Dashlane Review

Dashlane is one of the world’s most popular password managers, and with good reason. There are subscription plans available for both home and business users, including a free edition for individuals and families that stores up to 50 passwords. High subscription tiers are expensive, but still good value for money, since they work with an unlimited number of devices and include many extra features, such as virtual private networking and encrypted online file storage.

Dashlane has a sleek modern interface across both its desktop and web apps, making it easy to synchronise your logins across any number of devices. The straightforward setup process only takes a few minutes from registering a new account to saving your first set of credentials. The app guides you through the steps needed to add your browser extensions and, after that, it automatically generates secure passwords whenever you open or change an online account.

Dashlane goes beyond just making passwords easier and safer to use by including multifactor authentication, which we highly recommend setting up before you do anything else. This adds an extra verification method for when you (or anyone else!) attempts to log in from an unknown device. You can do this using an authentication app or QR code, which makes Dashlane great for protection against phishing scams.

The Dashlane password generator creates random passwords up to 28 characters long, using letters, digits, and symbols. For updating login credentials for existing accounts, Dashlane has a built-in auditing feature that warns you about weak or compromised login credentials.

Emergency Access

In case you forget your master password, you can set up an emergency contact who should be able to access all passwords and notes in your Dashlane account. This allows you to regain access to your account. There is also a digital legacy feature, which allows you to choose an emergency contact who can access your data in the event of death.

Advanced Form-filling

Like many password managers, Dashlane can also automatically populate forms other than login details, such as those requesting names, addresses, and phone numbers. You can also provide payment information, such as bank account, credit card, and PayPal details to make online shopping a breeze.

Virtual Private Networking

Premium- and Familiar-tier subscribers to Dashlane will also have access to a virtual private network (VPN) that is fully integrated into the main app. The VPN creates a secure tunnel for all your web traffic to protect your anonymity and work around geo-blocked content, and it is a great extra service to have if you travel or work on the move regularly.

Encrypted Online Storage

Higher subscription tiers also offer one gigabyte of online storage, which is designed for storing notes in plain-text form, including attachments in any file format. For example, you can attach a passport scan to your secure notes, which are often required if opening new accounts with banks or online payment processors.

Dark Web Scanning

Stolen databases containing login credentials and other sensitive information routinely end up on the dark web markets or forums. Dashlane offers dark web scanning to keep you informed about any potentially compromised data pertaining to your email address, giving you a chance to remedy them quickly.

Dashlane provides highly responsive support via live chat with little or no waiting times. If you need support outside of office hours, the comprehensive FAQ section is always available and should answer most questions. Moreover, email support is available throughout the week, and response times are usually same-day.