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The Best Password Managers For 2024

PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

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Which Password Managers Do Security Experts Recommend?

Every cybersecurity expert we've consulted says that the best password manager is one that you will actually use. When reviewing password managers, we reward products that have advanced features, but the apps must remain easy to use and avoid needless complexity.

If you get annoyed or are baffled by a password manager, you may abandon it and go back to using sticky notes to store and share passwords or, worse, use the same password for everything. If you get fed up with your current tool, we have a guide for switching to a new password manager.

A company such as LastPass, with a well-known name in the password management space, has a much longer history than a relative newcomer like Proton Pass. That means there are more chances for reputational damage due to security incidents. That's why each year we ask every company to tell us how they secure your data and to describe any security incidents that have affected customers and how they remedied the issue. Read this section of the review carefully, as it's a chance to learn more about the company's history, and how they've responded to past data breaches or security incidents.

What Is the Best Password Manager For You?

Check out our recommendations for password managers that may be best for specific use cases:

The Best Password Manager for Security

We like Dashlane's extensive reporting tools for administrators. Knowing about employee password hygiene is one of the first steps toward securing a workplace against outside threats. For more recommendations for password managers with excellent features for small business owners or teams, check out our list of the best business password managers.

The Best Password Manager for Android

NordPass' well-organized mobile apps are easy to use and include the functions found in the browser extension and desktop version of the app. An Android-specific feature we've seen many companies adopt is screenshot blocking and detection while using the app.

The Best Password Manager for iPhone

1Password has an app for iOS users that makes it easy to access and fill in credentials. We're particularly keen on the Watchtower function, which checks for compromised websites, vulnerable passwords, and alerts you about opportunities to enable multi-factor authentication or create passkeys for accounts.

The Best Password Manager for macOS and Windows

Enpass is totally free for desktop users, making it an easy choice for people who primarily log into their accounts using a Mac or a Windows PC. You can sync up to 25 passwords to a mobile device for free, too. With ongoing data breach threats, it's wise to keep a close eye on who is holding onto your data and how they're securing it. We like that Enpass makes users store their data locally on their devices, or via a personal third-party cloud storage account.

Is There a 100% Free Password Manager?

We love free stuff, but as with many things in life, you usually get what you pay for when it comes to totally free password management. Free security software is difficult to maintain without other products or features to generate revenue. That's probably why we've seen many companies quietly adopting new restrictive policies for their free password management tiers.

A notable exception is the totally free, very capable app from Editors' Choice winner Bitwarden. The company also offers paid service plans, but we've been consistently impressed with Bitwarden's free features, which include dark web and password hygiene monitoring, and credential sharing options. Other impressive free password managers come from LogMeOnce, our premium Editors' Choice winner NordPass, and Proton Pass, which all allow unlimited credential storage for free users. Check out our list of the best free password managers to learn more about those apps.

Many of our other top recommendations do cost money, though you can use some of them for free if you accept their limitations. For example, some limit the number of passwords you can keep in your password manager vault. Well-known security companies such as Avira, Bitdefender, McAfee and Norton have simple free password management apps, too. Keep in mind that a password manager is usually included with a security suite subscription, so it's worth checking to see if you're already paying for a password manager that you should set up and use.

How We Test Password Managers

Each password management app undergoes functionality tests on multiple platforms. We ensure it can capture and replay credentials, store sensitive data in an encrypted vault, fill in web forms, and create new and unique passwords, among other things. Read our in-depth article about PCMag's password manager testing process for more details.

To summarize, we prefer products that include the following:

A diverse selection of multi-factor authentication options

A password generation policy that creates strong, unique passwords

User-friendly features such as password inheritance, secure credential sharing, dark web monitoring, and password hygiene monitoring

We spend time comparing the app's price to similar products in the category, and we tend to favor products that are free or reasonably priced. To hold companies accountable for the trust their subscribers have in their products, we interview company representatives about the product annually. We also review the company's data security policies and public responses to past security incidents.

