{"id":58016,"date":"2025-01-16T15:47:22","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T15:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/33cc21e4-7f74-4954-8e48-c2ae5e0b6b1c"},"modified":"2025-01-16T15:47:22","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T15:47:22","slug":"the-best-password-manager-for-families-in-2025-expert-tested-and-reviewed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/the-best-password-manager-for-families-in-2025-expert-tested-and-reviewed\/","title":{"rendered":"The best password manager for families in 2025: Expert tested and reviewed"},"content":{"rendered":"

A password manager is a valuable tool for families that share devices and subscriptions requiring logins, such as Wi\u2011Fi credentials, streaming service passwords, and smart home codes. It also allows you to help family members, such as kids or aging parents, improve digital security habits and ensure their sensitive information is kept safe.<\/p>\n

Also: The best password managers: Expert tested<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Some password managers for families have greater integration between user accounts — through shared vaults or multiple permission levels managed by an admin — while others simply bundle personal accounts under one subscription. All users also have individual logins and private vaults<\/a> that aren’t visible to anyone else on the family plan.<\/p>\n

What is the best password manager for families right now? <\/h2>\n

At ZDNET, we tested the best password managers for families to determine which ones make it most straightforward to share logins and files, while allowing each user to keep their data private. 1Password<\/span><\/a><\/span> stands out above the rest for families — especially those in the same household — that want easy access to common passwords and the ability to securely share with temporary users like babysitters and houseguests. For large groups of relatives or friends simply looking for individual password management with less account integration at a per\u2011user discount, Dashlane<\/span><\/a><\/span> is a good value. <\/p>\n

The best password manager for families in 2025<\/h2>\n
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1Password features<\/strong>:<\/strong> Private and shared vaults | Temporary guest accounts | Account recovery | 24\/7 customer support <\/p>\n

1Password consistently ranks among our top picks for password management thanks to its feature list and exceptional user experience. We also highly recommend it for families. A family plan includes up to five users for $60 per year, and each individual gets both their private vault (with all of 1Password’s premium features) and shared vaults for group-wide items, such as streaming passwords.<\/p>\n

Review: 1Password<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A 1Password family account starts with one organizer — who invites members, creates shared vaults, manages guest access, and controls billing and settings — with an option to add organizer permissions for other users. A family organizer can help family members recover their accounts if locked out. Each user creates their login with a master password and Secret Key.<\/p>\n

1Password uses strong AES-256 encryption and has helpful features like multi-factor authentication, 1GB of secure storage per account, vault security reports, privacy card integration, and a travel mode. It also offers a large selection of templates beyond logins and payment methods. In addition to the ability to share individual items with anyone (even if they don’t have 1Password), a family account allows temporary, limited vault access for up to five guests who may need secure information like smart lock codes or Wi\u2011Fi credentials.<\/p>\n

1Password is on the pricier side per user than other family password managers. Still, its unique features and overall experience make it well worth considering — especially if you use all five accounts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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NordPass features:<\/strong> 24\/7 live support | Private vaults | Secure sharing | Emergency access<\/p>\n

NordPass is a highly secure, user-friendly password manager under the Nord umbrella. Its family plan includes up to six personal vaults under one subscription, and all users can access all of NordPass’s premium features. The family plan can cost as much as $72 per year, but frequent promotions may get you a cheaper price.<\/p>\n

Review: NordPass<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

NordPass family plans have a designated owner who oversees the subscription and can invite additional users. Unlike some password managers, NordPass does not have vaults or folders with shared access between family members. Instead, you can share specific items in your vault with any NordPass user — including those on your family plan — a premium feature available to anyone with a paid NordPass account. Thus, the benefit of a family plan is that it ensures members can access anything you share. NordPass does have granular permission settings, including a new time-limited sharing option. You can add family members as Trusted Contacts and send credentials to their shared items folder.<\/p>\n

Aside from secure sharing, a NordPass account includes features like email masking, data breach scanning, password health reports, up to 3 GB of file storage, and emergency access. The platform uses xChaCha20 encryption and requires a global Nord Account login and a master password for your vault.<\/p>\n

With its intuitive interface, NordPass is an excellent choice for those with family plan members who are new to password management.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bitwarden features<\/strong>:<\/strong> Encrypted storage | Emergency access | Private vaults and shared collections <\/p>\n

Bitwarden offers a solid password management tool for individual and family plans at an affordable price point. The latter includes premium accounts for up to six users for $40 per year. Each user gets their private vault with the option to share unlimited items or folders (called collections) with other family members. Bitwarden refers to its family plan as “Families Organization.”

