LastPass has been one of the most used password managers in the world for years, but it will soon introduce an important news that will prevent you from using it 100% free.
LastPass, the most famous free password manager, has announced some restrictions in the use of the free version. As of March 2021, it will in fact be possible to continue using the manager for free only on certain devices; for the others, however, you will need to pay a monthly subscription. Here's what's changing and what alternatives are available.
The introduction of a Premium service, and therefore a paid one, came as a bolt out of the blue for users who use the software on their devices every day. Starting from the first login after March 16, LastPass will allow you to use the application without paying a euro only on one type of device, such as computer or smartphone (you can make a switch for a maximum of 3 times after the first login), or unlock all features through a subscription at a price of $ 3 per month, to be paid in a single annual payment. However, all is not lost: there are many free alternatives on the market, such as Bitwarden, KeePass, LogMeOnce, Nordpass and the managers integrated into the main browsers; let's see what they are.
Bitwarden
This is a free (for use by 2 people of the same database) and open-source password manager, capable of storing an unlimited number of keys, both entered by the user and generated directly within the application. Cross-device, you can synchronize Bitwarden to have an up-to-date wallet at your disposal. It is available for Windows, MacOS and Linux, for major browsers, in mobile versions for Android and iOS, and even directly from the web.
KeePass
KeePass is also free and opensource. Unlike the previous software, it does not allow automatic cross-device synchronization but only through a main database, fully encrypted, which can be transferred to all devices for which there is a version of the application (and they are really many, from Windows to Mac, portable, up to a large number of mobile devices in addition to the most popular Android and iOS).
LogMeOnce
It has a free version that allows use on all devices used, which can be synchronized with each other, and allows password generation and two-factor authentication. On the other hand, to take advantage of the features of the free plan (and there are many) without opening the wallet, the user has to deal with some banner ads. LogMeOnce is available for Windows, macOS and mobile devices.
Nordpass
It's available in both free and paid form but, unless you have special needs, the former may be sufficient for most users since it can record unlimited shared items on all available devices (but you can only log on one at a time). Nordpass allows synchronization between devices and is available for Windows macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Browser-integrated password managers
Google Chrome and Firefox password managers, along with Apple's iCloud keychain are then very good alternatives, free and cross-platform, thanks to the possibility of being displayed (almost) everywhere, in direct mode or through the installation of browser plugins. Although they are considered less secure than third-party applications, they are useful especially in case of non-shared devices (less risk of unwanted access), providing also a real-time verification system on the possibility of access keys compromise due to data breach.