A good password manager is important for keeping your login details safe. NordPass, Proton Pass, and Dashlane are three of the most popular tools; knowing which is the best for your needs will make it much easier to pick the right one.
1Basic Features
All three password managers let you automatically save and fill in passwords. So, you should have no issues logging into your accounts. Moreover, NordPass, Dashlane, and ProtonPass each support passkeys and have a password generator. You can add secure notes within each app, too.
One big difference, however, is that you can’t attach files in ProtonPass, whereas this feature is available in Dashlane and NordPass.
If you’ve previously switched to Apple Passwords or used a password manager, you can import your passwords within all three by uploading a CSV file.
All three tools tell you how strong or weak your passwords are. Moreover, if you use NordPass, you can see which passwords have been involved in a data breach.
NordPass is the only app that doesn’t fall short with basic features, so I’m giving it a point here. The only area where I felt it fell short was that Dashlane’s password import was quicker.
Winner: NordPass
2Password Organization Tools
Of these three apps, NordPass was much easier to navigate and organize my passwords. I could easily create folders and move different login details to them, and I could even create new folders at the same time that I wanted to shift something. Moreover, it was possible to sort passwords based on the folder they were in.
The only thing I didn’t like about NordPass is that I couldn’t see an overview of my folders without scrolling down to that specific section. It would’ve been nice to have full-screen capabilities in this respect.
Dashlane also let me create folders, but it called these Collections instead. Sadly, I encountered the same problem with NordPass; I couldn’t see an overview of my folders on the big screen. The interface was also less intuitive when adding new passwords.
When using Proton Pass, I could pin my most important login details. Since I visit some websites every day, this is a very useful feature. Besides that, I could create vaults (which worked in the same way as folders and collections).
I experienced the problem of not being able to see a full-screen overview of my folders, but since I could pin my most important login details, Proton Pass has to get the win here.
Winner: Proton Pass
3Offline Capabilities
I don’t like to be connected all the time, so I always look for offline capabilities in my password manager. For example, I like editing photos and writing without Wi-Fi because I’m less likely to be distracted. Unfortunately, Proton Pass did not offer any kind of offline access. While I could use the web app, I found its plugin quite annoying to navigate.
The other two password managers better met my needs in this respect. I could access my login details for both offline; I only needed to sign into my account for each platform. While I had to be online to sync my passwords, I could access these without issues after doing that.
Since there weren’t huge differences between either, I can recommend using NordPass or Dashlane for offline password management.
Winner: NordPass
4Storage Limitations
I had over 200 passwords to import for each password manager, and since I use quite a lot of apps and services, it’s very important for me to have enough storage. NordPass provides 3GB of storage with a premium subscription, but you can store as many passwords as you want.
Dashlane, meanwhile, allowed me to store up to 25 passwords with a free plan. After upgrading, I also received unlimited storage. Regardless of whether you have a free or paid plan, you can store up to 1GB’s worth of files.
Proton Pass lets you store unlimited notes and passwords. Proton Pass has to get the point for this round because you have no limits with either.
Winner: Proton Pass
5Additional Features
While you’ll mainly choose a password manager to organize your login details, having additional features is also nice. For example, Proton Pass and NordPass have email masking but this isn’t available in Dashlane. On the other hand, Dashlane and NordPass let you store your payment information; Proton Pass does not allow this. Dashlane lets you add bank accounts and credit/debit cards, whereas NordPass only offers the latter.
You can get a VPN with NordPass, but only if you use NordVPN and purchase a Plus plan. If you cancel your NordVPN trial or subscription, you’ll lose access to the VPN and NordPass. Comparatively, Dashlane has a VPN available if you upgrade to a paid subscription. With Proton Pass, you can use the same sign-in information to access Proton VPN.
Similarly, if you get a Proton Unlimited plan, you’ll have access to both. Proton VPN has several benefits with a paid plan, so it’s worth comparing Proton Free and Premium before choosing.
All three password managers are equally strong and weak in terms of additional features, so I’m making this category a tie.
Winner: Tie
6Family Member Subscription Allowances
Proton Pass doesn’t have a family subscription. NordPass, on the other hand, lets you add up to six members to the same subscription; Dashlane allows 10.
Dashlane’s family subscription costs $89.88 per year. However, while you can access all the password manager features, you cannot use the VPN.
NordPass, on the other hand, offers a family plan for $143.76 per year. Like Dashlane, this subscription doesn’t include a VPN, so I’m giving Dashlane the point in this category.
Winner: Dashlane
7Customer Support
All three password managers offer 24/7 support. With NordPass, you can use live chat, email, or submit a Help Center request. With Proton, you can also submit a ticket and report a problem within the app—along with sending an email if you’d prefer.
Dashlane, meanwhile, has a live chat option. You can also receive status updates on X and join its official subreddit. Based on the support options available, I’m giving NordPass the win.
Winner: NordPass
8Encryption Levels
Tales of password managers like LastPass being hacked show that security must be considered an absolute fundamental when choosing your preferred option. NordPass, Proton, and Dashlane all offer varying protection levels; NordPass uses an XChaCha20 encryption algorithm. It’s slightly less complex than AES-256, but it is also faster. Other companies, such as Cloudflare, use this algorithm.
Proton and Dashlane both have AES-256-bit encryption. This is still pretty good, but not as good as NordPass.
Winner: NordPass
9NordPass vs. Proton Pass vs. Dashlane: Which Is the Best?
NordPass received the most overall points; in my opinion, it’s the best password manager of the three. I would rank Proton Pass in second, but NordPass is more balanced. Its interface is easy to navigate, and I also prefer NordPass’s customer support options and encryption algorithm.
NordPass would be especially powerful with a NordVPN Plus subscription, which gives you solid all-around protection. The free version of NordPass is also excellent, though I think Proton Pass gives it a run for its money in this respect.
