The best free password managers (that are actually good)
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A password manager is the single best upgrade you can make to your online safety, and you do not need to pay for a great one. Here are the free options worth your time, and who each suits.
The best free options
- Bitwarden. The one I recommend to most people. It is open-source, has been independently audited, and its free tier is genuinely generous: unlimited passwords across all your devices. For the overwhelming majority of people, Bitwarden free is all they will ever need.
- Proton Pass. From the privacy-focused team behind Proton Mail. The free tier covers the basics well and suits anyone who likes keeping their tools within a privacy-first company.
- Apple Passwords / Google Password Manager. Already built into your iPhone or your Google account, free, and a big step up from reusing passwords. The limitation is that they work best inside their own ecosystem (Apple, or Chrome/Android).
- KeePassXC. Free and fully offline: your vault is a file you control, with nothing in anyone’s cloud. Brilliant for the technically confident who want maximum control, fiddlier for everyone else.
Which should you choose?
- Most people: Bitwarden. Free, cross-platform, trusted.
- Deep in the Apple or Google world and want zero setup: the built-in one.
- Privacy-first and already using Proton: Proton Pass.
- Want everything offline and under your own control: KeePassXC.
The honest truth: the best password manager is the one you'll actually use. Any of these beats reusing the same password everywhere, which is the real danger.
When you have picked one, our step-by-step setup guide walks you through it, and if you are still unsure whether they are safe, start with are password managers safe?. Don’t forget to switch on two-factor authentication too. More in our password section.