How Does a Password Manager Work?

Most people use a password manager primarily to manage website credentials. In practice, when you log in to a secure site, the password manager asks if you want it to save your username and password. When you return to that site, the password manager asks if you'd like it to fill in those credentials. If you have multiple logins for the same site, the password manager lists all the options so you can select the right one and log in. Most password managers also have a browser toolbar menu of saved logins, so you can go straight to a saved site and log in automatically.

Some products detect when you change one of your passwords and ask if it should update the existing password it has on file to the new one. Some record your credentials when you create a new account for a secure website.

Another way password managers help you with security is they identify weak and duplicate passwords that you have and replace them with strong, unique ones. Some password managers even check whether you have set up multi-factor authentication for those services that support it and whether your personal information appears in any data breaches.

When you create a new account or update a weak password, don't strain your brain trying to develop a different password that is strong and unique. Let your password manager take care of it. Ensure your generated passwords are at least 20 characters long and include all the major character types: uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.

Password Managers vs. Passkeys

Passkeys are a new way to log in to websites, eliminating the need for an email address and password combination. We say new and not better because it's still too soon to tell whether passkeys are making a difference across the cybercrime landscape.

In theory, widespread passkey adoption should make it harder for criminals to steal your credentials and get into your accounts since passkeys can't be stolen by hacking into a company's system. Many of the password managers we test, including Bitwarden, let you store passkeys in their password manager vault.

But, as one expert told PCMag, passkeys are no substitute for healthy cybersecurity habits. "You have passkeys? That's fantastic. But if I can access your device, I can likely find a way around those passkeys," warned Trevor Hilligoss, vice president of SpyCloud Labs at SpyCloud, a cybersecurity company.

Hilligoss said that criminals have already found ways to get around passkeys by exploiting flaws inherent to the online authenticating process. Cookie hijacking and using specialized malware-as-service tools make it easy for a determined criminal to get into your accounts.

Still, some protection is better than none at all. 1Password offers an updated list of websites that support passkeys.

What Makes a Password Manager Good?

Password managers keep you safe, and they're convenient. With a password manager, you don't have to remember a complex and unique password for each account. The password manager helps you generate new, random ones, stores them for you, and can even help you pass on your passwords to your loved ones after you die.

When you sign up for a password manager, one of the first things to do is create a master password for your account. Your master password is used to encrypt the contents of your password vault, so you should make it difficult for anyone else to guess it. However, it can't be so random you can't remember it. Your master password is likely unrecoverable if you do. Read our tips on creating secure, complicated passwords for guidance. One technique you might want to consider is to forgo simple passwords in favor of more complex passphrases.

Some password managers eliminate the need for a master password by offering a passwordless entry to your desktop or mobile vault. With passwordless technology, you can log in using a QR code with a third-party authenticator app, biometrics, a magic link, or a one-time password.

As an additional precaution, you should set up multi-factor authentication to secure your password manager account, be it via biometrics, SMS, or time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) stored in an authenticator app. The best password managers support authentication via U2F or OTP-based hardware security keys, most of which are about the size of an actual key and made to go on your key ring.

Before you commit to any password manager, you need to ensure it works on each device you use and doesn't prevent you from syncing your passwords across all your devices. Although support for Windows and macOS platforms is given, several password managers now offer native Linux apps, too. The best password managers have browser extensions for every popular browser that can operate independently of a desktop app.

Important Password Manager Features to Consider

Most password managers can fill in personal data on web forms, such as first and last name, email address, phone number, bank cards, passport numbers, and more. Many password managers also can capture and fill in credentials for desktop applications.

Most password managers include a built-in mechanism for securely sharing passwords with other users, but some go further with advanced permissions. For instance, a few password managers allow you to share a login without making the password visible, revoke sharing, or make the recipient an owner of the item.

