{"id":622428,"date":"2023-03-27T09:50:01","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T14:50:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/27\/password-managers-why-i-switched-from-free-to-paid-premium\/"},"modified":"2023-03-27T09:50:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T14:50:01","slug":"password-managers-why-i-switched-from-free-to-paid-premium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/27\/password-managers-why-i-switched-from-free-to-paid-premium\/","title":{"rendered":"Password managers: Why I switched from free to paid premium"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<svg viewBox=\"0 0 0 0\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" focusable=\"false\" role=\"none\" style=\"visibility: hidden; position: absolute; left: -9999px; overflow: hidden;\"><defs><filter id=\"wp-duotone-dark-grayscale\"><feColorMatrix color-interpolation-filters=\"sRGB\" type=\"matrix\" values=\" .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 \" \/><feComponentTransfer color-interpolation-filters=\"sRGB\"><feFuncR type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0 0.49803921568627\" \/><feFuncG type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0 0.49803921568627\" \/><feFuncB type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0 0.49803921568627\" \/><feFuncA type=\"table\" tableValues=\"1 1\" \/><\/feComponentTransfer><feComposite in2=\"SourceGraphic\" operator=\"in\" \/><\/filter><\/defs><\/svg><svg viewBox=\"0 0 0 0\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" focusable=\"false\" role=\"none\" style=\"visibility: hidden; 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position: absolute; left: -9999px; overflow: hidden;\"><defs><filter id=\"wp-duotone-magenta-yellow\"><feColorMatrix color-interpolation-filters=\"sRGB\" type=\"matrix\" values=\" .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 \" \/><feComponentTransfer color-interpolation-filters=\"sRGB\"><feFuncR type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0.78039215686275 1\" \/><feFuncG type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0 0.94901960784314\" \/><feFuncB type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0.35294117647059 0.47058823529412\" \/><feFuncA type=\"table\" tableValues=\"1 1\" \/><\/feComponentTransfer><feComposite in2=\"SourceGraphic\" operator=\"in\" \/><\/filter><\/defs><\/svg><svg viewBox=\"0 0 0 0\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" focusable=\"false\" role=\"none\" style=\"visibility: hidden; position: absolute; left: -9999px; overflow: hidden;\"><defs><filter id=\"wp-duotone-purple-green\"><feColorMatrix color-interpolation-filters=\"sRGB\" type=\"matrix\" values=\" .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 \" \/><feComponentTransfer color-interpolation-filters=\"sRGB\"><feFuncR type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0.65098039215686 0.40392156862745\" \/><feFuncG type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0 1\" \/><feFuncB type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0.44705882352941 0.4\" \/><feFuncA type=\"table\" tableValues=\"1 1\" \/><\/feComponentTransfer><feComposite in2=\"SourceGraphic\" operator=\"in\" \/><\/filter><\/defs><\/svg><svg viewBox=\"0 0 0 0\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" focusable=\"false\" role=\"none\" style=\"visibility: hidden; position: absolute; left: -9999px; overflow: hidden;\"><defs><filter id=\"wp-duotone-blue-orange\"><feColorMatrix color-interpolation-filters=\"sRGB\" type=\"matrix\" values=\" .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 .299 .587 .114 0 0 \" \/><feComponentTransfer color-interpolation-filters=\"sRGB\"><feFuncR type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0.098039215686275 1\" \/><feFuncG type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0 0.66274509803922\" \/><feFuncB type=\"table\" tableValues=\"0.84705882352941 0.41960784313725\" \/><feFuncA type=\"table\" tableValues=\"1 1\" \/><\/feComponentTransfer><feComposite in2=\"SourceGraphic\" operator=\"in\" \/><\/filter><\/defs><\/svg><\/p>\n<div id=\"page\">\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/#primary\">Skip to content<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t<main id=\"primary\"><\/p>\n<article id=\"post-1663329\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"637\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/dashlane.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1024\" alt=\"Dashlane\" data-hero  ><\/p>\n<p><span>Image: Dashlane<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div id=\"link_wrapped_content\">\n<body><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re not already using a password manager to protect the keys to your digital kingdom, you\u2019re making a grave mistake. We\u2019ve already told you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/709052\/6-common-reasons-people-dont-use-a-password-manager-and-why-theyre-wrong.html\">why going without a password manager is a terrible idea<\/a>. We\u2019ve even tested and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/407092\/best-password-managers-reviews-and-buying-advice.html\">rated the top password managers for you<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>But far too many people still think the free password management tools that comes with their phones is good enough, and just go with what\u2019s convenient rather than what\u2019s best. Here\u2019s why you should ditch that free password management utility and upgrade to the more robust protection of a premium password manager like Dashlane or Keeper.