (shown as 40% off $4.99) | Unlimited aliases, built-in 2FA, item and link sharing, file attachments, dark web monitoring, CLI |
| NordPass | Premium | $1.39/mo on a 2-year plan ($37.53 for the first 27 months), or $1.99/mo on a 1-year plan | Unlimited simultaneous sessions, sharing, authenticator, Password Health, Data Breach Scanner, email masking, file attachments |
| LastPass | Premium | $3.00/mo, billed annually ($36/yr) | All device types, one-to-many sharing, 1 GB storage, emergency access, advanced MFA |
| KeePassXC | None | Free, open source (GPLv3) | n/a |
| Apple Passwords | None | Built into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and later | n/a |
| Google Password Manager | None | Free with a Google Account | n/a |
NordPass’s prices are shown as discounts off a regular $2.99/month, and its plans page doesn’t list the renewal price. Check at checkout.
The seven free password managers
1. Bitwarden Free: best overall
Bitwarden’s free plan has no artificial device or session limits. You get unlimited items on unlimited devices, apps for every platform, passkey storage, a password and username generator, email-alias integration, and Bitwarden Send for text. You can share with one other person by creating a free two-person organization.
For account security, free users can use an authenticator app, email, or FIDO2/WebAuthn hardware keys for two-step login. Duo and YubiKey OTP need Premium.
The catch: storing TOTP codes inside the vault, file attachments and vault health reports are Premium features. Premium costs $19.80 a year ($1.65/month, billed annually), so older guides that quote a lower price may be out of date.
2. Proton Pass Free: best for email aliases
Proton Pass Free gives you unlimited logins on unlimited devices, passkey support, weak- and reused-password alerts, and 10 hide-my-email aliases. That’s useful for keeping your real address out of sign-up forms. You get 2 vaults, and you can share a vault with up to 2 people.
The catch: the built-in 2FA authenticator, single-item sharing, file attachments and the CLI all need Pass Plus.
3. KeePassXC: best offline option
KeePassXC is a free, open-source (GPLv3) desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux. Its homepage puts it simply: “No cloud, no ads, no subscriptions.” It stores TOTP secrets, supports passkeys through its browser integration, works with YubiKeys and can act as an SSH agent. That last one is handy for developers. France’s ANSSI has certified version 2.7.9 under its CSPN scheme.
The catch: you handle syncing yourself, for example by keeping the database file in Dropbox, Nextcloud or similar. On mobile you need a third-party app. The KeePassXC docs recommend KeePassDX or KeePass2Android on Android, and Strongbox or KeePassium on iOS.
4. Apple Passwords: best if you’re all-in on Apple
Starting with iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, Apple’s Passwords app manages passwords, passkeys, verification codes and Wi-Fi passwords. Shared Groups let you share credentials with contacts. On Windows, iCloud for Windows lets you use your passwords in Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
The catch: there’s no Android app, so it’s a poor fit if anyone in your household uses Android.
5. Google Password Manager: best for Android and Chrome users
Google Password Manager is built into Android and Chrome and available at passwords.google.com. It saves passwords and passkeys, runs Password Checkup to flag breached or weak passwords, and lets you share a password with members of your Google family group. Google also offers on-device encryption for saved passwords.
The catch: built-in TOTP storage isn’t among its listed features (Google Authenticator is a separate app), and sharing only works within a family group.
6. NordPass Free: good apps, one session at a time
NordPass Free includes unlimited passwords, autosave and autofill, passkeys and XChaCha20 encryption. Per NordPass support, Free “only allows users to have one active session on one device.” Logging in on your phone logs you out on your laptop.
The catch: sharing, the authenticator, Password Health, the Data Breach Scanner, email masking and file attachments are all Premium. If you outgrow the free plan, NordPass Premium is one of the cheapest upgrades here. See NordPass’s current plans.
7. LastPass Free: most restrictive device limit
LastPass Free gives you unlimited passwords, autofill, dark web monitoring, one-to-one sharing and 50 MB of file storage. But it’s “limited to 1 device type”: you choose computer (desktop browsers) or mobile (phones, tablets, watches).
The catch: beyond the device limit, LastPass’s 2022 breach exposed encrypted customer vault backups. If you used LastPass then, rotate the credentials that were stored in it. Our LastPass vs NordPass comparison covers the details.
Which should you pick?
| Your situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| Most people, phone and laptop, $0 budget | Bitwarden Free |
| Want email aliases to cut spam and tracking | Proton Pass Free |
| Want nothing in the cloud | KeePassXC |
| Only Apple devices (plus maybe a Windows PC) | Apple Passwords |
| Android plus Chrome everywhere | Google Password Manager |
| Mostly use one device at a time, may upgrade later | NordPass Free |
| Need built-in TOTP codes for free | KeePassXC or Apple Passwords |
Pros and cons of free password managers
Pros
- Unlimited password storage on every tool listed here.
- Passkeys are supported across the board. LastPass is the only one that doesn’t list them for its free tier.
- Bitwarden, Proton Pass and KeePassXC don’t limit devices at all.
Cons
- In-vault TOTP codes, file attachments and breach monitoring are usually paid features.
- Sharing is limited: one person (Bitwarden), two (Proton), none (NordPass).
- Built-in managers lock you into one ecosystem, and switching later means exporting and importing.
FAQ
What is the best free password manager in 2026? Bitwarden Free for most people: unlimited passwords, unlimited devices, passkeys and open-source code. Proton Pass Free is a strong alternative with 10 email aliases.
Does Dashlane still have a free plan? No. Dashlane ended its Free plan on September 16, 2025. It offers a 14-day Premium trial instead.
Is LastPass Free still usable? Yes, but only on one device type. You choose computer or mobile, not both.
Are free password managers safe? The free tiers here are end-to-end or locally encrypted, and paid plans mostly add features rather than stronger encryption. Your master password strength and turning on two-step login matter more than whether you pay.
Is Google or Apple’s built-in manager good enough? If all your devices are in one ecosystem, yes, for many people. Both support passkeys and sharing. A dedicated manager is better if you mix Android, iPhone, Windows and Linux.
Which free password manager is best for developers? KeePassXC if you want a local vault with SSH-agent and TOTP support. Bitwarden if you need cloud sync across machines. If you’ll pay, our 1Password review covers its CLI and SSH agent, and Dashlane vs Bitwarden compares two paid options. For a cheap upgrade from a free plan, NordPass Premium starts at $1.39/month on a 2-year term.
Sources, checked September 27, 2026: Bitwarden pricing, Bitwarden plans help, Bitwarden two-step login methods, Proton Pass pricing, NordPass plans, NordPass Premium vs Free, NordPass passkeys, LastPass pricing, LastPass Premium vs Free, KeePassXC, KeePassXC docs, Apple: Passwords app, Apple: iCloud Passwords on Windows, Google Password Manager help, Chrome: manage passwords, Dashlane pricing, Dashlane: Free plan ending.