Review: Bitwarden<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

An organization’s members can be assigned as account owners, admins, or users with varying permission levels. Admins can manage account recovery and some user settings, while users have access to the collections they are assigned. Regardless of their role, each user gets premium Bitwarden features for their account, such as encrypted sharing via Bitwarden Send, encrypted file storage (1GB personal plus 1GB for the organization), priority support, and emergency access.<\/p>\n

Bitwarden isn’t as intuitive to use as some other password managers, and the password can be challenging to navigate when helping family members learn the platform. Still, it is a secure, open-source, and budget-friendly option for storing and managing your family’s sensitive information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dashlane features<\/strong>:<\/strong> Private vaults | Secure sharing | Live chat support | Multi-platform<\/p>\n

Dashlane is a premium password manager with many unique features. Its Friends & Family plan combines up to 10 individual accounts under a single $90 per year subscription, making this a much more affordable way to get Dashlane if you can fill each slot. Users get access to (almost) all of Dashlane’s features and a private vault to store their data.

Also: The best mobile VPNs: Expert tested and reviewed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dashlane allows secure item sharing but has no shared vaults or folders among plan members. You can share one or more logins or notes with one or more people as long as they have a Dashlane account, or you can set up a trusted contact who can access your entire vault (whether or not they are part of your family). A Dashlane Friends & Family subscription has an administrator who manages users added to the plan, but that account cannot access anyone else’s data. Dashlane also requires admins to approve user requests to leave the plan.<\/p>\n

Dashlane has the most expensive family subscription on our list, but if you have a large group of family or friends that share the plan, the cost per user is more affordable, and the features are worth the price. Dashlane offers dark web monitoring, 1 GB of secure storage per user, real-time phishing and security alerts, and live support for premium users. Note: With a family plan, only the admin account includes a VPN.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read More <\/span><\/div>\n

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Keeper features<\/strong>:<\/strong> Secure sharing | Private vaults | Multi-platform | Emergency access | 24\/7 customer support <\/p>\n

Keeper is a user-friendly password management tool that takes security seriously. A family subscription costs $75 per year and includes five private vaults and all of the service’s premium features.<\/p>\n

Review: Keeper<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Keeper Family plan owners can invite up to four additional members who can securely share vault records and folders (or with other Keeper users) via email or a one\u2011time sharing link. There are no shared group vaults, but each user also gets access to features like unique record types, password health reports, emergency access, an offline mode, and customer support. Dark web monitoring is a paid add\u2011on.<\/p>\n

Keeper’s family subscription costs more per user than other recommendations on our list, but it comes with account\u2011wide 10 GB of file storage (plus the option to add more) protected by the same AES\u2011256 encryption as your passwords. Thus, it may be worthwhile for families that need a secure place to save and share many documents, such as healthcare records, estate plans, property deeds, and other sensitive items.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Proton Pass features:<\/strong> Private and shared vaults | Secure sharing | Multi-platform<\/p>\n

Proton Pass’s family plan is newer on the scene, but it’s a worthy choice for those who want to help their relatives securely manage their passwords and other sensitive data. Pass Family includes six premium user accounts with private vaults for $60 per year under an annual subscription.<\/p>\n

Review: Proton Pass<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A Proton Pass family subscription allows up to two admins to add or remove users and set up (or help others set up) shared vaults that are accessible to everyone. When an admin changes items in shared vaults, the changes sync automatically for all users on the plan. Additionally, admins can set vault permissions for each individual. There’s also an option to share records with individuals whether or not they are on your family account.<\/p>\n

Proton Pass is one of our top picks for privacy features, which range from hide\u2011my\u2011email aliases to dark web monitoring and AI\u2011powered security recommendations. Proton Pass does not support file storage at the time of writing, but the company has consistently rolled out new features and states this is coming soon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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1Password is our top password manager for families that want or need to easily share logins and other sensitive data — especially those with kids or relatives who live in the same household. Here’s how the best password managers for families compare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Password manager<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Shared vaults?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Number of users<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Annual cost per user<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Key features<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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1Password<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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\u2713<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$12<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Guest access<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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NordPass<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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x<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$12<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Sharing permissions<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Bitwarden<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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\u2713<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$7<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Emergency access<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Dashlane<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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x<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$9<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Security monitoring and alerts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Keeper<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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x<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$15<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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10GB file storage<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Proton Pass<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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\u2713<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Shared vaults<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Choose this password manager for families\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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If you want\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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1Password<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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An exceptional user experience with easy sharing and granular control over permission settings. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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NordPass<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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An easy-to-learn platform for family members new to password management. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Bitwarden<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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A secure password manager at a budget-friendly price. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Dashlane<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Premium password management for a large group of individuals at a per-user discount. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Keeper<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Plenty of space for secure document storage no matter how many users are on your family plan. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Proton Pass<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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A 1Password alternative with additional privacy features included. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Show more <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/strong>When comparing password managers with family plans, you should consider the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n