NordPass has made significant progress in the past six years, evolving from a basic password manager to one of the best on the market. While it still lacks some features, such as Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) storage and more advanced organization options, its core service of storing and autofilling passwords is excellent.
The free plan offered by NordPass is a major selling point, providing unlimited logins and autofill across browsers and mobile devices without requiring a credit card. This makes it an attractive option for those looking for a free password manager with cross-device sync capabilities.
One notable feature of NordPass is its use of the xChaCha20 cipher for encryption, which offers better safety margins than AES-256 and has been audited by security firm Cure53 to ensure zero-knowledge security architecture. This means that only you hold the key that unlocks your vault, providing an additional layer of operational security.
In terms of usability, NordPass is a breeze to navigate, with shortcuts for common entry types in the left menu and organization options limited to folders, which can be improved upon. The browser extension works seamlessly, autofilling fields without issues except for dropdowns, while mobile versions work similarly.
However, NordPass does have some notable limitations, particularly when it comes to TOTP code support. It doesn't store or recognize these codes, requiring users to set up a third-party app like Google Authenticator instead.
While my recommendation for a free password manager is still Proton Pass due to its cross-device sync capabilities and more advanced organization options, NordPass is a close second. Its generous free offering and excellent autofill service make it an attractive option for those looking for a reliable password manager without breaking the bank.
The free plan offered by NordPass is a major selling point, providing unlimited logins and autofill across browsers and mobile devices without requiring a credit card. This makes it an attractive option for those looking for a free password manager with cross-device sync capabilities.
One notable feature of NordPass is its use of the xChaCha20 cipher for encryption, which offers better safety margins than AES-256 and has been audited by security firm Cure53 to ensure zero-knowledge security architecture. This means that only you hold the key that unlocks your vault, providing an additional layer of operational security.
In terms of usability, NordPass is a breeze to navigate, with shortcuts for common entry types in the left menu and organization options limited to folders, which can be improved upon. The browser extension works seamlessly, autofilling fields without issues except for dropdowns, while mobile versions work similarly.
However, NordPass does have some notable limitations, particularly when it comes to TOTP code support. It doesn't store or recognize these codes, requiring users to set up a third-party app like Google Authenticator instead.
While my recommendation for a free password manager is still Proton Pass due to its cross-device sync capabilities and more advanced organization options, NordPass is a close second. Its generous free offering and excellent autofill service make it an attractive option for those looking for a reliable password manager without breaking the bank.