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Separation of Data<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Keeping all your data in one place is super convenient, to be sure. But it also creates a single point of failure. Since everything in your iCloud or Google account is ultimately protected by just one password, using the password utility provided by those big vendors means that anyone who gets in grabs not only access to your email and other data, but also takes everything they need to get into every single <em>other <\/em>account you have, anywhere on the internet. <\/p>\n<p>Given that current hacker automations are designed to crank through that kind of credential data in seconds, you\u2019ve created a one-and-done opportunity for the very people you\u2019re defending against. So you\u2019ll want to separate your password management data from everything else.<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/b2c-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Android-password.png?w=1200\" alt=\"Android password manager\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\"><figcaption>You may be tempted to use the free password utility that comes with your phone, but beware the trade-off of control and security for convenience.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Google<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Full Cross-Platform Capability<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Free password tools tend to provide very limited cross-platform support. Apple Passwords has a Chrome plugin, but it\u2019s clunky and requires constant re-authentication. Google Password Manager is built for Chrome only, and while it works on Windows, Mac, and iOS, it still requires Chrome as the browser. <\/p>\n<p>These vendor-imposed limitations are typically presented as being designed for your protection, but in reality they\u2019re an extension of the old Silicon Valley platform wars that have hindered true open computing since the 1990s. By contrast, premium password managers compete with one another to provide the broadest cross-platform support and best user experience, coupled with the most robust security. It\u2019s in their interests to serve your interests and make cross-device password management work for you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Better Password Sharing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes you actually <em>do <\/em>want to share a password with someone, or at least share access to an account. The top premium password managers, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/407081\/dashlane-password-manager-review.html\">Dashlane<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/398233\/keeper-password-manager-review.html\">Keeper<\/a>, make it easy to share passwords securely with other users of the platform, and let you decide whether than user can see the credentials for themselves or merely use them without ever seeing the actual password. <\/p>\n<p>These features make it easy to give someone time-limited access to an online account without having to change the password afterward. You just don\u2019t find this level of control in the free options. Most even offer family plans that not only give you a better deal on multiple licenses, but also make it easier to share passwords with family members.<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/b2c-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/en_US_Account.png?w=1200\" alt=\"Keeper\" width=\"1200\" height=\"964\"><figcaption>\n<p>Keeper\u2019s Family plan provides password vaults for five people.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Keeper<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Comprehensive Dashboards<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With the free tools, you generally don\u2019t get a very robust management interface. Most are just lists of passwords that you can edit or delete. Premium password managers all come with rich web interfaces that make it easy to categorize passwords, see security details like whether you\u2019ve reused the same password on multiple accounts, and even change your passwords across multiple accounts automatically.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/b2c-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Screen-Shot-2023-02-08-at-11.38.25-AM.png?w=1200\" alt=\"Dashlane\" width=\"1200\" height=\"671\"><figcaption>\n<p>Dashlane provides a password health score and highlights your most at-risk passwords.