Password managers: Your digital vault for all those keys you keep losing¶
Because your brain is for remembering birthdays, not 87 different variations of “Fluffy123!”. A password manager is like that ultra-organised friend who actually knows where they left their keys.
What it fixes¶
No more recycling passwords (we see you using “Summer2024” everywhere)
No more frantic “forgot password?” clicks
No more sticky notes with your bank login stuck to the monitor
How it works¶
One master password (make it strong - like “correct-horse-battery-staple” strong)
It generates and remembers random passwords for every site
Auto-fills logins so you don’t have to type (or remember) anything
Bonus superpowers¶
Alerts you when passwords are weak/reused/breached
Securely shares logins with family (no more texting passwords)
Works across all your devices (because your phone deserves security too)
Password managers (2025)¶
Name |
Key Innovations (2025) |
Free Tier or Free |
Best For |
Security Audit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Password |
Quantum-resistant encryption, “Unlock with FaceID” on desktop |
❌ No |
Families/Teams |
Yes (SOC 2, ISO 27001) |
Bitwarden |
Fully homomorphic encryption (beta), Self-hostable Vaults 3.0 |
✅ Yes |
Privacy-focused users |
Open-source + Audited |
Proton Pass |
Integrated Proton Sentinel (AI threat detection) |
✅ Limited |
Proton ecosystem users |
Yes (2024 audit) |
KeePassXC |
Offline-first with hardware key support |
✅ Yes |
Linux/security purists |
Open-source |
Dashlane |
Instant Dark Web scans + VPN bundle |
❌ No |
All-in-one security |
Yes (2025 audit) |
NordPass |
Post-quantum XChaCha20 + 100GB encrypted storage |
✅ Limited |
NordVPN users |
Yes (2025 audit) |
Enpass |
Local AI breach alerts (no cloud needed) |
✅ Limited |
Hybrid (cloud/offline) users |
Yes (2024) |
Keeper |
Zero-knowledge file storage (new in 2025) |
❌ No |
Enterprises |
FIPS 140-2 Certified |
Emerging contenders (2025)¶
Mozilla Vault: Built into Firefox with WebAuthn support (Free)
Apple Passkeys Manager: iCloud Keychain with Windows/Android support
Google Password Manager: Now with E2EE and shared vaults
Specialized tools¶
Use Case |
Recommendation |
Why? |
|---|---|---|
Self-Hosting |
Vaultwarden (Bitwarden fork) |
Full control over data |
Hardware Security |
KeePassXC + OnlyKey |
Air-gapped + physical 2FA |
Teams/Enterprise |
Keeper Enterprise |
FIPS compliance + SIEM integration |
Critical 2025 upgrades¶
Post-Quantum Encryption: Bitwarden/1Password now default to quantum-resistant algorithms.
AI Threat Monitoring: Proton Pass/Dashlane scan for real-time credential leaks.
Passkey Dominance: Most managers now support FIDO2 passkeys as primary login.
Avoid in 2025¶
LastPass: Still recovering from 2022-2024 breaches.
Any manager without third-party audits or emergency access or passkey support
Best value (2025)¶
Free: Bitwarden (unlimited devices)
Premium: Proton Pass ($2.99/mo for VPN + Mail + Drive bundle)
Enterprise: Keeper (GDPR/HIPAA-compliant)