Lastpass Please Review the Information You Entered and Try Again
Tom's Hardware Verdict
LastPass offers a polish, consequent password management experience across platforms -- but just if you pay for information technology.
Pros
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Fast cantankerous-device syncing
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Consistent cross-platform feel
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Bang-up, easy-to-use browser extensions
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Family unit plan is cheaper than competitors
Cons
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Express support for non-paid users.
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Free accounts limited to one device.
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Importing passwords is messy
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History of past security and privacy issues
Before I started using LastPass, my password game was weak. The near I did was use numbers, merely they were always the same numbers. I occasionally capitalized the first letter of the alphabet of whatever very common English language word I was using, and I never used symbols because I didn't want to have to type symbols.
I'm just telling you this because I've been using LastPass for so long, I can't remember when I started. I used LastPass'due south extremely generous free version for years and years ... until concluding year, when LastPass announced complimentary users would now be limited to access on only i type of device — estimator or mobile. I wasn't against paying for a service, just I figured I would check out the other options earlier locking myself in.
LastPass does many things very well — it syncs quickly and works seamlessly across multiple platforms and its free tier is notwithstanding somewhat generous for a free tier (merely not generous enough). Merely LastPass has also had some security issues in its past, including one information breach (though no encrypted information was leaked). No password manager is immune to security issues, but there are others, such as 1Password, with cleaner track records.
Costs and What'due south Covered in LastPass
LastPass offers three plans for personal users: Costless, Premium (ane user) and Family (up to 6 users).
LastPass's complimentary plan includes unlimited password storage, automatic syncing and 2-factor hallmark (2FA) with LastPass'due south Authenticator app. Free users as well have access to LastPass's countersign generator, its one-to-one sharing service, and security notes.
LastPass's gratis plan used to allow unlimited syncing across unlike device types, simply this changed in March 2021. Costless users are now limited to one device type: Calculator (desktops and laptops) or mobile (phones, tablets and smart watches). There'due south no limit to the number of devices y'all tin can sync within your chosen category, only you'll need to upgrade if you desire to access your passwords on both your phone and your computer.
LastPass's Premium plan is $36 per year, almost exactly the aforementioned price equally competitors such as 1Password ($35.88) and Keeper ($34.99). Premium users get the same features as free users, plus unlimited syncing between device types, one-to-many sharing and 1GB of file storage. Paying also gets you extra security features, including emergency access, advanced multi-factor authentication, a security dashboard for analyzing countersign integrity and monitoring the dark web and access to email support.
LastPass's Family programme has the aforementioned features equally the Premium plan, likewise every bit unlimited shared folders between users. At $48 per year for up to six people, LastPass Family is cheaper than the competition — 1Password'southward and Keeper'southward family plans only encompass five people and cost $59.88 and $74.99 per year, respectively.
LastPass has desktop apps for PC (Windows 8.1 or later) and macOS (the ii well-nigh contempo versions) and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Microsoft Edge and Cyberspace Explorer. LastPass also offers 2 mobile apps: LastPass Password Manager lets y'all access your passwords and LastPass Authenticator provides 2FA. Both mobile apps are available on Android (6.0 or higher) and iOS (13 or higher).
Setup and Web/Desktop in LastPass
To get started with LastPass, you'll need to sign up using your email address and a stiff master password that is at to the lowest degree 12 characters long and includes upper case messages, numbers, and symbols. You can as well fill out an optional password hint (non a security question).
Yous will then be prompted to install the LastPass browser extension for your browser. LastPass offers both basic and "full" versions of its browser extensions; the total versions feature extra functionality via a binary component. The initial prompt will direct you lot to the basic version of your browser extension; to become the total version, you'll need to download it directly from LastPass.
Once y'all're logged in, LastPass will redirect you to your password vault. On the right side of the vault you'll encounter the "starter kit," or a series of steps that walk yous through setting upwards your account. You don't need to prepare your account immediately, simply completing all of the objectives in the starter kit will earn you a 10 percent discount on a paid plan.
LastPass has desktop apps for Windows and macOS, but they're a picayune redundant — they let you to admission your countersign storage but not your account settings, while the web vault lets you access both.
The web vault is relatively straightforward: A collapsible left menu holds a list of different item types (passwords, notes, addresses, payment cards and bank accounts are the default categories) too as links to the security dashboard, sharing center, emergency admission, account settings, advanced options, and help. You can add new entries by clicking the scarlet plus sign in the lower correct corner; LastPass has several templates for unlike detail types (including passports, insurance policies and software licenses) equally well as the option to create custom templates. If you need to store information that doesn't fit in a template, you can store information technology as a note.