Some password management companies also offer versions of their products for businesses and teams. These products usually emphasize multi-factor authentication and offer single sign-on and advanced credential-sharing capabilities between team members. The best password managers let administrators see which employees use weak, reused, or compromised passwords for their work accounts.

Password Manager Customer Support Options

When looking for a new password management app, it's worth considering the company's subscription cancellation policy and how hard it is to delete user accounts. We recommend looking for companies that offer subscription refunds, generous premium trial periods, and easy, one-click account deletion.

You'll also want to use a service that allows you to talk to a human when you encounter a problem with the app. Many companies are going with the "self service" route when it comes to customer service, expecting customers to troubleshoot their tech problems using AI-enhanced chatbots or an FAQ on a website.

We recommend seeking out password manager app subscriptions that include live, human chat or phone support. At a minimum, a company should offer 24/7 email support for paying subscribers. We include a section in our reviews that focuses on the types of support options offered by each company and how easy it is to cancel subscriptions.

Extra Password Manager Security Features

Logging in with your secure username and password to a website that doesn't use a secure HTTPS connection is a big no-no. Some password managers warn you about insecure login pages.

Running your secure connections through a virtual private network, or VPN, adds a layer of protection. Dashlane includes a simple built-in VPN. NordPass comes from the same company behind NordVPN.

Secure storage is an increasingly common feature among password managers, too. The storage allocation won't replace the need for dedicated cloud storage and syncing service, but in many cases, it's enough for storing important documents in an encrypted state.

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The Best Photo Editing Software For 2024

PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

The Best Photo Editing Software for 2019

Which Photo Software Should You Use?

Novice photographers taking vacation pics to post on Instagram need a different photo editor than those who shoot in a studio with a high-end camera that costs as much as a new car. We include all levels of photo editing software here. Nothing says that pros can't occasionally use an entry-level application or that a prosumer won't be running Photoshop, the most powerful photo editor. The issue is that, in general, people at different levels are more comfortable with the products intended for them.

What Is the Best Photo Editing Software for Beginners?

If you're just starting to dip your toes into photo editing, the options are getting better all the time. An easy place to get started is with the free applications that come with your operating system: Apple Photos for macOS and iOS, Google Photos for Android, and Microsoft Photos for Windows. They give you basic light and color editing tools in simple interfaces.

If you're a more ambitious beginner, Adobe Lightroom, the non-classic version, is worth a look. Lightroom comes with the Discover community, where photographers and editors share their entire process from raw image to final product. You can even submit your photos to the community and let them edit your work. For in-program editing tutorials, Photoshop Elements, with its many Guided Edits that show you how to create arresting effects, is an excellent option.

The latest versions of Photoshop include plentiful help and learning content, though I recommend going through a basic online course for learning Photoshop. If you don't intend to do advanced editing, check out the section below.

Can You Edit Photos Online for Free?

In this list of the best photo editing software, we included only software that you can install on a desktop or laptop computer, though some have a mobile app, too. That said, online photo editing options (which are often free) might adequately serve entry-level photographers. These web apps often tie in with online photo storage and sharing services—Flickr, with its integrated photo editor, and Google Photos are two examples. Both can spiff up the photos you upload and help you organize them.

Free photo editing programs tend to lack many tools available in paid software. Photopea is an exception. It's an online photo editor that duplicates much of the functionality in Photoshop. If you want to get all its AI features and online storage, however, you must pay $5 per month.

Major programs are now releasing web versions, too. The latest version of Lightroom, for example, has a web app with a good deal of photo-editing capabilities. Adobe also maintains a web version of its flagship Photoshop app. Other notable names in web-based photo editing include BeFunky, Fotor, Photofx, and PicMonkey.

What Is the Best Image Editing for Hobbyists?

Most of the products in this list are suited for enthusiast photographers and prosumers, including people who genuinely love working with digital photographs. The apps are not free, and they require a few hundred megabytes of disk space. Several, such as Lightroom and CyberLink PhotoDirector, are strong when it comes to workflow—importing, organizing, editing, and outputting the photos from an SLR or mirrorless.

