Dashlane vs. LastPass

Key Similarities:

• Both services have free plans with limited features
• Both services let you store an unlimited number of passwords
• Both services scan the dark web to see if your personal information has been exposed

Key Differences:

• Dashlane covers10 members on its family plan, and LastPass allows six
• LastPass has been hacked three times and has exposed customer data
• We ran into a few technical issues with LastPass when uploading passwords and using security tools

A 2024 report from NordPass found that the average number of passwords a person uses is 168.1 That doesn’t necessarily mean they have to remember 168 passwords. According to our findings on password habits, 68 percent of people use the same passwords for different accounts, which unfortunately leaves them vulnerable to data breaches.

Instead of trying to memorize 168 passwords or one password 168 times, we recommend using password managers such as Dashlane and LastPass. But which one is better?

LastPass has an excellent free plan that includes security features like dark web monitoring. However, we ran into a few issues when uploading passwords and getting our security score. Dashlane was much more reliable, even if some features were missing on some apps. Let’s get into how these two password managers compare against one another.

Methodology

Before we break down our experiences with Dashlane and LastPass, let’s take a minute to explain how we put together these comparisons. The first step was researching the companies. We looked into their backgrounds and reviewed their claims. We even visited customer forums and websites to see how people perceive their password managers.

After hours of doing those, we bought the products and put them to the test ourselves. We installed them on multiple devices and integrated them into our daily routine. Our goal was to see how well they can actually fit into our daily lives. After spending a few weeks of testing, we decided which service to recommend.

Now, we can explain why Dashlane is our preferred pick.

>> Read More: Dashlane Review 2024

Security

The good news is that from a technical perspective, Dashlane and LastPass use the same technology. They both use 256-bit AES encryption, which is considered the gold standard. It works by scrambling the personal information you provide the password manager so nobody can see it. The only way to make it readable is with a master password, which is only accessible to you.

This leads us to zero-knowledge architecture. Dashlane and LastPass are built on this principle, meaning that not even their staff can access your information without your master password. And again, no one but you has access to it.

Both products also allow for ‘passwordless login’ to access their apps on your devices. You can use your fingerprint or face ID for smartphones or a PIN for laptops and web apps. We consider those more secure because they require physical access to your device — much like multifactor authentication. Even if someone were to find out your master password, they won’t be able to access your vault easily.

However, we had to download a second LastPass app to use PINs. LastPass Authenticator generates a one-time code to log into some LastPass apps. It resets every 30 seconds, making it a more secure option compared to using traditional passwords.

Unfortunately, despite using top-of-the-line technology, hackers have stolen credentials from LastPass on three occasions. The last incident occurred in 2022, where the criminals accessed their development environment. Another event saw hackers access encrypted and unencrypted customer data.2

To date, Dashlane has not been hacked. Some independent studies highlighted vulnerabilities. But that was over 20 years ago, and there have been no instances where hackers have exploited their servers to retrieve customer information. So, we feel more comfortable trusting our data with Dashlane over LastPass.

Winner: Dashlane

Pricing

While security is the top priority when choosing a password manager, pricing is a close second. Much like the last category, there’s a significant difference between Dashlane and LastPass. Let’s start by taking a look at Dashlane’s packages.

The first thing we noticed was how expensive Dashlane was. However, it’s not a bad deal once you look at what’s included in the plans. The feature that stood out to us was the VPN. While we weren’t shopping around for one, some people might save money by combining subscriptions if they’re in the market for one.

For example, NordPass is another excellent password manager. The Premium plan is $1.69 a month when you pay annually. You can add NordVPN at checkout for an extra $4.99 per month, bringing the monthly average to $6.68. With Dashlane, it’s only $4.99.

>> Learn More: NordPass Review 2024

We also like that Dashlane’s Friends & Family plan covers 10 people compared to LastPass’s Family plan, which only covers six. The price difference between those family plans was also not that significant. Dashlane’s family plan costs only $3.49 more than that of LastPass, and with accounts for four more people, we think it’s worth it.

While we’re on the topic of LastPass’s packages, let’s see how much they cost.

We like that LastPass’s free plan includes more features than Dashlane. For starters, there is no password limit. Dashlane limits you to 25 and locks the account until you remove excess logins. LastPass also scans the dark web to see if your login information is stolen and shared. If you want to use this feature with Dashlane, you’ll need to pay for it.

While we appreciate Dashlane including a VPN to add extra value to their packages, it won’t suit everyone, especially people who are already happy with their current provider. Meanwhile, LastPass’s free plan has everything you need in a password manager, and its paid tiers are more affordable. Based on these factors, we’re giving this category to LastPass.

Winner: LastPass

Features

Dashlane’s VPN is the only feature significantly differentiating these two password managers. But as we mentioned earlier, you might not need one. So, how do you decide which one is the better password manager?