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Michael Ansaldo\/IDG<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Autogeneration and Autofill<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pretty much all password managers can autofill passwords on the sites you visit. The robustness of that capability varies widely, and is often limited by vendors\u2019 revenue interests, as we\u2019ve said before. The ability to autogenerate passwords and give you control over how the passwords are structured varies widely. Some of the free options force their own structure on you, and at times that structure doesn\u2019t meet the security requirements of certain websites, so you end up having to edit them by hand. <\/p>\n<p>The best premium password managers give you granular control over how passwords are generated: how many characters, what types of characters, whether capitals or lowercase are to be used, and whether to include symbols. This makes it easy for you to ratchet security up and down, or even generate simpler passwords that are easier to remember if you happen to want that for something like your kids\u2019 math-game site.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dark Web Monitoring<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Having complex passwords locked up in a password manager won\u2019t help you much if your credentials get compromised some other way and you don\u2019t even know about it. One of the biggest reasons to subscribe to a premium password manager is dark web monitoring. When your credentials are leaked on hacker sites or compromised in a breach, you get an alert. Right in the dashboard, you can see what happened, and automatically change your password to eliminate the threat.<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/b2c-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/en_US_BreachWatch.png?w=1200\" alt=\"Keeper\" width=\"1200\" height=\"964\"><figcaption>\n<p>Keeper\u2019s BreachWatch feature scans the Dark Web to see if your passwords have been compromised.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Keeper<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>The Bottom line<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The clich\u00e9 that you get what you pay for isn\u2019t always true, but it\u2019s true enough in this case. Most free tools are usually free for a reason, and those reasons have nothing to do with giving you the most value. <\/p>\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/407092\/best-password-managers-reviews-and-buying-advice.html\">the best password managers<\/a>, you can try them for free, but getting access to the serious protection and robust features requires a subscription. Check out the top password managers, and even take a few for a spin in a free trial, but ultimately, protect yourself by ditching the free tools and leveling up for better security.<\/p>\n<p><\/body><\/div>\n<div data-ga=\"article-footer-author\">\n<h3>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/author\/rstrohmeyer\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n\t\tAuthor: Robert Strohmeyer<\/a> \t\t<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/author_photo_rstrohmeyer_1671483691.jpg?quality=50&#038;strip=all&#038;w=150&#038;h=150&#038;crop=1\" height=\"125\" width=\"125\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Robert has been covering tech since the late 1990s, and served as Executive Editor of PCWorld from 2005 to 2010. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Wired, Macworld, Maximum PC, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and many others.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/caretpi\" title=\"Twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M459.37 151.716c.325 4.548.325 9.097.325 13.645 0 138.72-105.583 298.558-298.558 298.558-59.452 0-114.68-17.219-161.137-47.106 8.447.974 16.568 1.299 25.34 1.299 49.055 0 94.213-16.568 130.274-44.832-46.132-.975-84.792-31.188-98.112-72.772 6.498.974 12.995 1.624 19.818 1.624 9.421 0 18.843-1.3 27.614-3.573-48.081-9.747-84.143-51.98-84.143-102.985v-1.299c13.969 7.797 30.214 12.67 47.431 13.319-28.264-18.843-46.781-51.005-46.781-87.391 0-19.492 5.197-37.36 14.294-52.954 51.655 63.675 129.3 105.258 216.365 109.807-1.624-7.797-2.599-15.918-2.599-24.04 0-57.828 46.782-104.934 104.934-104.934 30.213 0 57.502 12.67 76.67 33.137 23.715-4.548 46.456-13.32 66.599-25.34-7.798 24.366-24.366 44.833-46.132 57.827 21.117-2.273 41.584-8.122 60.426-16.243-14.292 20.791-32.161 39.308-52.628 54.253z\" \/><\/svg><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t<\/main><\/p>\n<p><main id=\"primary\"><\/main><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/1663329\/password-managers-free-vs-premium-protection.html\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Margarett Damron<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Skip to content Image: Dashlane If you\u2019re not already using a password manager to protect the keys to your digital kingdom, you\u2019re making a grave mistake. We\u2019ve already told you why going without a password manager is a terrible idea. We\u2019ve even tested and rated the top password managers for you. But far too many<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":622429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[261,4382,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-622428","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-managers","8":"category-password","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}