- Best overall password manager for teams: Dashlane
- Best enterprise password manager: Keeper
- Best password manager for small teams: 1Password
- Best open source password manager: Bitwarden
- Best general password manager: LastPass
According to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report, 74% of all breaches include the human element—stolen credentials as a result of poor password management, for example.
In addition to the convenience of password storage and autofill, password managers generate complex and lengthy passwords to prevent bad actors from gaining access to proprietary data and confidential information. There are password managers designed for individual and family use, and there are enterprise password managers that enable teams of users to access and share resources securely.
For businesses wanting to enhance security and minimize the risk of data breaches, this comparison of password managers will help you decide which is best for your team.
Jump to:
- Feature comparisons of the best password managers for teams
- Best password managers for teams
- Key features of password managers
- How to choose a good password manager for your team
- Methodology
Password managers for teams: Comparison table
On the surface, enterprise password managers share similar features. They all use encryption, have built-in password generators, support most of the same platforms and browser extensions and allow password sharing among teams, auto filling of web forms and multi-factor authentication (MFA). However, there are nuances that buyers must pay attention to if they wish to pick the right product for their environment. The five products selected below work well in teams, small or large.
| Single Sign-on | Added Security | Zero Trust | Free Plan | Pricing starting at | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dashlane | Yes | MFA, password generator, VPN, dark web monitor, encryption | Yes | No | $5 per month |
| Keeper | Yes | MFA, encryption, secrets manager, BreachWatch, offline vault access, privilege access management. | Yes | Yes, for only one device. | $3 per month |
| 1Password | Yes | MFA, password generator, dark web monitor, encryption, biometrics, SIEM integration. | No | No | $3 per month |
| Bitwarden | Yes | Encryption, password generator, security assessments, secrets manager | Yes | Yes | $3 per month |
| LastPass | Limited SSO capabilities. | MFA, encryption, dark web monitor | Yes | Yes | $3 per month |
Dashlane: Best overall password manager for teams
Figure A
Dashlane can work well as a password manager for individuals, families and small teams, but is probably best for business use. It offers a host of capabilities, including secure sharing, audit logs, provisioning of apps and free access for up to ten friends and family for those buying the business tier.
Additional features not found in most of the others include dark web monitoring for exposed credentials and a built-in VPN for public Wi-Fi protection. Pay attention to the different tiers, as the business tier offers by far the widest range of premium features. These include the ability to remotely remove enterprise credentials, Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) single sign-on (SSO), directory integration, policy-based management and employee password and login monitoring. Those trying to save money by opting for lower tiers will miss out on many features and security safeguards.
In our hands-on review, Dashlane received a rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. Check out the full Dashlane review here.
Pricing
- There are a lot of pricing tiers, beginning with a personal tier at $4.99 per month and a family tier at $7.49 per month for up to 10 users that might work for very small teams that don’t need business-class features.
- The professional tier has a starter category at $20 per seat per month for 10 seats and a business tier at $8 per month for larger teams.
Features
- Centralized password management to generate, store, autofill and share passwords.
- Passkey support for easy login and customization of password generation criteria.
- 256-bit AES encryption and two-factor authentication.
- Password health reporting dashboard.
- Sharing of passwords with individuals or groups (options for full or limited access).
- Group sharing for starter, team and business plans.
- Dark web monitoring that spots compromised identities and credentials.
Pros
- Easy to use interface and dashboard.
- Additional dark web monitoring.
- VPN included for public Wi-Fi security.
- Self-hosted authenticator.
- Phone support for business and enterprise plans.
Cons
- Does not support a desktop app (access via a web app only).
- Lack of flexibility and customization.
- Costlier than other plans.
Read our comparison guide on Dashlane vs. 1Password to learn more.
Keeper: Best enterprise password manager
Figure B
Keeper Security offers password management across a wide range of mobile apps as well as affordable pricing for smaller teams. Policy management, MFA, free family plans for users, a variety of protection and security features, solid administrative controls (add, edit, delete and import passwords), emergency access, plenty of space for storage and random password generation.
In addition, those electing to use the business and enterprise tiers gain such things as delegated administration, administrative control of sharing, more advanced MFA, SAML-based SSO, automated team management, Active Directory and LDAP integration and secrets management. An offline vault capability is attractive to those who want to address password administration at times when they lack online connectivity.
