Featured Partner
Featured Partners
1
NordPass
56% off + 3 months
Yes
Multifactor authentication (MFA) availability
2
Keeper
Starting at $1.46 per user, per month
Yes
AES 256-bit encryption and Elliptic-Curve cryptography
3
1Password
Begins at $7.99 per month, per user (billed annually)
No
Two secret key derivation (Account Password = Security)
4
LastPass
$4.25
30 days
AES-256 data encryption plus PBKDF2 hashing with SHA-256 salting
5
Proton Pass
60% off, starting 1.99/month/user
Yes
Integrated 2FA authentication + Passkeys
The 5 Best Windows Password Managers of 2025
Norton Password Manager
Best Overall Windows Password Manager
Norton Password Manager
Free plan
Yes
Price range
None
Unique feature
One-click password change
Yes
None
One-click password change
It’s hard to find a better password manager for the price than Norton Password Manager—it’s 100% free; there’s no paid plan available. This means you’ll get all the features available for the tool without having to worry about charges of any kind. Norton uses the industry-standard AES-256 encryption method and a zero-knowledge protocol, which keeps your passwords secure.
Premium features you might find from paid versions of other password managers for Windows are included with a Norton Password Manager account. You’ll get a random password generator for strong passwords that are difficult to guess or crack and an automatic password changer, which lets you change any of your various accounts’ passwords with one click. It syncs across all your devices, and you can even use the mobile app (with biometric login) to launch your desktop version. Its biggest drawbacks are that it won’t allow you to share login info with others and there’s no file storage option.
Who should use it:
Norton Password Manager is one of the best password managers for Windows users who want a completely free tool with advanced features to keep all your login info safe.
Read more:
Read our full Norton review.
- Free tool for anyone
- Uses two-factor authentication
- Biometric authentication via mobile app
- Change passwords with one click
- Random password generator included
- Syncs across all devices (PC, mobile, tablet)
- Mobile app can unlock desktop version
- Lacking option to share login info
- Stores passwords only
NordPass
Best Budget-Friendly Option
NordPass
Free plan
Yes
Price range
Free to $1.49
per month (for two-year plan)
Unique feature
Dark web monitor
Yes
Free to $1.49
per month (for two-year plan)
Dark web monitor
Many Windows password managers offer free plans for those who need a simple password manager but NordPass’ free option is a bit more robust. There’s no limit to the number of passwords it protects, and it includes multifactor authentication, ensuring even greater security. The biggest limitation of the free version of NordPass is that you can’t log into your password manager with more than one device at a time.
If you upgrade to a paid plan ($1.49 per user, per month on a two-year plan), you can log into NordPass with multiple devices simultaneously and you can share your login info with guests, such as Wi-Fi login at your home. There’s a password checker for all your accounts so you can be sure you have no duplicates because it’s a good rule of thumb to not use the same password twice. The dark web monitoring feature lets you know if your personal information shows up on any cracked password or data breach lists.
Learn more: Read our full NordPass review.
Who should use it:
For families that want a budget-friendly Windows password manager it’s hard to beat NordPass. It’s affordable and includes advanced features like dark web monitoring to help keep you safe beyond encrypting your passwords.
- Free version
- Family plan for up to six members
- Business plans available
- Protected notes, address info, payment info
- Multifactor, biometric authentication
- Ability to share login info with guests
- Monitors dark web for your personal info
- Only one device at a time with free plan
- Doesn’t allow for file storage
Dashlane
Best Feature-Rich Option
Dashlane
Free plan
Yes
Price range
Free to $8
per month
Unique feature
VPN on two paid plans
Yes
Free to $8
per month
VPN on two paid plans
Although Dashlane offers a free version of its password manager, it’s severely limited. You can only use Dashlane on one device, and you’re limited to 50 passwords. You can share login info with others, but only up to five accounts. There’s also no dark web monitoring available.
If you bump up your Dashlane account to a premium plan for $4.99 per month, you can store unlimited passwords, share your passwords with anyone and use Dashlane on as many devices as you’d like. You’ll also get bonus features, such as 1 GB of file storage, a virtual private network (VPN) and encrypted notes.
Who should use it:
Dashlane is a bit pricey for a paid plan, but the value is unmatched with its extra features, such as a VPN.
Read more:
Read our full Dashlane review.
- Free plan available
- Biometric, two-factor authentication
- Free trial available
- Password and login sharing
- VPN bundled with Premium and Family plans
- Dark web monitoring
- Security alerts on all plans
- Relatively expensive
- Free plan is limiting (50 passwords)
- Only two paid plans get file storage
- Lower-priced plans have syncing limitations
1Password
Best for Tech Novices
1Password
Free plan
No
Price range
$2.99 to $19.95
per month
Unique feature
1Password mini app
No
$2.99 to $19.95
per month
1Password mini app
Most password managers offer a free version to users, but 1Password breaks from the norm. There is a 14-day trial, which allows you to test out all of its features, but if you like it, you’ll have to choose a plan, which starts at $2.99 monthly for individuals, $4.99 monthly for families of five and $7.99 to $19.95 monthly for business plans.