Such apps give you nondestructive editing, meaning they don't touch the original photo files. Instead, they maintain a database of edits that you apply and that appear in photos you export from the application. These programs also come with good organization tools, including keyword tagging, color-coding, geo-tagging with maps, and, in some cases, face recognition to organize photos by people who appear in them.

Enthusiasts want to do more than just import, organize, and render their photos. They want to do fun stuff, too! Editors' Choice winner Adobe Photoshop Elements includes Guided Edits, which make special effects like motion blur or color splash (in which only one color shows on an otherwise black-and-white photo) a simple step-by-step process.

Outputting and Sharing Your Photos

At the back end of the workflow is the output. Capable software like Lightroom Classic gives you powerful printing options such as soft-proofing, which shows you whether the printer you use can produce the colors in your photo. (Strangely, the new version of Lightroom doesn't support local printing, though the latest update lets you send images to a photo printing service.) Lightroom Classic can directly publish photos on sites like Flickr and SmugMug. All good software at this level comes with strong printing and sharing options, and some, like ACDSee Photo Studio and Lightroom, include online photo hosting for presenting a portfolio of your work.

What Is the Best Free Photo Editing Software?

If you've outgrown the standard photo editing apps on your phone, such as those preinstalled with the camera or the effects included on Instagram, does that mean you have to pay a ton for high-end software? Absolutely not.

Desktop operating systems typically include photo software that can serve consumers' needs at no extra cost. For example, the Microsoft Photos app included with Windows 10 (and updated for Windows 11) may surprise some users with its capabilities. In a touch-friendly interface, it gives you a good level of image correction, auto-tagging, blemish removal, face recognition, and even raw camera file support. It can automatically create editable albums based on photos' dates and locations.

On macOS, Apple Photos does those things, too. Both programs sync with online storage services: iCloud for Apple and OneDrive for Microsoft. (You can now access iCloud Photos in Windows 11's Photos app, too.) Both photo apps let you search based on detected object types, like "tree" or "cat" in the application. Apple Photos supports plug-ins like the excellent Perfectly Clear and Topaz DeNoise.

Ubuntu Linux users also get photo software at no cost. One option for them is the capable-enough Shotwell app. For more sophisticated editing, the venerable GNU Image Manipulation Program, better known as GIMP, is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It has a ton of Photoshop-style plug-ins and editing capabilities but very little in the way of creature comforts or usability. For free Lightroom-style workflow options, look to Darktable and RawTherapee, both of which are also available for all major desktop platforms.

What Is the Best Photo Editing Software for Raw Files?

The programs at the enthusiast level and the professional level can import and edit raw files from your digital camera. These are files that include every bit of data from the camera's image sensor. Each camera manufacturer uses its own format and file extension for these. For example, Canon cameras use CR2 or CR3 files, and Nikon uses NEF. Raw here means what it sounds like: a file with the raw sensor data. It's not an acronym or file extension.

Working with raw files provides some big advantages when it comes to correcting (often termed adjusting) photos. Since the photo you see on screen is just one interpretation of what's in the raw file, the software can dig into that data to recover more detail in a bright sky, or it can fully fix an improperly rendered white balance. If you set your camera to shoot with JPGs, you're losing those capabilities. Several applications included here work wonders with raw photos, including DxO PhotoLab, Lightroom, PhotoDirector, and even the online Photopea.

What Is the Best Software for Advanced Photo Correction?

AI-powered content-aware tools let you move or remove objects while maintaining a consistent background. Say you want to remove a couple of strangers from a serene beach scene and have the app fill in the background. Adobe continues to improve this technology by leaps and bounds, with new tools for accurate automatic selection and generative AI background filling. Even more of this wizardry is on its way, as Adobe continues to add Firefly features to Photoshop. Microsoft has added generative AI-like background removal to both the Photos and Paint utilities in Windows.