At a minimum, Dashlane and LastPass autofill your credentials whenever you log in to a new website. Both store your details securely and assess your passwords based on their strength. They also make it easy to update them. However, we found that sometimes the websites listed are outdated. For example, we had three webpages for Amazon. Instead of clicking the link, we went to Amazon’s change password page, updated it and removed the action in the password manager.

We preferred Dashlane’s approach compared to LastPass. Dashlane’s Password Health page incorporated the results from the dark web monitoring findings. It tagged passwords that were compromised and that needed to be updated immediately. LastPass only tagged passwords as weak or reused. We had to manage data found on the dark web separately.

When we created new accounts, a box from each password manager appeared within the password field. Both apps automatically generated a secure password and offered to pre-fill the space. We could even edit it by changing the length or type of characters used. Once we accepted it, Dashlane and LastPass added the password to our vault. We found this feature helped us save a lot of time signing up for new services because we didn’t have to think of a new password.

Based on their features, it’s tough to separate Dashlane and LastPass. However, there is a big difference in how easy they are to use, which we’ll get into next. For now, we’ll call this category a draw.

Winner: Tie

Ease-of-Use

Our first experiences logging into Dashlane and LastPass were quite different. This feeling continued as we incorporated these password managers into our work and personal lives.

Setting Up Dashlane

Getting started with Dashlane was easy. We started by exporting our login details from our browser as a .csv file. Next, we uploaded the file to Dashlane’s web app. It then took us to the Password Health screen, where we could see all our passwords and which ones we should update to make them more secure.

Up next was the dark web monitoring page. We only added our primary email for monitoring, but you can add up to five. Within seconds, we received a notification some of our details had been found on the dark web. Returning to the Password Health screen, any passwords linked to the notification were categorized as compromised.

We then downloaded the macOS and Android smartphone app. Once we logged in, we saw all our information had been synced across devices. The only issue was that some of the features were missing. For example, there was no Secure Notes page on the Android app.

However, it didn’t impact our experience using Dashlane. The core features were available in all apps and worked as expected. We also appreciated the option to stay logged in for up to 14 days.

When we reviewed 1Password, we became very familiar with our master password, which you use to log into the 1Password app. We would get logged out after 15 minutes of inactivity and be forced to enter it dozens of times during the day. So we appreciated Dashlane letting us stay logged in for longer.

>> Read More: Dashlane vs. 1Password

Setting Up LastPass

LastPass was not as easy to set up. We followed the same steps as Dashlane, but LastPass had issues reading the same .csv file. After three failed attempts to upload our login details to the web dashboard, we tried the macOS app and it worked immediately.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only issue we had. The web dashboard eventually synced with the macOS app so we could see all our information. We navigated to the Security Dashboard, which shows which passwords were at risk and any dark web monitoring results. The web dashboard took hours to calculate a score. But the macOS app gave us the information we needed in seconds.

The Android app has a page for the Security Dashboard, but it doesn’t display the result. Instead, it refers you to the desktop app. However, you can find some of the information in the Security Challenge section. LastPass gives you a score out of 100 based on how secure your details are. It then compares you anonymously against other security challenge participants.

>> Read More: Best Password Managers for Android

Let’s just say we didn’t get a podium finish. But we did get a summary of our performance. Some categories featured the number of duplicate passwords, a multifactor authentication score and the average password length. If you’ve got a competitive bone in your body, this page might inspire you to climb the rankings by improving your digital security. But given LastPass’s history with data breaches, it made us feel a little nervous about our information being compared to that of other customers.

Once you’ve updated your passwords and reviewed your dark web monitoring results, you won’t spend much time in the dashboards. LastPass worked flawlessly when we needed it to log into websites or generate new passwords. We only experienced issues when we were forced to interact with the web dashboard. So we recommend you avoid using it if you can.

Looking for workarounds to use a password manager isn’t ideal. While some features are missing in certain apps, we still found incorporating Dashlane into our daily lives easier.

Winner: Dashlane

Verdict: Dashlane or LastPass?

On paper, there are not many differences between Dashlane and LastPass. Sure, Dashlane throws in a VPN, and LastPass is cheaper. However, when you scroll down the list of features, you will see that both password managers provide similar digital security tools.

It’s not until you log in for the first time that you start seeing the differences. We had no trouble getting started with Dashlane. Once we uploaded our information, it recommended updating passwords and began autofilling login fields so we could log in to services securely. It also told us what passwords had been found on the dark web.

LastPass wouldn’t process the same file in the web app, and we had to find other ways to upload our information. We also encountered some glitches that prevented it from running dark web reports and the password health page. And of course, there’s that concern that LastPass has been hacked three times, and the criminals got away with some unencrypted customer data.

While Dashlane is not perfect and is more expensive, it’s reliable and more secure, which is why we recommend using it over LastPass.