Dashlane vs LastPass: Compare Top Password Managers

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Dashlane and LastPass are two of the biggest names in password management software. They both provide businesses secure vaults for sensitive information, including passwords, credit card details, and personal identification numbers. Both vendors offer solutions that are suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries.

Since 2008, LastPass has given users a platform that’s supremely easy to use across multiple devices. It has long been regarded as a top password manager for both personal and professional use.

Dashlane has provided similar services to customers since 2012. It’s a less well known solution than LastPass, but it offers surprisingly good features to remain competitive in a big market.

Dashlane and LastPass similarities

Dashlane and LastPass offer a number of similar benefits when it comes to functionality and security features.

Functionality

Both Dashlane and LastPass provide excellent password generation capabilities. Users can specify the criteria for new, randomly-generated passwords, including password length, types of characters, and whether the new password is easy to say or read. Both platforms analyze existing passwords to identify ones that are weak or duplicated across logins. They also monitor the dark web for passwords that are potentially compromised.

Dashlane and LastPass will then auto-save new passwords and automatically fill them in form fields when appropriate. If a user has a password they want to share with someone else, each solution makes it possible to send permission to use a set of credentials without actually revealing the password itself. Additionally, both vendors have easy-to-use mobile applications that make it a breeze to access accounts securely while traveling.

Security

Dashlane and LastPass both boast strong security profiles. They each employ a 256-bit AES encryption that can only be decrypted at the device level. None of the end user data is stored in its complete form on either vendor’s servers. This makes it extremely difficult to successfully intercept private information even in the event of a successful hacking attempt.

Both platforms also support multi-factor authentication and SAML-based single sign-on (SSO). This means organizations can require an extra layer of authentication during the login process to verify an individual user’s identity. Or, with SSO, they can completely remove passwords from the equation altogether.

It’s worth noting that neither Dashlane nor LastPass support self-hosting, so all customers must rely on the provider-managed servers. Self-hosting is a rare offering for these kinds of tools, but it might be an important consideration for businesses that prioritize in-house software management.

Dashlane and LastPass differences

There are a few areas where Dashlane and LastPass stand out from one another.

Dashlane: Better for bonus features

In addition to standard password management capabilities, Dashlane offers users a number of unique bonus features. The most notable of these is a free VPN, which allows users to connect to public or unsecured WiFi networks without the risk of exposing private data.

Dashlane also offers a free Premium Personal account for Team users and Premium Family account for Business users. Unlike LastPass, Dashlane users can store their personal credentials in the same place they store their work-related information while still keeping everything organized.

One Capterra reviewer who switched from LastPass said: “I have used several password managers over the last decade and Dashlane is the best by far. The UI is attractive and it boasts tons of useful features. My favorite part is the VPN that comes included with a paid subscription. The mobile app is the best password manager app, too. It works flawlessly to fill in my passwords, personal information, and payment information.”

Related: VPN Security: How VPNs Work

It’s also important to point out that Dashlane has never been hacked, whereas LastPass was successfully hacked in 2015. Although no encrypted vault data was compromised and LastPass took measures to prevent future attacks of the same nature, Dashlane has a clean record and a little more credibility when it comes to security.

LastPass: Better for flexibility

While Dashlane offers more in the way of extra features, LastPass is a more flexible tool that can scale alongside a growing business. It offers four different plans compared to Dashlane’s two options. For organizations that have only a few users or are only looking for a basic authentication tool, LastPass’s Teams or MFA plans may be the perfect fit. As needs change or the business expands, LastPass offers Enterprise and Identity packages with more features and capabilities.

The MFA and Teams editions of LastPass are also more affordable than either of Dashlane’s plans. In fact, one Capterra reviewer who switched from Dashlane said: “[The] LastPass premium price is very affordable and it looks and feels much better than the competition. I must admit, the price was the main reason.”

Some users have also noted that LastPass’s user interface is more intuitive than that of Dashlane. This may make it a better choice for customers with minimal technical expertise. Additionally, LastPass offers a huge network of pre-integrated apps, which is a great bonus for easy SSO setup. LastPass is also an ideal solution for shifting to a passwordless ecosystem, with advanced features missing from Dashlane like adaptive biometric authentication, federated login, and workstation login.

Choosing the right password manager

Dashlane and LastPass are two of the top password management tools on the market today. They both offer powerful features for generating, storing, sharing, and analyzing passwords, and they both employ cutting edge security measures to ensure sensitive data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

However, Dashlane is a better solution for those who want a solution that extends beyond the walls of traditional password management and authentication. LastPass, on the other hand, is the right choice for organizations that want a password manager that can adapt to their business’s changing needs.

To compare these solutions with other industry-leading password managers, check out our lineup of the Best Password Management Software & Tools.

Featured Partners: Password Management Software

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