None of these edits involve simple filters like the classic ones in Instagram. Rather, they produce highly customized, one-off images. Another good example is CyberLink PhotoDirector's Multiple Exposure effect, which lets you create an image with ten versions of Johnny jumping that curb on his skateboard.

Most enthusiast- and pro-level photo software can produce HDR effects and panoramas after you feed them multiple shots, and local edit brushes let you paint adjustments onto only specific areas of an image. Affinity Photo has those features, but its interface isn't the most intuitive. Zoner Photo Studio X and ON1 PhotoRAW combine Lightroom and Photoshop features at a lower price, but they don't match the level of power and ease you get in the Adobe software. Emerging HDR photo file formats like AV1 and JXL are starting to show up as well, and Adobe Lightroom and Zoner Photo Studio support editing photos with wide color spaces.

Some of the products in this group offer what's sometimes termed AI style transfer. In other words, they can apply a style (think Picasso or Japanese watercolor) to a photo. The effect became a craze with the Prisma app several years ago, and it can still impress. PaintShop Pro, PhotoDirector, and Photoshop all have this capability.

What Is the Best Professional Photo Editing Software?

At the very top end of the image editing pyramid is Photoshop, which has no real rival. Its layered editing, drawing, text tools, filters, selection capabilities, plug-in support, and color tools make it the industry standard. (Adobe removed its 3D editing tools from Photoshop because of the changing graphics hardware landscape; you can find 3D functionality in the company's Substance 3D line of applications.) The company continues to add unique, state-of-the-art features.

Photoshop (and its included companion, Adobe Camera Raw utility) is where you find Adobe's latest and greatest imaging technology, such as the previously mentioned Firefly generative AI features, as well as Neural Filters, Subject Select, Content-Aware Crop, Perspective Warp, Subject Select, and Detail Enhancement. The program has the most tools for professionals in the imaging industry, including Artboards, Design Spaces, and realistic, customizable brushes.

Pros need more than this one application, and many use workflow programs like ACDSee Photo Studio, Lightroom, AfterShot Pro, or Photo Mechanic for workflow functions like importing and organization. In addition to its workflow prowess, Lightroom has mobile photo apps so that photographers on the run can get some work done before they even get back to their PCs.

Those who need tethered shooting—controlling the camera in the software from the computer while it's attached—may want Capture One, which gives you a lot of tools for that, along with its top-notch raw file conversion.

Photoshop has the most image editing capabilities, though it doesn't always make producing those effects as simple. Otherwise, its edits aren't nondestructive like those of Lightroom and some other products are. Anyone with less intensive needs can get all the Photoshop-type features they need from competitors, such as Corel PaintShop Pro or Serif Affinity Photo.

DxO PureRAW is another tool pros may want in their kit because of its excellent lens-profile-based corrections and DeepPrime noise reduction. Topaz Photo AI is another top choice for removing camera sensor noise. Skylum Luminar, too, comes with unique AI-powered features like automatic power line removal, which can instantly improve many a landscape or cityscape. It also has unique depth-based lighting options. You can use it as either a standalone app or as a Photoshop plug-in.

Capture One, DxO PhotoLab, PaintShop Pro, and Lightroom have precise tools for local selections. For example, they let you select everything in a photo within a precise color range and refine the selection of difficult content, such as a model's hair or trees on the horizon. As you might imagine, you get all this in Adobe Photoshop, too.

How Much Does Photoshop Cost?

Some users have taken umbrage at Adobe's move to a subscription-only option for Photoshop, but at $9.99 per month, it hardly seems exorbitant for any serious image professional, and it includes a copy of Lightroom, online services like Adobe Stock, an online Portfolio site, and multiple mobile apps. It makes the app more affordable for prosumers, too, when you consider that a full copy of Photoshop's top-end version used to cost a cool $999. That said, we list several apps here that don't require subscriptions.

