A password manager can even help guard against phishing attacks because if the password manager doesn't recognize the URL on which you're entering your login credentials (i.e. And if you're unsure how to create a strong password, a good password manager will always include a strong password generator feature that will create them for you. You can use one to create strong, unique passwords that are exponentially more difficult to hack than something like Fido1986.

Because it's virtually impossible to remember each individual complex password that you should be creating for each account, you need a password manager to keep track of them all. NordPass estimates that the average internet user has between 70 and 80 passwords. Password manager services usually offer user-friendly web interfaces, apps or browser extensions where you can access your encrypted vault using your master password. You only need to remember a single master password to access the encrypted vault - from which you can access all of the other passwords you have stored. Why you need a password managerĪ password manager is an online service that provides an encrypted vault where you can store the login credentials for all of your online accounts so you don't have to remember them. Take a look below to see which one would work best for you - and check back often because this list is subject to change as we continue to test and evaluate password managers. The top five password managers are all excellent choices, and some are better than others for certain use cases, independent of where they fall in the rankings. I also highlighted a handful of additional notable password managers that I tested that didn't quite make the cut for varying reasons, but still may be a good fit for your needs. Based on my rigorous testing, I was able to narrow the list down to the five best password managers that excelled across all of my testing criteria. I tested a dozen of the most popular password managers on the market and evaluated everything from encryption to pricing, features, platform compatibility, privacy policies and company history.

Bitwarden is currently CNET's top pick for the best password manager, thanks in part to its commitment to transparency and its unbeatable free tier. So if you want a safe and convenient way to remember them all, you should invest in a trustworthy password manager.

But remembering dozens of complex and unique codes for every website and service you use is a serious headache. It's never a good idea to use the same password for all of your online accounts.

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