Is it a Safe Password Manager?

From the creators of the favored NordVPN, NordPass has massive footwear to fill as Nord Safety’s password supervisor answer. Thankfully, NordPass greater than exceeds these expectations with its zero-knowledge password vault, sturdy encryption, and user-friendly interface.

Whereas its free model is a bit restricted, NordPass’ premium providing is without doubt one of the greatest password managers to check out this 12 months.

Is NordPass free?

Sure, NordPass has a free model. It provides limitless password storage, a password generator, and autosave and autofill capabilities. Personally, I commend NordPass for taking this method as different password managers restrict the variety of passwords you possibly can retailer with their free variations. For instance, Dashlane solely permits a most of 25 saved passwords for its free plan.

SEE: NordPass Free vs Premium: Is it Well worth the Improve? (TechRepublic)

To be clear, you lose key performance with the free model. The primary distinction is that it helps just one gadget login. This implies if you happen to’re logged in in your laptop, you gained’t be capable of use NordPass’ free model in your telephone — which I perceive is usually a dealbreaker for some. If you happen to fall into this camp, I recommend testing Bitwarden as its free plan helps each limitless gadgets and limitless password storage.

The free model additionally doesn’t include NordPass Premium options equivalent to an information leak scanner, a password well being software, and the power to connect information to vault objects.

Whereas the free model is an efficient approach to check out the password supervisor, Nord provides a 30-day Premium trial of NordPass that doesn’t require bank card or fee info. Even with NordPass’ free model, I recommend going for this free trial first so you possibly can attempt the complete NordPass function with none of the free model’s limitations.

NordPass pricing

NordPass splits its subscriptions into two tiers: Private & Household and Enterprise. Whereas most password managers supply a single set value per plan, I like how NordPass offers customers the power to choose into both a one- or two-year plan for every tier. Having an extended subscription is useful because it supplies extra financial savings to those that don’t thoughts a longer-term contract.

SEE: 5 Finest Password Managers for Android in 2024 (TechRepublic)

NordPass’ Private subscriptions present inexpensive costs. Whereas Bitwarden’s beginning Premium subscription at lower than $1 continues to be extra inexpensive, NordPass’ comparable Premium plan at $1.89 continues to be on the decrease finish of costs amongst the competitors.

For instance, each LastPass and Dashlane’s beginning plans are pegged at $3 and $4.99 per 30 days, respectively. You additionally get the choice of NordPass’ two-year plan for a good lower cost.

NordPass Household supplies even stronger worth. At $2.79 per 30 days for six customers, it covers extra relations at a decrease value than 1Password’s Households plan at $4.99 for 5 customers and Keeper’s Household subscription at $6.25 per 30 days for 5 customers. If you happen to’re particularly enthusiastic about a password supervisor for your loved ones, I really feel NordPass Household subscription provides actually good worth.

For its Enterprise tier, NordPass provides Groups, Enterprise, and Enterprise plans. Among the many three, its Marketing strategy is the most effective decide. At $3.99 per person per 30 days, getting a plan for 20 customers solely prices round $80. Dashlane’s comparable Enterprise subscription prices twice as a lot at $8 per seat, totaling $160 for a similar 20 customers.

NordPass’ Groups subscription is extra on par with the competitors. At $1.99 per person per 30 days, it prices round $20 for 10 customers — about the identical as Dashlane and 1Password. Once more, you possibly can select their two-year subscription, which helps convey the month-to-month price all the way down to $18 for 10 customers.

NordPass’ Enterprise annual plan is available in at $5.99 per person per 30 days and permits for limitless customers.

SEE: 5 Finest Free Password Managers for 2024 (TechRepublic)

Provided that different password managers normally supply curated pricing after asking for a citation, I can’t supply a good apples-to-apples comparability on this finish. Nevertheless, I do respect NordPass offering set costs for its Enterprise plan, as this removes that further step of contacting its staff for pricing.

NordPass additionally provides a 30-day money-back assure that permits you to refund your preliminary fee if you happen to really feel it doesn’t suit your wants.

Is NordPass protected?