Other vendors have started following in Adobe's footsteps when it comes to subscriptions. These deals usually include all updates, new templates and effects, and in some cases, such as with CyberLink PhotoDirector, access to stock images from big names like Getty.

More Photo Editing Options with Plug-Ins

One more thing to consider when you're making your budget: third-party plug-ins—if you're looking at pro-level software. The excellent Nik Collection by DxO and RNI All Films 5 Professional are good examples of this enormous field. These can add more effects and adjustments than you find in the base software. They often include tools for film looks, black-and-white options, sharpening, and noise reduction. You can install several of the products here as Lightroom Classic or Photoshop plug-ins or use them as standalone programs.

How to Get Started With Photo Editing

If you're an absolute beginner in digital photography, the first step is to make sure you've got good hardware to shoot with. Otherwise, you're sunk before you start. Consider our roundups of the Best Digital Cameras and the Best Camera Phones for equipment that can fit any budget. Once you've got your hardware sorted out, make sure to educate yourself with our Quick Photography Tips for Beginners and our Beyond-Basic Photography Tips. That done, you'll be ready to shoot great pictures that you can make better with the software here.

A final note about the spec table below: It's not a case of "more check marks mean it's better." Rather, the table is designed to give you a quick overview of the products and how they square up. A product with everything checked doesn't necessarily have the best implementation of those features, and one with fewer checks still may be very capable and, in fact, the best photo editing software for you. Whether you even need the checked feature depends on your photo workflow. For example, DxO PhotoLab might not have face recognition, but it has superb noise reduction and camera- and lens-profile-based corrections.

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Great News For Chromebook Users: One Of Windows 11's Best Features Just Landed In ChromeOS

ChromeOS, Google's operating system for Chromebooks, has just gotten a big update that's brought many useful features, including some that could feel very familiar to people who use Windows 11. 

The new update, ChromeOS 128, includes lots of features and changes, including Snap Groups that resemble Windows 11's Snap Layouts, improvements to ChromeOS' Camera app with the help of a technology called OCR (optical character recognition, which allows software to detect letters and words in a photo), and Audio Gain Control to optimize your device's microphone volume automatically when you're using video-calling apps. 

Snap Groups appears to work similarly to Windows 11's Snap Layouts, allowing you to turn your ChromeOS display into a split-screen display and view both windows at once, but use them independently. 

This way of organizing the screen and the windows you have open, where individual windows can be resized or moved as part of a group of windows, is one of the most useful features in Windows 11, so it's great to see it come (in some form) to ChromeOS. Using devices such as laptops and Chromebooks with smaller screens makes organizing open windows incredibly useful, as you have limited space to work with, and features that make this organizing easier and more intuitive are always welcome. 

(Image credit: Unsplash / Brooke Cagle)

The second big ticket feature coming in ChromeOS 128 is the integration of OCR into ChromeOS's Camera app. As ZDNET describes it, it'll enable Chromebooks to get better at "seeing" and processing text from a physical piece of paper through its lens. It'll go further, apparently, allowing you to do things like search for words in an image and read documents out loud. OCR will be

The company's OCR feature, which supports 77 languages and works in both horizontal and vertical orientations, can be enabled via ChromeOS' Settings menu under "Text detection in preview."

It's encouraging to see companies like Google adopting useful features from other systems to enhance its own. While Windows 11 has faced plenty of valid criticism, it does bring some innovative ideas—like Snap Layouts—that make organizing windows easier. 

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By incorporating similar features into ChromeOS, Google is helping users work more efficiently, especially on smaller screens. This cross-platform borrowing ultimately often leads to better products for everyone, and it makes it easier for users of either ChromeOS or Windows 11 to try a different operating system that still feels somewhat familiar. 

These are not the only features you can look forward to and you can learn more in the official ChromeOS 128 Release Notes published by Google, and ZDNET also has a handy part of its particle explaining how to make sure your Chromebook device installs this new update.  

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