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Best for premium security
Strong encryption and security
User-friendly interface
Free version is limited to one device at a time
Best for a free plan
Extra features boost security
Paid plans come with Hotspot Shield VPN
Free plan is limited to one device
The best password managers not only secure your sensitive data but often come with other features, like a virtual private network (VPN) and data breach scanning, which make your online life much easier. NordPass is reasonably priced and includes numerous security features, like two-factor authentication and biometric passwordless authentication. It offers a free version, but it’s a little lackluster and basic at best.
On the other hand, Dashlane Free comes with autofill and a password generator. The paid subscription costs more than NordPass, but it comes with dark web monitoring and a VPN service.
Since NordPass and Dashlane are both credible products, how do you choose the best one? We take out the guesswork for you in this article so you can find which password manager is better for you.
When comparing NordPass and Dashlane, you’ll notice immediate differences in their free password managers. Dashlane’s free plan includes unlimited logins for one device at a time and secure autofill for logins, online forms, and payments. You also get 1 GB of file storage in the Secure Notes section.
As far as security features, Dashlane Free comes with the Password Health tool to pinpoint any weak passwords, and you can share data with trusted people in case of an emergency. The caveat to this is that the free plan is for only one device. If you need to cover more than one device, you’ll need to opt for a paid plan, which currently ranges from $4.99-$7.49/mo.
NordPass has a free plan, too. It works with one user account and comes with autofill and autosave. You can store credit cards and notes, generate unique passwords, and sync data automatically across multiple devices. The free version also includes multi-factor authentication for better security.
 NordPass |  Dashlane | |
| Price | Starts at $1.29/mo for first 2 yrs + 3 months free | Starts at $7.49/mo |
| Free version | ||
| Number of devices | 6 | Unlimited |
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, Brave |
| Password sharing | ||
| Encryption | XChaCha20 | AES 256-bit |
| Password generator | ||
| Form filler | ||
| Learn more | Get NordPass | Get Dashlane |
For NordPass Premium, you can pay $1.29/mo for first 2 yrs + 3 months free or $1.69/mo for first yr + 3 months free. With a premium plan, you can import and export passwords, detect weak passwords, share items with trusted friends, and more. Dashlane Premium is more expensive than NordPass, but it comes with unique cybersecurity features like dark web monitoring and a VPN for Wi-Fi protection.
Dashlane is best for users on a budget who want to get the most bang for their buck, while NordPass is best for users who want lots of options with their secure password manager.
Although NordPass doesn’t come with a VPN, if you buy NordVPN, you can gain access to this password manager. You can learn more about Nord’s pricing plans in our NordVPN review.
NordPass Best Value
| Dashlane |
|
| Price range | $1.29–$2.79/mo | $4.99-$7.49/mo |
| Best value plan | NordPass Premium for $2.79/mo for 2 yrs | Dashlane Premium for $7.49/mo |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes, 30 days | Yes, 30 days |
| Learn more | Get NordPass | Get Dashlane |
One of the stark differences between NordPass and Dashlane is how much they cost. For the paid versions, Dashlane is more costly per month than NordPass. The price range is not even close, as Dashlane costs over $3 per month more than NordPass for the lowest pricing tier. The highest price you’ll pay for NordPass is NordPass Free, while Dashlane costs Dashlane Friends & Family for the higher-priced individual plan.
Dashlane’s best value plan allows for unlimited devices and unlimited passwords, so this is a better option than Dashlane’s Friends and Family plan, which costs Dashlane Friends & Family. To get NordPass’s best value plan, you must sign up for the two-year option, which can be a big step if you don’t want to commit to a long-term subscription. Still, at a cost of under $50 for two years, we think it’s a fair bargain.
Both plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can take these password managers for a spin and see if they meet your expectations before you commit to a subscription.
NordPass | Dashlane Best Features
|
|
| Password sharing | ||
| Two-factor authentication | ||
| Password generator | ||
| Autofill | ||
| Password strength report | ||
| Digital legacy | ||
| Learn more | Get NordPass | Get Dashlane |
NordPass and Dashlane appear to have the same features based on the table above. However, Dashlane offers a password strength report and digital legacy features in its free version, but you have to pay to get those same features from NordPass.