Sure, NordPass is protected. NordPass makes use of XChaCha20 encryption — a more moderen algorithm that ensures person knowledge is unreadable to 3rd events. NordPass says it selected XChaCha20 over the gold normal AES-256 encryption because it considers XChaCha20 a extra future-proof possibility on condition that AES-256 has proven indicators of doubtless turning into crackable.

I commend NordPass for being proactive in providing customers a distinct encryption possibility within the password administration area, particularly since most different password managers at the moment use AES-256.

NordPass additionally operates on a zero-knowledge structure. Which means solely the end-user has entry to their knowledge, and never even NordPass has any approach to entry it.

So far, NordPass has not been concerned in any kind of knowledge breach or hacking — which for me is an enormous win contemplating different password managers haven’t been so fortunate. Each NordPass and NordPass Enterprise have additionally been independently audited by Cure53, which exhibits the corporate’s dedication to full transparency with its prospects.

NordPass Enterprise can also be SOC 2 Kind 2-compliant, which certifies that the service comprises the right safety controls wanted to guard person knowledge and privateness.

All in all, I’m happy with NordPass’ safety measures and might confidently say it’s a protected password supervisor to make use of in 2024.

Key options of NordPass

Outdoors of the same old password supervisor options, equivalent to a password generator and an encrypted vault, NordPass features a few options that set it other than different companies.

Knowledge Breach Scanner

NordPass comes with a Knowledge Breach Scanner that checks whether or not any person e mail addresses have been compromised or leaked. This is a crucial password supervisor function that I’m glad to see NordPass included, particularly with how frequent knowledge breaches have been in recent times.

Outdoors of breach scanning, I like how one can set NordPass’ scanner to proactively monitor chosen e mail addresses in real-time. It is a handy set-and-forget function that lets customers do their work whereas having the peace of thoughts that their emails are constantly monitored for any leaks.

Exercise Log

For NordPass Enterprise customers, they’ve entry to a really helpful Exercise Log menu from their admin panel. This provides a rundown of all exercise inside a corporation or a enterprise’ NordPass database, giving supervisors a approach to monitor any suspicious exercise from sure accounts.

I can envision this being excellent for IT managers who need a simple approach to test questionable logins, password sharing, or different exercise that would compromise firm assets.

Password insurance policies

One other sensible safety function of NordPass Enterprise is the power to set password insurance policies inside your group. This allows supervisors to set guidelines on password size, complexity, and different password requirements.

Supervisors can require customers to have each uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, particular characters, or a mixture of these three for all passwords created throughout the firm.

I see password insurance policies as a necessary software for organizations that need every credential or password used of their firm to have good password hygiene. It additionally helps take away human error as managers gained’t need to remind staff about password greatest practices since a given coverage could be set from the beginning.

NordPass authentication and safety choices

NordPass provides an inexpensive variety of multifactor authentication choices. Proper now, you possibly can select between utilizing authenticator apps, safety keys, and backup codes as second elements. NordPass can also be suitable with standard authenticator apps equivalent to Google Authenticator, Authy, and Microsoft Authenticator. With this, I believe NordPass supplies a lot of the MFA choices a mean person will ever want.

By way of safety features, I actually like NordPass’ Autolock toggle that robotically locks the app after a interval of inactivity. This will show helpful in cases the place you by chance go away your laptop unattended, ensuring your password vault isn’t in peril of being accessed by malicious actors. You may also set NordPass to robotically clear objects in your clipboard after a given period of time.

For password era, NordPass defaults to making a 20-character password with a most of 60 characters and allows you to generate passphrases as effectively, which have not too long ago been acknowledged as safer than one-word passwords. Try our deep dive on passphrases to study extra.

There’s additionally help for biometric login and a restoration code system that permits you to regain account entry if you happen to overlook your grasp password.

NordPass interface and efficiency

NordPass comes with an intuitive desktop interface with a contemporary design. Throughout my testing, I discovered that every thing was the place I anticipated it to be, with not one of the options being intrusive or exhausting to search out or check out.

I particularly like how NordPass neatly organizes person objects, folders, and instruments in its aspect panel.

