Norton Password Manager is a great free product with a lot of features, like a password health checker and form-filling options. You can store unlimited passwords in your dashboard, along with addresses, credit card details, and notes. This is a great digital lockbox option if you’re looking for an alternative to the built-in password managers that come with Apple and Google.

It does lack a few features, like password sharing and a digital legacy option, but there are ways around those, especially if you’re looking for free storage. We also ran into issues using it with the Safari browser, but when we switched to Chrome, it was a seamless experience. Overall, we found a lot of positives and some negatives with Norton Password Manager. We’ve laid them all out for you in this review.

Norton Password Manager review at a glance

Norton Password Manager pros and cons

How much does Norton Password Manager cost?

Norton Password Manager actually doesn’t cost a thing. You can download and use the service completely free of charge and get all of the features included.

If you want to bundle it with another Norton plan, you can choose from a variety of features and services. Norton sells antivirus software, identity theft protection services, and a variety of other cybersecurity offerings to keep you and your family safe.

Norton antivirus plan comparison

While you don’t need to purchase Norton Antivirus to use the password manager, the additional security provided by each of these plans can keep you safe online. Since the password manager feature is available with all plans, people on a budget could snag the AntiVirus Plus plan for a lower cost and get protection for a single device and unlimited password storage. It’s a win-win.

If you’re looking for a little more protection, Norton offers increasing security as you go up in tiers. The Standard Plan includes a virtual private network (VPN) and dark web monitoring, while the Deluxe Plan includes all this plus parental controls. For the most protection, including identity theft protection, Norton 360 with LifeLock Select is a comprehensive security tool. Identity theft protection can be a lifesaver in a variety of situations, from a lost wallet to a full-on stolen identity and missing bank funds.

If you’re not sure whether a bundled plan is what you want, you can try out Norton’s offerings knowing you’ll be able to get a refund if it isn’t for you. For annual plans, you’ll have a full 60-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t want to make that commitment, a monthly plan offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. Either way, you’ll have plenty of time to test the product.

Norton Password Manager features

A password manager is an effective way to increase your security, but it becomes even more useful when additional features are included. Norton Password Manager isn’t the most robust when it comes to features, but it does offer some useful ones that will enhance your experience. Our favorite is the password generator, but we’ll provide more details on all the offerings.

Password sharing

Unfortunately, Norton Password Manager doesn’t include the ability to share passwords with anyone. This is a useful feature we’d love to see added because it allows you to securely share sensitive information with encryption. So if Mom is asking for the Netflix password again for the third time that week, you could send her the link while keeping your password secret from potential hackers.

Two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is quickly finding widespread adoption through a variety of apps and websites, so it makes sense for a security tool like Norton to use it. Norton sends a verification code to your phone with a text, voice message, or via an authenticator app. You can choose and configure which method you’d prefer.

Norton also offers you a backup method that can be configured with the service. While you should be using 2FA to keep your accounts safe, some people find it annoying. If you really don’t want to use the extra protection, you can toggle it off.

Password generator

Norton’s password generator can be used even without downloading an app or installing the password manager, but then you’ll need to make sure you remember it somehow. You have the option to configure the secure passwords it generates depending on the specifications of the site you’re visiting.

If the site doesn’t accept special characters, you can indicate that. If you need a password of a certain length, you can configure that too. Strong, unique passwords are a cornerstone of account security, so having this option will enhance your safety across the board.

Autofill

One of the best features that comes with any good password manager is the ability to autofill online forms. With Norton Password Manager, this feature should integrate into your browser seamlessly, but you’ll need to set it up first. You can go into your dashboard and set a variety of addresses for yourself. Afterward, you’ll be able to quickly fill in any online forms with the information saved in your password vault.

Password strength report

A password strength report is a great way to see where vulnerabilities lie in your online accounts. Strong passwords help keep accounts safe, so letting Norton assess your saved passwords could keep you from becoming a victim of an online crime.

You’ll be able to see each of the passwords you have saved and see what score Norton gives them. Anything that isn’t scored as “very strong” can be replaced with a new password. You can use Norton’s password generator to choose a strong, complex password and then save it easily.

Digital legacy

Digital legacy is where you can assign an heir to your passwords in case of your passing. Unfortunately, Norton Password Manager doesn’t offer this feature.

If you want a way around this, make sure to leave your login credentials in a place that will be easily accessed by your loved one. We suggest a family lockbox in the home or a safety deposit box at the bank.

We hope Norton decides to add this security feature soon, as it’s useful and can relieve some of the stress on family members when settling their deceased loved ones’ accounts.

Bonus features

Norton isn’t the most robust password manager, but we do appreciate the account recovery feature. It allows you to download and print out a copy of your master password for your vault. Norton prompts you to delete this recovery file after printing it.

This is a great way to work around the fact that Norton doesn’t provide a digital legacy feature. By keeping this paper with your other important documents, you have another way to access your account if you ever forget your master password.

Our Norton Password Manager experience

Norton Password Manager was easy for us to activate, since we had a Norton login already. All we had to do was download the extension and enter information into the dashboard.

We didn’t have the option to import passwords from another source. We did notice, however, that when we went to different sites where our passwords were already saved in our iCloud keychain, Norton prompted us to save those passwords in our Norton account. While this wasn’t ideal, it was better than having to reenter everything manually.

We did have some trouble using Norton Password Manager on our Safari browser. There was no password safety report, and the extension didn’t seem to work. The reviews in Apple’s App Store weren’t too far off from our own experience. When we changed to Chrome, however, it was much easier to use the extension. We had access to all the available features and found that saving data was much easier.