Both password managers allow for password sharing, but Dashlane can get a little tricky. To share a password, recipients must also have a Dashlane account. On the other hand, NordPass doesn’t require users to maintain a NordPass account for password sharing. This isn’t critical because users can set up a free Dashlane account, but we brought it up just in case you don’t want to jump through hoops to receive shared data.
The other factor we’d like to mention is that Dashlane extends to a maximum of only 40 characters when generating passwords. NordPass gives you a maximum of 60 characters, which may seem like overkill, until you consider protecting financial data — a scenario where you might want the extra characters. The NordPass password generator is easily customizable and based on symbols, numbers, character counts, and letters.
One of the biggest reasons to invest in a password manager is to keep your data safe. You’ll want to go over each password manager’s privacy policy to learn how the product uses data logging. It’s also good to familiarize yourself with the encryption used to protect your data and whether the software has been breached.
Both NordPass and Dashlane are considered safe, as there have been no reported data breaches, and both use stellar encryption for your security. NordPass uses xChaCha20 encryption, which is faster to implement than AES-256 and three times faster on platforms that lack AES-256 hardware. Dashlane uses the standard AES 256-bit encryption.
NordPass Best Security
| Dashlane |
|
| Most recent security audit | February 2020 | No third-party audits |
| Most recent data breach | No breach | No breach |
Although we appreciate both password managers keeping security at the forefront of their products, we were surprised to discover that Dashlane doesn’t have third-party audits listed. The information we found shows that the company audits its own products to look for any security holes in the system.
That doesn’t mean Dashlane isn’t secure. However, it’d be good to have an outside party check for security issues, because the proverbial extra set of eyes always helps. We found that NordPass conducts those outside audits, and the most recent one we saw data on was from Cure53 in February 2020.
NordPass Best Support
| Dashlane |
|
| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, Brave |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Live chat, email, knowledge base | Email, knowledge base |
| Learn more | Get NordPass | Get Dashlane |
Using NordPass was easy, from the download through the installation process. The online tutorial came in handy, setting us up for success in navigating our way around the interface and creating strong passwords. The password manager was intuitive, and the customization features like auto-lock were helpful to cut down on having to reset the master password multiple times while working.
The only small issue we had was that while using the free version, we did get prompted numerous times to upgrade to the Premium plan. That became annoying, but not enough to make us not want to use the password manager. We wanted to mention it because we felt others might be bothered by the same thing.
Similarly, Dashlane was easy to download, and the user tutorial took us through the steps we needed to activate the password manager on our device. The interface was user-friendly, and the password generator worked without any issues. It provides guides so that anyone can jump right in and understand how to use the product without needing a technical background to wade through it.
Both password managers provide email support and knowledge bases should you have any questions. However, NordPass has the upper hand since it offers 24/7 live chat support as well, so you can get help around the clock.
As of this writing, NordPass has never been compromised and is regarded as a safe and secure password manager. There are no reports of security breaches.
Choosing a better password manager is subjective, depending on the user and the need, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a better free version when budgetary constraints are important.
Some users may find NordPass Free to be lackluster, since it doesn’t come with many available features. You’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to get more options.
You can transfer passwords from Dashlane to NordPass under the My Account setting and then use the Export Data option. We’ve also created a guide on how to import passwords to a new password manager with step-by-step instructions.
Both NordPass and Dashlane offer solid security for users. Dashlane offers a free plan that has plenty of features for people on a budget or who may not be ready to invest their dollars in another software product.
Overall, we think NordPass is the better all-around password manager due to its third-party auditing, which found no issues with the product, and its 24/7 customer support. NordPass’s paid plans are also cheaper, so if you want a password management suite at an affordable price, we recommend going with NordPass over Dashlane.
We know not everyone will want NordPass or Dashlane as their password manager of choice. If you’re still searching for the best password managers for you, we have some alternative products you might like. These all offer features you may want from a password manager, with security you can trust.
Strong encryption and security
User-friendly interface
Free version is limited to one device at a time
