Before you start
A password manager remembers a different strong password for every account, so you only need to remember one. This review compares the popular ones: what they cost, what they do well, and which suits you. It takes about 12 minutes.
Nobody paid for a place in this review. Prices are the makers' own published prices as of 17 October 2026, mostly in US dollars; the rupee price at checkout can differ, and prices change, so check before you pay.
Why use a password manager at all
Most hacked accounts are opened with a reused password: one website leaks it, and criminals try it everywhere else. A password manager fixes that:
- It creates a long, random password for each site.
- It remembers them all, behind one master password.
- It fills them in only on the real website, which also helps against fake login pages.
The rule: One strong master password, plus two-step verification, protecting a different password for everything else.
The main options side by side
| Manager | Free plan | Paid from (approx.) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Password Manager | Yes, completely free | No paid plan | Android and Chrome users |
| Apple Passwords | Yes, free | No paid plan | iPhone and Mac users |
| Bitwarden | Yes, unlimited passwords and devices | $19.80 a year | Anyone wanting a strong free option on every device |
| Proton Pass | Yes, unlimited passwords and devices | $35.88 a year | Privacy, with hide-my-email aliases |
| 1Password | No (free trial only) | About $3–4 a month | Families who want the most polished app |
The managers in detail
Google Password Manager
Built into Chrome and Android, and free.
- Good: already on most Indian phones, and nothing to install. It warns you about passwords that have leaked or that you have reused, and supports passkeys.
- Watch out: it works best inside Google's world (Chrome, Android). It has fewer features, and everything depends on your Google account, so protect that account with two-step verification.
Apple Passwords
Apple's free Passwords app on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- Good: simple, free, and built in, with passkeys, verification codes and Wi-Fi passwords in one place.
- Watch out: best if you live mostly in Apple's world. On Windows it works through iCloud for Windows; outside Apple devices, support is limited.
Bitwarden
An independent, open-source password manager.
- Good: the most generous free plan: unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, every platform and browser, passkeys, and sharing with one other person. Being open source means outside experts can inspect how it works.
- Watch out: the app is plainer than some rivals. Premium ($19.80 a year) adds extras such as built-in verification codes and security reports.
Proton Pass
From Proton, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail.
- Good: a strong free plan (unlimited passwords and devices) plus 10 hide-my-email aliases, so you can sign up to websites without giving out your real email address.
- Watch out: paid plans cost more than Bitwarden's. It is newer than the others.
1Password
A well-established paid password manager.
- Good: a very polished app, strong family sharing, and features for travel and teams.
- Watch out: there is no free plan, only a trial, and it is among the most expensive.
A note on LastPass
In 2022, criminals stole copies of LastPass customers' encrypted password vaults. People with weak master passwords have since had vaults cracked, and researchers have linked tens of millions of dollars of cryptocurrency theft to them, continuing into 2025. If you ever used LastPass, change the passwords it held, starting with email and banking, and move any crypto whose keys were stored there.
The lesson applies to every manager: your master password is what really protects you.
How to choose
- Just starting, on Android? Google Password Manager is already there. Turn on two-step verification for your Google account.
- iPhone and Mac? Apple Passwords.
- Mix of Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac, or want something independent? Bitwarden free.
- Care most about privacy and email aliases? Proton Pass.
- Family that wants a polished paid app? 1Password or Bitwarden Families.
Getting started safely
- Choose a long master password, such as four or five random words. Never reuse it anywhere.
- Turn on two-step verification for the password manager and for your email.
- Write down the recovery code the manager gives you and keep it somewhere safe at home.
- Start with your most important accounts: email, banking, UPI-linked email and social media. Change each to a new password the manager creates.
- Never type your master password into a page you reached from a message or link.
Our Passwords & Account Security guide covers passwords, two-step verification and taken-over accounts in depth.
Key words
- Password manager: an app that stores and fills in your passwords.
- Master password: the one password that unlocks the manager.
- Passkey: a newer way to sign in with your fingerprint, face or screen lock instead of a password.
- Open source: software whose code anyone can inspect.
- Email alias: a forwarding email address that hides your real one.