In our hands-on review, Keeper received a rating of 4.4 stars out of 5. Check out the full Keeper review here.
Pricing
- Keeper has a free version for a single user on one mobile device, as well as a personal plan at $3 per month and a family plan at $6 per month for up to 5 users.
- The business plan is priced at $3.75/user per month for a minimum of five users and includes an encrypted vault for each user, unlimited devices, shared team folders, audit and reporting and biometric access.
Features
- Zero Trust security, adding constant verification via multiple security layers.
- MFA via biometrics, authenticator codes and push notifications.
- SOC2 and ISO27001 certification.
- 256-bit AES encryption at multiple levels.
- Add-on option called BreachWatch to alert on stolen usernames and passwords.
- Role-based access control via Secrets Manager.
- Integrations with Ansible, Docker, Github Actions, Jenkins, PowerShell and Terraform.
- Automation of password changes on AWS, AD, Azure and Windows.
- Privileged access management in the enterprise tier.
- Offline vault access to retrieve data and manage accounts and passwords despite poor network conditions.
Pros
- Width of business features.
- User-friendly.
- Wide range of client devices and formats, including desktop, mobile, browser and command line.
- Multiple layers of security.
- Dark web monitoring.
- Offline vault access.
Cons
- Some key features like advanced MFA and SAML SSO are not available in Business Starter and Business plans.
- Administrators can’t turn off the password manager for specific sites.
Read our comparison guide on Keeper vs. LastPass to learn more.
1Password: Best password manager for small teams
Figure C
1Password offers individual, team, business and enterprise tiers. It also offers standard features found in password managers, such as centralized password management encryption, password health reporting, MFA, passkey support for easy login and randomized passwords. In addition, 1Password features a Secret Key encryption system and a secure vault system for password sharing that is accessible to all members of a team.
1Password Watchtower monitoring is an add-on option that provides alerts about passwords appearing in other data breaches. It also alerts about weak or duplicate passwords. Detailed reporting options include reports for individuals, vaults, teams and the enterprise as a whole.
The business and enterprise tiers offer features such as a management console, policy-based security, centralized reporting, analytics, threat reporting, Splunk integration, IAM integration (Okta, Azure AD, OneLogin), automated provisioning and secrets automation. Those choosing these higher tiers for their teams can monitor who accesses company resources and on what devices.
In our hands-on review, 1Password received a rating of 4.3 stars out of 5. Check out the full 1Password review here.
Pricing
- Tiers include individual at $3 per month, family at $5 per month for up to five people, a small team pack at $20 per month for up to 10 and business at $8 per month.
Features
- Admins can create rules to allow or deny sign-in attempts from certain locations, websites or countries.
- Travel Mode hides vault entries except those deemed safe for travel.
- Includes an automatic data recovery feature.
- The Watchtower dashboard provides password monitoring and alerts of potential breaches or weak/compromised passwords.
Pros
- Travel Mode helps safeguard sensitive data when users are overseas without completely denying them access to team resources.
- Users can open guest accounts that restrict access to specific areas.
- Offers a desktop app.
- Good balance of security features and affordability for small teams.
Cons
- Complex interface can be hard to learn.
- SSO is not available in the Business Starter tier.
Read our comparison guide on 1Password vs. Bitwarden to learn more.
Bitwarden: Best open source password manager
Figure D
Bitwarden is an open-source password manager that installs natively on Linux. It contains the usual features, such as a random password generator, cloud synchronization, fields for customization, support for multiple accounts, encryption and password sharing. Teams can access password vaulting, secure sharing, MFA and Bitwarden Authenticator. The Enterprise version adds SCIM-based provisioning, custom roles, advanced security policies, SSO integration and free access for families.
In our hands-on review, Bitwarden received a rating of 4.3 stars out of 5. Check out the full Bitwarden review here.
Pricing
- There is a free tier for up to two users, a personal plan at $1 per month per user, a family tier at $3.33 per month for up to six users, a business plan for teams that costs $4 per user per month and enterprise at $6 per month.
Features
- Self-hosting is available, as well as cloud service.
- A collections feature enables sharing of specific passwords or groups of passwords with certain teams or individuals.
- The interface is user-friendly.
- All components available on GitHub.
- Sharing of multiple vaults with different teams.
- Random password and username generator.
Pros
- Self hosting.
- Attractive pricing for large teams.
