In this day and age, everyone should have a password manager. Our lives and livelihoods are online, in the form of endless combinations of usernames and passwords. Who can keep track of the hodgepodge of letters and numbers? Having a safe and secure method for keeping track of your passwords is more vital than ever, given the ever-present threat of account hacks and identify theft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people use a few passwords or password variations for multiple sites, but managing your passwords this way puts you at risk. Even though we all want to trust the websites we work with to keep our private information secure, there is good reason to believe<\/a> they are not doing so<\/a>. Data breaches and password leaks are more common than one would hope, so it\u2019s important to change your passwords regularly and use unique and secure passwords for each of your accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s where password managers come in. Password managers are an incredibly helpful organizational and security tool. A good password manager will automatically generate strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts and store them in an encrypted database so you can easily access them. Many include browser extensions that will autofill passwords for you when you\u2019re online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for a password manager to improve the security of your accounts and tech products, TUN is here to help. We\u2019ve put together a list of our favorite paid and free password managers for students, along with advice on how to choose the password manager that works best for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first thing you should take into consideration when choosing a password manager is the level of security it provides. Here are a few important security features to look for in your password manager: Also, look into how<\/em> the program you use stores your password information. Does it store your information in the cloud? Or does it provide the option to self-host the server? If you\u2019re particularly security-minded and are tech-savvy, you might want to be able to self-host.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It goes without saying that a password manager should be easy to use. Most password managers offer features like password autofill, easy syncing of multiple devices, and automatic password generation that make creating and remembering passwords easy and stress-free. You will also want to look for programs with well-designed interfaces that are easy to navigate, so you can change and access your passwords easily. Keep in mind, convenience and security can sometimes be something of a trade-off. For example, password autofill makes logging into your accounts painless, but it also comes with some security risks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for a password security system loaded with premium features, you\u2019re going to have to pay for it. Paid password managers often charge on a per-year subscription basis and may cost $20\u2013$40 per year. If that sounds like a lot, it really only ends up costing a few dollars per month. That said, there are also great free options that come with plenty of great features and cost half the price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all password managers work with all operating systems and browsers. Make sure that the password manager you choose works with the platforms you use. Open-source software allows users to access, redistribute, and modify the original source code. This means that programmers can change the software however they choose. Users can patch errors in the code, fix bugs, improve the software, or even customize it to suit their particular needs. Some users prefer using open-source password managers for a number of reasons. Open-source software is almost always free, sometimes with the option to donate to the developers. More importantly, it can be even more secure than closed-source software. Because it is open to review by users, gaps in the code are identified and addressed quickly, making it harder for hackers to exploit. For those of you who know how to code, you can also create your own plugins. However, open source password managers typically don\u2019t offer many of the features that come with commercial options. For example, open-source password managers may not offer cloud storage or browser extensions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like most tech security programs, password managers come with a variety of extra features that help make the product even better. For example: Dashlane<\/a> is excellent for those who aren\u2019t tech-savvy. It has a simple, intuitive, and well-designed interface that is easy to navigate. It\u2019s not cheap, but it offers a wide range of security features and covers all devices. Among its perks, it includes a VPN. It also does some extra security work for you. For example, when you make a purchase online, Dashlane will take a screenshot of the purchase and create a receipt for the transaction. It will scan your email inbox to find websites you created accounts with, so you can make sure that you have changed literally all<\/em> of your passwords. It will even scan Dark Web data for compromised accounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1Password<\/a>\n is our favorite password manager for Mac users. The interface is clean \nand easy to navigate, and it does a lot of the work for you when \ncreating new passwords. One of the main perks of 1Password is that it \noffers both cloud and local storage, so if you want to sync all of your \npasswords via their cloud servers, you don\u2019t have to. You can keep all \nof your information on your devices if you would like. Additionally, \nyour master password will never be stored in the cloud or transmitted \nover the network, adding an extra level of security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeper<\/a>\n is one of the most secure password managers available, and is available\n on every popular device and platform (even Kindle). Though it doesn\u2019t \ncome with all the extra bells and whistles that a product like Dashlane \ndoes, it nevertheless includes most of the advanced features you would \nexpect in a paid password manager. It is very easy to navigate, with one\n of the best interfaces available and convenient features like one-click\n password updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With limited features, Enpass<\/a>\n admittedly is not the best password manager available, but it will do \neverything you need it to s effectively, and it comes at a cheaper price\n than the competitors. In other words, it\u2019s our favorite budget option \namong paid services. Enpass is best for people who would like to keep \ntheir information local to their computer. It doesn\u2019t offer its own \ncloud service, though it can select a third-party cloud if you\u2019d like to\n sync via the internet. It is simpler, however, to just sync through \nWi-Fi. Enpass is lacking in a few features, however. For example, it \ndoesn\u2019t offer two-factor authentication, which may be a dealbreaker for \nsome. In short, it is a basic but solid password manager that serves as a\n good option for budget shoppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LastPass<\/a> is one of the most popular password managers available, free or paid, and a favorite of many tech review websites. It is a freemium<\/em><\/strong>\n product, meaning you can access the base level version free-of-charge, \nbut need to pay for certain special features. LastPass is loaded with \nfeatures that are uncommon in comparable free products. For example, you\n can store not only your password information, but plenty of personal \ninformation, including credit cards, bank information, your driver\u2019s \nlicense, passport, social security number, insurance information, and \nmuch more. It also provides many of the features common in these kinds \nof products, like secure sharing and automatic password generation. If \nyou\u2019re looking for features, this is your best bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our favorite free password manager, Bitwarden<\/a>\n is an open source program that comes with a few handy features. It does\n what a password manager is supposed to — manage your passwords \nsecurely and easily. It doesn\u2019t have all the features that some other \nprograms offer, but it will give you what you need. Additionally, it \nworks with all platforms and browsers, uses two-factor authentication, \nand comes with autofill and secure sharing. It also will generate \npasswords for you and will back up not only password, but personal data \nand credit card information. It also provides breach reports and \npassword exposure checks via the website Have I Been Pwned?<\/a>.\n Bitwarden stores its information in the cloud, but the more \nsecurity-minded among you can also self-host the Bitwarden server \non-premise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the best password managers, KeePass<\/a>\n has been around since 2004 and has a devoted following. Although it is \ndesigned primarily for Windows, it is also available on macOS and Linux.\n Users love it because it is open source and it stores usernames and \npasswords on the user\u2019s device rather than in a cloud-based database. It\n doesn\u2019t come with an expansive feature set, but will give you the ones \nyou need, including automatic password generation and autofill.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat You Should Consider When Choosing Password Manager<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Security<\/strong>
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nEase of Use<\/strong>
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nCost
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nPlatform\/Browser Support<\/strong>
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpen Source?<\/strong>
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nFeatures<\/strong>
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nBest Paid Password Managers<\/strong>
<\/h1>\n\n\n\nDashlane<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
1Password<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Keeper<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Enpass<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Best Free Password Managers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
LastPass<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Bitwarden<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
KeePass<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Myki<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n