Dashlane vs LastPass - The ultimate password manager showdown - Android

You can’t go wrong with either, but if you want to get the most out of your money, you’ll want to learn the differences.

You think you’ve got a good password system? Think again. Even if you would somehow manage to make all your passwords unique and hard to crack, you?d still lose precious time entering, managing, and updating dozens of credentials. It adds up. Fortunately, there?s a solution in the form of password managers, and today we?re pitting against each other two of the best: Dashlane vs LastPass.

Dashlane and LastPass are two of the most popular password managers, and for good reason. Both are packed with features and security measures. You can?t go wrong with either, but if you want to get the most out of your money and time, you?ll want to learn the differences.

Here?s what you need to know about Dashlane vs LastPass.

Looking for other password manager options? Check out our 1Password vs LastPass overview.

Editor’s note: This post is current as of April 2020 .We’ll be updating this comparison between LastPass and Dashlane regularly. 

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Dashlane at a glance

LastPass at a glance

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Features

The first thing you?ll want to know when you compare Dashlane vs LastPass is how good these services are at their basic task: managing passwords. The good news is they?re both stellar.

Both LastPass and Dashlane make it easy to store, manage, update, and fill passwords across your PCs and mobile devices. On PC, you?ll mostly interact with them through browser extensions, available for all the popular browsers (more about compatibility below). With one click, you?ll be able to interact with your ?vault,? the secure space where your passwords are stored, and access additional features. On mobile, LastPass and Dashlane offer dedicated apps for Android and iOS.

The basic functionality is similar between Dashlane and LastPass, so we won?t dwell on it. Both services will detect password fields in web pages and apps and offer to fill out your credentials for you. Instead of having to remember and enter dozens of passwords, you?ll only need to remember one, your ?master password.?  This frees you to make all your passwords unique and complex, boosting your online security.

The basic functionality is similar between Dashlane and LastPass

Both services include handy password generators that can create strong passwords for you. They are accessible either from the respective extensions, or by clicking on the icons overlaid on password-entry fields. You can configure how many and what type of characters you want to use in your unique password. LastPass even has an option to make passwords ?pronounceable,? but still secure, in case you need to memorize them. LastPass also offers to generate unique usernames for you.

What about additional features?

The best Dashlane features

Automatic password changer ? Dashlane tries to make the dream of zero-effort security a reality with its automatic password changing feature. This works on select websites ? at the time of this writing about 380 ? where Dashlane can log in on your behalf and automatically change the password to something secure. You can set it to do this automatically or on demand. While the list of supported sites includes a few big names, it?s still a relatively small selection, meaning you won?t be able to fully rely on it. From the 450 or so credentials I have stored in Dashlane, the tool only worked for a handful, including Reddit, IMDB, and Vimeo. Your mileage may vary. LastPass offers a similar function.

Security dashboard ? Like all good password managers, Dashlane has a security report that analyzes your passwords (or, rather, their encrypted ?fingerprints?) and compares them against databases of security breaches and password dumps. Say you used an email-password combination on LinkedIn, which was thoroughly hacked in 2012. In case you used the same credentials on other services since then, those services are vulnerable as well. Dashlane tells you which passwords are compromised, weak, or reused across services. You can then easily visit the respective services and update them.

Dark web monitoring ? Some hacks go undiscovered for years, meaning you won?t know that you need to update your password until it?s potentially too late. For these cases, Dashlane can monitor the various password dumps that regularly pop up online and search for your credentials. You can enter up to five email passwords and the service will alert you when they surface, meaning your data has been stolen.

Basic built-in VPN ? Dashlane goes above and beyond other password managers thanks to the VPN it integrates in its apps. Considering VPNs can cost $10/month or more, this is great value. The catch is Dashlane?s integrated VPN is pretty barebone, lacking features found in dedicated VPN apps and only offering a small number of server locations. It will definitely work in a pinch though, and we liked that it doesn?t have bandwidth or device number limitations. If you don?t have specific requirements and just need a VPN for occasional, non-critical use, Dashlane will work. But maybe don?t sign up for the service just for it.

Desktop app ? Not all password managers have solid desktop apps. Dashlane does (Windows and Mac) and they?re pretty great. We mention it because it gives you access to a bunch of features in an intuitive, yet powerful package. The onboarding experience is especially nice ? the app makes it a breeze to create an account, set it up, and get all the extensions and apps you?ll need. On the downside, certain browser extensions can only be used if you?re running the desktop app. That can pose problems if you need to quickly use it on a computer belonging to someone else. Details in the compatibility section.

Emergency contacts ? If you?re sick, incapacitated, or you just can?t access your devices, you can give friends or family emergency access to your credentials in Dashlane. You can select which credentials you want to share, and whether you want to require your approval to share them or set a waiting period of up to 60 days. The data is only shared on request, so unless something bad happens, you?ll be in control.

Dashlane goes above and beyond other password managers thanks to the VPN

The best LastPass features

Great free plan ? We?ll talk more about LastPass? free plan in the pricing section, but it?s worth highlighting here as well. Unlike Dashlane, LastPass? free plan has everything most people will want for personal use. There are no limits on the number of devices or credentials you can store and LastPass isn?t withholding any key features in order to upsell you. Free LastPass is simply great value that I personally used for many years.

Secure Notes ? Like Dashlane, LastPass lets you save and manage more than just passwords. You can use the Secure Notes function to keep sensitive information across 15 types, including passport information, credit cards, social security numbers, bank accounts, and even software licenses and Wi-Fi passwords. The best part is you can attach files to these secure notes, which is great if you need to store stuff like scans of your passport without worrying that someone could steal them from your phone or PC. Free plans get 50MB of storage for these files, while Premium goes up to 1GB.