If you already take your passwords stored somewhere, or if you're thinking of storing your passwords somewhere else, you tin observe the import and export tools in avant-garde options. LastPass imports from xxx+ different formats, including several that no longer exist; with a little editing, y'all can also import your own Excel file.
Nearly a year ago I tried to consign my passwords from LastPass and I kept getting a disorganized window total of text instead of the promised CSV file. I eventually plant that exporting to CSV only worked through the browser extension and not the vault. I don't think this is a dealbreaker, especially because LastPass works very smoothly most of the time, but it was a surprising problem.
You might non even have to go into the web vault too frequently, because you can admission well-nigh of LastPass'south features from the browser extension. Y'all can search, add and edit entries in your vault from the browser extension, as well equally generate secure passwords (and see a history of recently-generated passwords).
This is a super minor detail, but I appreciate that LastPass'south browser extension has a dropdown button for copying your username or countersign for an entry — some password managers have one-click copying buttons and I am e'er accidentally clicking them when I'grand trying to do something similar edit an entry with a new randomly-generated password.
Mobile Apps for LastPass
LastPass offers a pretty seamless experience across platforms, which is probably why limiting gratuitous users to 1 device type felt like such a personal assault. Similar its browser extension, LastPass's mobile app is pretty robust and lets you access nearly of LastPass's features. For actress security, it too supports biometric authentication (Face ID or Touch ID).
The mobile app is divided into three sections: Vault, Security, and Settings. You lot can launch, edit, and add new entries to your vault, generate secure passwords, take the security claiming, and change phone-related settings. You volition still need to use the spider web vault to admission the security dashboard and turn on some of the more avant-garde security features, such equally dark web monitoring and multi-cistron authentication.
I accept had a couple of problems getting the mobile app to populate credit menu forms, but for the virtually function, the mobile app is excellent. I've had other password managers get tripped upwardly on app permissions or fail to sync quickly enough between devices for my liking, simply I can relieve a password in LastPass on my desktop, open the mobile app immediately, and it's already there.
Security in LastPass
LastPass'due south security protocols are the aforementioned as well-nigh of its competitors: AES-256 encryption and naught-cognition technology, meaning your data is encrypted locally and cannot be accessed or recovered by LastPass.
Costless and paid LastPass users have access to 2FA through LastPass'south Authenticator app (LastPass also works with other authenticator apps, such as Microsoft Authenticator and Google Authenticator). Paid users tin set up additional forms of multi-factor authentication, such as fingerprint readers and hardware keys.
LastPass doesn't know your main password and cannot recover information technology for y'all. You lot tin recover your account, though, should you lose your master password — and yes, this does make it less secure, merely security is about finding a balance between convenience and full lockdown.
In that location are actually several ways to recover your business relationship: You can go a old recovery countersign from a recognized device/browser, you lot tin revert to an sometime master password, you tin can sign in with biometrics on your mobile device, you can get a reset lawmaking via text, and you can use the countersign hint you lot may accept entered during sign up. Y'all probably shouldn't gear up all of these options (especially not the last two), but at least there are options.
LastPass follows the same strict security protocols as its competitors, but the company has had multiple security concerns in the past: In add-on to the data breach in 2015, bugs have been found in LastPass'due south browser extension and unnecessary trackers accept been found in its mobile app. It's not the merely countersign manager to take had security snafus, but it has been more consistently plagued by vulnerabilities (specially in the app and browser extensions) and privacy concerns than managers such as 1Password and Dashlane.
Lesser Line
Back when LastPass offered unlimited syncing and device switching for unpaid users, it was sort of a no-brainer for everyone to sign upwardly. Only limiting free users to one device type has definitely made other password managers worth a look — even if LastPass'due south free version does accept features you won't see in many other gratuitous password managers.
If you're looking for something completely costless, Bitwarden'due south free service doesn't run as smoothly equally LastPass's, only it does offer syncing across unlimited devices. If you lot're willing to pay for a countersign manager, LastPass is a more seamless cantankerous-platform tool than other services I've used (including Keeper and Dashlane), and the Family unit plan is an peculiarly expert bargain. It'due south not perfect — no password manager is — but LastPass may exist your best option.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lastpass-password-manager
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