Even though there weren’t a ton of features, we liked what was available. We do think that Norton is a little less intuitive than some of its competitors, but what it offers for free is really great. The biggest need is for password-sharing capabilities.

If we were in the market for a password manager, we would definitely consider Norton, given our experience. It was simple to use and easy to locate within our Norton account dashboard. Overall, we were happy with the product.

Norton Password Manager privacy policy

Norton Password Manager falls under the general Norton products privacy policy. There are individualized spaces for each product where you can see what personal data is collected and how it’s “processed,” but there’s no language in the policy explicitly stating what the data is for or if it’s shared with third parties. In the general Norton policy, it states that data is shared “with your consent” for a variety of purposes including to third parties and for a variety of other reasons, one of which is advancing the interests of third parties.

Even though we don’t love this, it’s an unfortunate compromise in using basically any software now. You can circumvent some of the damage by using an email masking service along with ad and tracker blockers.

Be wary of companies that tell you your data won’t be sold. In all likelihood, your data won’t be sold, but the company will probably still have partnerships with third parties where your data is shared. Technically, that’s not selling your data, but it’s still being given out, and the company sharing your info is getting a kickback from the third party. It’s shady but very common.

Norton Password Manager third-party audits

We weren’t able to find any third-party audits specifically for Norton Password Manager. Third-party audits are when an independent company evaluates a product’s effectiveness fairly and without bias. Antivirus software is usually evaluated through companies like AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives, but there isn’t a standard for password managers. Since we weren’t able to find an audit, we’re left to trust reviews, user experience, and Norton’s own claims.

Is Norton Password Manager safe to use?

Norton carries a lot of weight since it’s been in the cybersecurity game for such a long time. But with all its history and growth, there are bound to be some hiccups along the way.

Norton Password Manager experienced a security breach about a year ago. Norton alerted the public and urged users to change passwords and update privacy settings, as they’d likely had all their data exposed. There have been no additional incidents reported since.

If you’re worried about using a password manager that’s experienced a breach, remember to enable two-factor authentication on as many accounts as possible and keep an eye on password security reports.

Norton Password Manager customer service

Norton offers several forms of support. You can browse the self-help section, ask the community, or contact Norton. We clicked on the chat box, which is automated, and asked if we could share passwords (we knew we couldn’t). The chatbox directed us to contact Norton, which is a lengthy process.

When you reach out to contact Norton, you have to submit your issue. There’s the option to call, but currently, Norton has a large yellow banner that explains chats and calls are at an “unusually high number” and you might experience delays. It insists waiting for a response from the support team is the best option.

Having had insider experience with cybersecurity customer support, we can tell you that it’s likely Norton does what everyone else is doing, which is utilizing a set of support technicians who mainly answer questions via email. While there are options for calls and automated chatbots, the number of support techs who actually man the phones is a much smaller number. You’ll probably receive a response faster if you wait on hold on the phone, but you’ll also probably wait on hold for a while. If you can get your answer through the chatbot, that’ll be the fastest response.

Norton Password Manager compatibility

We downloaded the Norton Password Manager extension onto our Mac from Apple’s App Store, but it’s also available for Android and iOS devices.

It says it covers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, but we did find it to be buggy with Safari. We ended up using it on our Chrome browser. Here’s the full list of compatibility options:

• Android
• iOS including iPhone, iPad, iPod
• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Apple Safari
• Microsoft Edge

Norton Password Manager alternatives

If some of the features that Norton Password Manager lacks are important to you — looking at you, password sharing — then trying one of the products below could be for you. We’ve independently tested and reviewed each of these password management options to give you a comprehensive view of the features and functionality. User-friendly security tools? Yes, please.

• NordPass: NordPass is in the Nord family of security products along with NordVPN and NordLocker, which can all be combined together for a stacked security suite. You can save money by bundling these tools together. The bundles even contain ad and tracker blockers and a data breach scanner as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  Get NordPass | Read NordPass Review

• Keeper: Keeper calls itself a “password and secrets management” tool, and we’re here for it. It may just be marketing language, but we found that Keeper does actually do what it says. And it’s never been hacked.

  Get Keeper | Read Keeper Review

• 1Password: 1Password prides itself on having a strong security foundation for all its products. We like it because it delivers on its promises. Plus, it offers individual and family plans so you can keep the entire brood safe.

  Read 1Password Review

Norton Password Manager FAQs

Bottom line: Is Norton Password Manager good?

Yes, despite the fact that Norton Password Manager is missing some features like password sharing, we do believe that it’s a good product. It’s more robust than some of its free competitors, and it’s backed by Norton’s experience and expertise. We don’t love the way it works on Safari, but it was seamless on Chrome.

As far as wondering if you should use it, there’s no harm in trying a free product. If you want to purchase Norton antivirus, you’ll be able to integrate this password manager for free and have even more protection. In the end, you should be using a password manager to store the complex passwords you’re creating for every account. It’ll make your life so much easier and definitely more secure.

3.8

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On Norton Password Manager's website

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Norton Password Manager

• Free password manager, even without another Norton product
• Compatible with most major web browsers
• No password sharing or digital legacy

Author Details

Mary James

About the Author

Mary lives in Los Angeles and has been a cybersecurity writer for over five years. With a B.S. in Liberal Arts from Clarion University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, her career in online security began in sales and content creation for a private cybersecurity firm.