Top 6 Online Password Manager

Audrey Goodwin

2023-02-10 15:06:14 • Filed to: Reseller • Proven solutions

What's the difference between an ordinary online password manager and a top 5 online password manager, specific to 2020? Is it about advanced security, which is the main purpose of any password manager? Is it the convenience of only having one master password to remember? Or is it the universal accessibility of an online password manager? In other words, what defines a top 5 online password manager in 2020? This article attempts to answer that question by showcasing what we feel are the very best online password manager utilities for the year ahead.

6 Best Online Password Manager

Before we begin, an online password manager is simply an extra functionality of your browser, and it comes in all the popular flavors like Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Edge. Internet users know that familiar pop-up that asks you if you want a username password to be remembered whenever you sign up for something online. That's basically your online password manager in action. Every browser has its own proprietary password management technology, and that's what we're going to look at today, along with an offline alternative that will blow the others out of the water!

1. 1Password

In every sense of the term, 1Password is the very best online password manager you'll ever come across. Three levels of protection keep your passwords safe, even while they're in transit. The data itself is so closely guarded that even the 1Password team CANNOT ACCESS YOUR PASSWORDS! That puts your password security firmly in your hands. Let's look at some of the key features of this amazing password manager:

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Master Password: This is the master key that unlocks your passwords whenever you want to access them. Nobody else has access to this, it is not stored along with your data, and it is never sent externally through any form of network - including the Internet - unless authorized by you.
Security Key: This is the other half of your security. When, and only when, paired with the Master Password, it is used for authentication on 1Password's servers for the purpose of encryption.
Secure Remote Password: This unique protocol creates a secure handshake with websites you're logging into. That's a huge differentiator from online password managers because your own security key and master password aren't sent over the Internet, thereby saving you from being exposed to malicious hackers.
Vault Security: Your highly secure vault uses 256-bit AES encryption to lock down your passwords and the vault virtually impregnable.
Famous Brands Use It: Media conglomerates like the New York Times and CNN use the product to secure their employees' credentials and create a more security-conscious environment.
Works with Apps: While an online password manager can only handle web logins, 1Password makes it happen for your apps as well. Apps are often a great security risk, so this is an essential part of the mobile environment.
Easy to Use: One of the top features of 1Password is the usability factor. No prior experience is required, and you can easily set up your account, navigate around the utility, import your passwords from other apps and browsers, and much more. Most actions require merely a touch, tap, look, or click.

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2. Google Chrome (Google Password Manager - Smart Lock)

Ah, the ubiquitous Google Chrome and its many wonderful features! Among the hundreds of moving parts within the Chrome browser is a humble web-based application called Smart Lock. It can also act as a standalone password manager in Android and for Chromebooks.

Smart Lock is a barebones password management solution for cross-platform performance. As long as you have a Google account, you can use it in Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and just about any other platform. All it does is to save your password (or offer to save it) and then allow you to have that password auto-filled whenever you're on that particular site. It also works with certain apps.

Pros

Free to use
Convenient auto-fill and password saving prompt
Works across all Chrome desktop and mobile versions as well as many apps

Cons

Big risk if you leave a computer open and go away while signed in to your Google account
Doesn't work too well when you use the same password for multiple sites

3. Microsoft Edge

Microsoft also has its own password management utility built into its browser, Edge. The Edge password manager works pretty much the same way as Smart Lock and can be found in the Advanced Settings section of your Edge browser.

The utility can be accessed in the Credential Manager in Windows 10 and you can tweak the save password prompting and other settings. You can also add and remove sites or web application logins and the application will suggest auto-fill options when it recognizes that you have been there before and have access credentials.

Pros

Free to use
Accessible controls for changing various settings
Easy management of saved passwords

Cons

Not as functional as Chrome's password manager
Needs an Edge browser installed in order to work
Doesn't work with apps

4. Mozilla Firefox Lockwise

Firefox has its own access security management tool called Lockwise. Formerly known simply as Password Manager, the functionality is similar to the other online password managers we just saw.

The tool prompts you to save passwords through Lockwise and then suggests them when you go back to that website. You can add new logins, edit existing ones, and even tell Lockwise to never save credentials for a particular website when you sign in. It also saved multiple logins for the same site so if you have more than one account, it will ask you which one you want to use when you visit the site.

Pros

Easy to sync to other devices running Firefox
Add a new site any time or delete credentials that you no longer require

Cons

Known to conflict with other installed password manager
Can't identify if a site allows password saving or not

5. Apple iCloud Keychain

Keychain Access is a macOS application created by Apple to make password management easy on its own range of premium hardware devices. When synced with iCloud, it basically turns itself into iCloud Keychain.

The local desktop version only saves passwords and other credentials on your local system, but when you leverage the power of iCloud Keychain, it extends that capability to all your other Apple devices. The tool works in tandem with the Safari browser to help you create a secure repository of all your web passwords, and it also saves Wi-Fi passwords, digital certificates, public and private keys, and even allows you to save sensitive information in the form of Secure Notes. It neatly categorizes these so you know at a glance what type of password or access key you're looking at.

Pros

Free macOS app
Saves multiple types of credentials
Cross-device functionality by leveraging iCloud
You can have multiple Keychains on the same device

Cons

No password sharing or any advanced features
Has to be approved manually from the source device so you have to set it up beforehand

6. Opera

Opera's password manager is as basic as it gets. Not a lot of features to wow you. However, it does make online password management much easier for people who don't have a proper password manager application installed on their computers and other devices.

The basic functionality can be controlled from within Opera's Privacy & Security Settings page, where you can view or remove passwords for all the web logins you created on Opera. No export functionality has been provided, but there are third-party tools like Windows Credential Manager that can import from Opera.

Pros