The features included in a 1Password account are standard for password managers. You can store an unlimited number of passwords, use your manager on an unlimited number of devices and sync across all of them. There’s also autofill for forms and payment info, and dark web monitoring. Two-factor authentication ensures your 1Password account stays safe too. What 1Password offers that other password managers don’t is a mini app for Windows users (and for Apple too). It’s a good idea conceptually, but 1Password works with virtually every browser, so it might not even be necessary to use.
Who should use it:
If you prefer to access your account via a mini app, 1Password is a good choice for you. Keep in mind that it will be costly compared to other password managers, though.
Read more:
Read our full 1Password review.
- Unlimited passwords and devices
- 14-day trial available
- Two-factor authentication
- Dark web monitoring
- 1Password mini app for Windows
- Expensive
- No free plan available
Bitwarden
Best Free Option
Bitwarden
Free plan
Yes
Price range
Free to $6
per month, per user
Unique feature
Unlimited passwords and devices on free plan
Yes
Free to $6
per month, per user
Unlimited passwords and devices on free plan
Bitwarden offers one of the most generous free plans compared to other password managers. It doesn’t limit your password or device count, and you can sync across all your devices. Sharing is slightly limited: You can only share text-based info. Another limitation is that free accounts won’t get two-factor authentication.
A paid Bitwarden account is affordable at just $10 per year. A premium account includes everything in the free plan, plus you get 1 GB of file storage, and you can share passwords and files with others.
Who should use it:
If you’re looking for a full-featured free Windows password manager, Bitwarden is a great choice. The paid version is cheap enough that it’s worth it for two-factor authentication and encrypted file storage.
Read more:
Read our full Bitwarden review.
- Full-featured free plan
- Affordable paid plans
- 1 GB file storage
- Login sharing available
- No limits on passwords or devices
- Two-factor authentication on paid plans only
- No file storage or sharing on free plan
Forbes Advisor Ratings
What You Need To Know About Windows Password Managers
What Is a Password Manager?
A password manager securely stores all your passwords for various accounts, so you don’t have to remember dozens of complex, unique passwords. Industry-standard practices include using AES-256 encryption and zero-knowledge policies. This sort of end-to-end encryption means not even the developers of the password manager have access to your information.
How Do You Use a Password Manager?
Most password managers let you use a browser extension, so any website you visit that requires a password will trigger your password manager to fill in information. So, you’ll sign up for an account, create your master password and install the extension or app. Some password managers require you to manually add passwords but others offer a bulk password add for all your accounts, saving you time.
Methodology
Forbes Advisor looked at five primary factors and 14 secondary factors to create this list of the best password managers for Windows. We compared five of the most popular Windows password managers and ranked them according to security features, cost or value and unique features.
In regard to security features, we considered industry-standard AES-256 encryption, multifactor authentication and zero-knowledge policies. Although pricing is important, we looked at the overall value of a password manager because paying for an account may be worth the cost. Unique features are few among Windows password managers but only because most password managers have cross-platform functionality.
You’ll find that most password managers are easy to use but we still considered whether they’re intuitive. Free versions of password managers got more consideration, especially those that are fully featured. In order of importance, these are the factors we weighed when ranking the top Windows password managers:
- Security features
- Cost and value
- Cross-platform functionality
- Unique features
- Ease of use
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Windows 10 have a password manager?
There is a built-in password manager in Windows 10, but it’s named “Credential Manager.” You can view your saved passwords any time by searching in settings for the credential manager. To view a password, you need to enter your PC’s PIN. It’s easy to use, but it might not be the most secure option. A third-party password manager offers more layers of security, including end-to-end encryption, which you may want to keep sensitive info secure, like your online banking info.
Is it worth paying for a password manager?
There are plenty of free password managers for Windows that are worth using and paid options are affordable. When you pay for a password manager, you get useful features not typically included in free plans, such as encrypted file storage, sharing options, password generation and you can even get a VPN from some of the top password managers to keep your online activity private.
Why shouldn’t you use a password manager?
Password managers can be hacked and, if they don’t use end-to-end encryption, you may put all your personal info at risk of exposure. You might forget your master password, and if a password manager uses a zero-knowledge policy (the best ones do), you may not be able to access your account without emergency access. With that said, a password manager is one step to preventing common cyberthreats for individuals and small businesses.
What are the most secure free password managers?
The free password managers that offer the most security are Norton Password Manager, Dashlane and Bitwarden. Even though they offer free plans, each provider boasts stellar password vault security in those plans. Read about the best free password managers to learn more.
Are there advantages to paid password managers compared to free password managers?
Free password managers offer basic features but may not offer all of the features you are seeking. If so, you should upgrade to a paid version. Most of the password managers on our list offer free trials, so you can try out the one that has the features you want or need before committing to a subscription plan.
Can password managers be hacked?
It is extremely rare for a password manager to get hacked as information is carefully stored and encrypted. The best way to avoid a hack is to not share your account information and periodically update your master password.