- Team members have access to many business and enterprise features, including Bitwarden APIs, Command-Line Interface and directory connector.
Cons
- Security sharing is limited.
- Those not familiar with open source software may find implementation challenging.
- Limited auto-fill functionality.
Read our comparison guide on Bitwarden vs. LastPass to learn more.
LastPass: Best general password manager
Figure E
LastPass’ security incidents in 2022 caused concern and a lack of confidence in the solution’s security. However, LastPass has held market leadership in password management for several years and assures consumers it’s safe to use.
LastPass comes with an impressive amount of multi factor authentication (MFA) options. For free users, there’s LastPass MFA, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Toopher, Duo Security and Grid.
Premium LastPass users can set up a YubiKey USB as their second factor and enable fingerprint or smart card authentication. LastPass Business users also receive access to Salesforce authentication.
In our hands-on review, LastPass received a rating of 3.4 stars out of 5. Check out the full LastPass review here.
Pricing
- For single users and families, LastPass offers a premium plan at $3 per month and family plan at $4 per month.
- For teams and enterprises, the team plan is at $4 per user monthly for up to 50 users.
- The business plan is $7 per user for larger teams.
Features
- Dark web monitoring alerts if email addresses are found in lists of breached credentials.
- Robust administrative controls to add, edit and delete passwords.
- LastPass offers unlimited device access and password sharing.
- Emergency access to primary account holder’s information if something happens to them.
- Unlimited password storage and unlimited secure cloud backup.
Pros
- Offers more than 1,000 pre-integrated SSO apps.
- Easy to navigate.
- Sharing and synching of logins among many devices.
- Ability to turn off the password manager for specific sites.
Cons
- LastPass’s multi-factor authentication support has limitations.
- Additional pricing for teams that want advanced SSO and advanced MFA.
- Reputational damage is still being repaired.
Read our comparison guide on LastPass vs. NordPass to learn more.
Key features of password managers
Password management software has been around for many years, and most have similar features. The core capabilities of password management are found in all the candidates in this list and they are an integral part of modern security.
That said, there are differences that buyers should pay attention to when choosing a password manager:
Single sign-on
Single sign-on (SSO) is one of several security technologies aimed at streamlining and keeping login information and processes secure. SSO makes it feasible for one login to be enough for a group of related sites and applications. It is often implemented along with MFA, wherein more than one factor of authentication is needed to authenticate the user. As well as a password, the user needs a pin, a physical token or key, a code sent to a smartphone or some kind of biometric input. Thus, SSO is a key companion technology to a password manager. Some vendors have integrated SSO, while some offer optional SSO for an additional fee. Some support SAML-based SSO, and others have more limited offerings.
Added security
Passwords need to be supported by features such as MFA, threat analytics, dark web monitoring, strong encryption, VPNs, SIEM and malware detection. Each vendor takes a different approach to the security features they include within their products as well as how they integrate with other elements within the security arsenal.
Zero Trust
Zero Trust eliminates the principle of implicit trust from inside and outside a network perimeter by assuming a breach may have occurred and never trusting a device or user without proof via additional authentication measures. As a result, even if an attacker compromises credentials, lateral movement within the business is minimized.
Free plan
Free offerings vary considerably from vendor to vendor. Some offer a free plan for one user or device, some for two. Some are more generous with their free plans. But pay attention to feature sets. Some free plans may be good enough for small teams, whereas others may be secure enough for individual users.
Pricing
Pricing appears to be similar for most products. But pay attention to the details. Some low-ball the initial offering and load up deals with necessary add-ons. Others charge a little more but include more in the initial package. Further, there are differences in pricing tiers that may suit teams of different sizes. Some consumer-oriented packages may be good enough for small teams. Others place too many limits on the number of users, and key features are not included unless you upgrade to a business tier.
How to choose a good password manager for your team
Choosing a password manager for your team should involve understanding how the prospective tool will align with your business operations, security standards and budget.
Find out what features are vital, those that may only be desirable and those that are unwanted. Why pay for SSO within a password manager if you already have it within the business?
Align your needs with the feature, team size and pricing tiers available. Narrow solutions down to a couple of candidates, and then use free trials to test them in your environment.
Methodology
Each password manager on this list was tested by our team to gain first-hand experience. We contacted and visited official websites for feature and pricing information, and we also scored each based on an internal algorithm.
