Password manager recommendations

Stop letting Chrome save your passwords.

Browser-built password stores are a known target. Info-stealer malware grabs every saved password in under a minute, and stolen vault syncs go through your Google or Microsoft account. Here are the four password managers we trust, and the one we run for our own clients.

Browser vault is always unlocked

There is no separate master password gating Chrome or Edge. Any malware running as your user, with your privileges, gets every saved credential.

Info-stealers cost ~$200/month

RedLine, LummaC2, Raccoon, Vidar, StealC. Sold as Malware-as-a-Service. They exfiltrate your entire browser vault in under 60 seconds, then resell sessions for $5-20.

One sync account, one phish, total loss

Browser sync rides on your Google, Microsoft, or Apple ID. Phish that one login, and every credential ever saved leaks at once.

Four password managers we trust

We do not take affiliate revenue from any of these. Each is recommended on merit for a specific audience.

Visit

Open-core, self-hostable, transparent.

Best for: Budget-conscious teams and security-curious users who want auditable code and a free tier that actually works.

Free for personal · $4/user/mo for Teams · self-host available

Pros

Open source, independently audited
Generous free tier with unlimited devices
Self-hostable for full data ownership
Strong CLI for technical workflows

Watch out

UX feels less polished than 1Password

Visit

Polished commercial choice for SMB teams.

Best for: Teams that want the smoothest user experience and the best onboarding. Most popular SMB choice in North America.

$2.99/mo personal · $7.99/user/mo Business

Pros

Best-in-class UX across desktop and mobile
Secret Key adds a second factor at the vault level
Excellent breach monitoring (Watchtower)
Strong family and team sharing

Watch out

No free tier · closed source

Visit

Hardware-backed, German-engineered, GDPR-native.

Best for: EU teams or anyone wanting passwordless, hardware-backed authentication without managing master passwords.

€2/user/mo Starter · custom Business

Pros

Passwordless: smartphone is the hardware key
Hosted in Germany, GDPR-first design
No master password to forget or phish
Strong identity-provider integrations

Watch out

Smaller ecosystem than Bitwarden / 1Password

Visit

Mainstream commercial, strong consumer features.

Best for: Consumers and small teams who want a polished, mass-market product with built-in VPN and breach scanning.

$4.99/mo Premium · $5/user/mo Business

Pros

Great password autofill and form-fill UX
Built-in dark-web monitoring
Bundled VPN for personal plans
Strong onboarding for non-technical users

Watch out

Premium pricing · closed source

Side-by-side comparison

Pick by your priorities. There is no single best answer.

Feature	Bitwarden	1Password	heylogin	Dashlane
Open source
Self-host option
Free personal tier
Hardware-backed auth (passwordless)
EU / GDPR hosting	Self-host	Optional		Optional
Breach monitoring built-in
Team / business plans
Best for	Devs / budget	SMB teams	EU teams	Consumers

For CyberITEX clients

CyberITEX Vault. Bitwarden, hardened and managed.

Our active clients get a managed self-hosted Bitwarden at vault.cyberitex.com. Same trusted Bitwarden engine, hosted on our infrastructure, with our security team managing the operational layer.

Hosted in our security-hardened infrastructure

No third-party SaaS holding your vault

Patched, monitored, and backed up daily by our team

Enterprise SSO, audit logs, and team management included

If you are not a current client and want managed Bitwarden hosting for your business, get in touch. Most rollouts complete in 30 days including team onboarding.

Open Vault Become a client

Migration in six steps

Whether you are switching off Chrome saved passwords, leaving LastPass, or moving teams from a free vault to a managed one. Total time: under 30 minutes per user.

Pick a manager

Match the recommendation above to your team size, budget, and compliance posture. When in doubt, start with Bitwarden free.

Run a malware scan

Before migrating, scan the device with Defender or Malwarebytes. Info-stealer infections will follow you across vaults.

Import from Chrome / Edge / Safari

Every recommended manager has a one-click import. Use it. Then verify the new vault has every entry.

Delete browser-saved passwords

Chrome: Settings → Autofill → Passwords → delete each. Edge: Settings → Profiles → Passwords. Safari: Preferences → Passwords. Disable browser password saving going forward.

Set a 16+ character master passphrase

Length beats complexity. Use four random words you can remember. Never reuse this passphrase anywhere else.

Enable phishing-resistant MFA on the manager

Passkey or hardware security key (YubiKey, Titan). SMS codes are a downgrade for an account that holds every other account.

Need help rolling out a password manager for your team?

We deploy and train SMB teams on Bitwarden, 1Password, heylogin, or Dashlane. 30-day rollout, audit trail, and ongoing support included. Free 15-minute consult.

Talk to our team