NordPass carried out effectively when it comes to password seize and replay. I encountered zero points with saving passwords to my vault, and NordPass was in a position to reliably replay them with my accounts.

Its autofill performance additionally works effectively, and it had no bother recognizing web sites and filling within the corresponding login.

NordPass cell app

I’m completely satisfied to report that NordPass’ cell app mirrors its intuitive and well-designed desktop interface. It implements the identical categorization we see on the complete app and performs simply as effectively when it comes to password storage.

I’ve one level for enchancment for NordPass’ cell app. For context, I used NordPass on my Google Pixel 6 Android smartphone for this overview. I had set the app to unlock with my telephone’s fingerprint sensor as a substitute of the grasp password for simpler entry. Weirdly sufficient, even after I closed the app, NordPass would let me into my vault with out asking for my fingerprint.

It seems, it’s important to manually lock the NordPass vault to have that grasp password-fingerprint login seem once more. You may set the app to robotically lock on app shut, however I’d have most popular if this was turned on out of the field. If you happen to don’t set the app to robotically lock, it might be some extent of weak point that unhealthy actors can exploit.

NordPass execs

• Reasonably priced particular person and enterprise plans.
• Simple-to-use and well-designed interface.
• Fashionable XChaCha20 encryption.
• Independently audited.
• Password insurance policies for organizations.

NordPass cons

• Free model is locked to 1 gadget.
• Cell app doesn’t lock by default.

NordPass alternate options

If you happen to discover NorPass doesn’t suit your wants after the overview, I’ve listed three various password managers that it is best to contemplate.

Bitwarden

In order for you a free password supervisor with limitless gadget help, contemplate Bitwarden. Its beneficiant free model and zero-knowledge encryption strike a very good steadiness between worth and safety. Bitwarden can also be open supply, making it a chief possibility for customers who worth transparency.

We rated Bitwarden 4.3 out of 5 stars in our full overview. To study extra, learn right here.

Dashlane

For customers who desire a feature-packed password supervisor, Dashlane ought to be on their checklist. Outdoors of password encryption and a password generator, it comes with a darkish internet monitor, a password historical past log, and a password well being dashboard. It even comes with an included VPN service — one thing you gained’t discover in most different password managers available on the market.

We rated Dashlane 4.6 stars out of 5 in our full overview. To study extra, learn right here.

Keeper

Keeper is one other high quality decide that gives an intuitive utility and high-end safety. If you happen to’re a pupil, navy, or medical personnel, Keeper is a good possibility because it provides intensive reductions for these teams. It additionally has user-friendly free trials for its subscriptions that don’t require bank card info to entry.

We rated Keeper 4.4 out of 5 stars in our full overview. To study extra, learn right here.

Is NordPass value it?

With its inexpensive pricing, stable vault encryption, and intuitive utility, I strongly really feel NordPass is without doubt one of the greatest password managers out there right this moment.

I discover NordPass to be greatest for customers in search of an all-around password supervisor, regardless in the event that they’re particular person customers, small companies, or massive organizations.

SEE: How you can Run a Cybersecurity Danger Evaluation in 5 Steps (TechRepublic Premium)

Particular person customers will respect NordPass’ accessible subscriptions that permit for each one- and two-year contracts. In the meantime, companies and organizations will profit from NordPass Enterprise options equivalent to Exercise Log, Password Insurance policies, and Shared Folders.

Whereas its free model is restricted, I discover the general bundle you get with NordPass to be definitely worth the spend. Finally, I discovered that NordPass merely doesn’t have many obvious points for me to not advocate it to most customers.

Overview methodology

My overview of NordPass concerned an in depth evaluation of its safety features, value, and real-world efficiency. I had hands-on expertise with a NordPass Premium Enterprise trial.

To check NordPass, I used its internet and desktop purposes on my Home windows laptop computer and its cell app on my Google Pixel 6.

I rated NordPass on every thing from its password administration options to its pricing based mostly on an inner algorithm to get a ranking of 4.6 out of 5 stars. The scoring was based mostly each on NordPass by itself and in relation to different password managers out there.