What can Dashlane offer to its users?
Dashlane Review: Quick Expert Summary
In 2021, Dashlane is my preferred password manager. It secures user data with unbreakable end-to-end encryption, has a broad range of high-security features, offers more helpful extras than virtually any other competition, and gives more added value than similarly priced competitors.
During my tests, all of Dashlane’s regular password management functions functioned flawlessly – it was super simple to import, generate, save, and share passwords, auto-fill logins and forms, set up two-factor authentication (2FA), and verify that my passwords were secure enough. And all of Dashlane’s extra features functioned as expected – these are the extra things I enjoy the most:
• VPN (virtual private network) – allows for unrestricted secure online browsing and is faster than many standalone VPNs (Dashlane is the only password manager that provides a bundled VPN).
• Automatic password changer – with just one click, change passwords for 300+ supported sites.
• Live dark web monitoring — monitors the dark web in real time and sends out immediate alerts if an email address is revealed.
Dashlane’s Premium plan is, in my opinion, the greatest password manager on the market because it is completely safe, simple to use, and inexpensive. Dashlane’s Family subscription (which is the same as Premium but includes up to 6 users and a family management dashboard) is likewise one of the best family password managers available, although Dashlane Free isn’t nearly as good. There are other options if you want a good free password manager.
Dashlane encrypts all data in a user’s password vault with 256-bit AES encryption. This sort of encryption has never been cracked, and it’s used by banks and militaries all over the world. The NSA (National Security Agency of the United States) has even certified it.
Dashlane encrypts all of your data locally, which means your passwords and other sensitive information are never kept on Dashlane’s servers. This is beneficial since your data will not be compromised if Dashlane is hacked (but Dashlane has never been involved in a breach).
A zero-knowledge protocol is also available in Dashlane. This means you’re the only one with access to your Dashlane vault. Not even Dashlane’s employees have access to your information. This also implies that if you forget your master password, Dashlane won’t be able to help you regain your account.
However, Dashlane does offer one account recovery option: you may reset your master password without losing any data if you enable biometric logins on your Android or iOS device. LastPass and other top competitors offer a variety of account recovery methods, such as biometric logins, SMS recovery, and a one-time recovery password. Most password managers, including Sticky Password, Bitwarden, and Enpass, don’t allow account recovery, so Dashlane’s ability to restore access to your vault if you forget your master password is a welcome feature.
Dashlane also provides a few extra security features, such as:
• Authentication using two factors (2FA).
• Auditing the security of passwords.
• Password sharing that is safe.
• A VPN is a virtual private network (VPN).
• Monitoring the dark web in real time.
• Access in the event of an emergency.
Most premium competitors, such as LastPass, 1Password, and Keeper, include two-factor authentication, password security auditing, and safe password sharing, but Dashlane is one of the few password managers that also provides real-time dark web surveillance and emergency access. Dashlane is also the only password manager with a VPN that is as simple to use, safe, and fast as some standalone VPNs.
Overall, Dashlane includes all of the features you’ll need to keep your passwords safe, plus a few extras that make it my top password manager for 2021.
Password Vault
Dashlane is in the process of becoming a completely web-based password manager. While a desktop software for Windows and Mac is still available, it will no longer be updated after the change is complete. You can continue to use the desktop app indefinitely, but it will no longer be updated. For the time being, customers must utilize both the online and desktop apps to get all of the features.
While this may appear to be a bit difficult, the good news is that Dashlane’s online interface is nearly identical to its desktop counterpart. Passwords, secure notes (such legal papers, Wi-Fi passwords, or software licenses), personal information (like addresses and phone numbers), and payment information (credit/debit cards and bank accounts) can all be stored in the web and desktop apps.
However, IDs (such as driver’s licenses, passports, and social security cards) are only available in the desktop app at the moment. This feature, however, should be provided to the web vault as well. The desktop program also features a section for saving digital copies of receipts, but there’s no word on whether this feature will be available on the web app, according to Dashlane’s website.
Despite the fact that all of Dashlane’s entries are rather thorough (for example, users can specify the color of their credit/debit cards), I’d like to see Dashlane offer custom fields to each entry. LastPass and Bitwarden both allow users to generate fully customized entries, with Bitwarden allowing users to add as many custom fields as they want to each entry.
The password changer tool in Dashlane’s password vault is one of my favorites: it logs into compatible sites and changes your password for those sites with a single click. Over 300 websites, including Reddit, Vimeo, IMDB, FlightAware, easyJet, and Discogs, use Dashlane’s password changer.
Plus, Dashlane’s password manager is the only password manager that can reset passwords for many sites at once. LastPass provides an instant password changer, but you can only change passwords one at a time, and it only works on about 70 sites. And while Norton’s internet security suite includes a password manager with a password changer,
Dashlane’s is still superior.
While not all of the most prominent websites currently offer Dashlane’s password changer, it’s still a helpful function that will only improve as Dashlane adds more sites. The password changer is now only available in the desktop software, but it will be brought to the online app in the near future.
Dashlane’s password vault is user-friendly and well-organized, allowing users to keep everything from passwords to ID cards and encrypted notes. I’d like to see Dashlane add customization choices to its entries, as well as the ability to create different folders for password organization.
Monitoring of the Dark Web
Dark web monitoring searches the dark web for your email address and other personal information, notifying you if any of your information has been compromised in a data breach.
The following features are included in Dashlane’s dark web monitoring:
• Surveillance is available 24/7
• Up to 5 email addresses can be monitored.
• Notifications of data breaches in real time.
Sticky Password, Bitwarden, Enpass, RememBear, and RoboForm are just a few of the password managers that don’t even offer dark web surveillance. Most dark web scanning competitors, such as 1Password and Password Boss, use Have I Been Pwnedfree?’s database.
Dashlane has the finest dark web monitoring of any password manager – unlike most competitors, Dashlane offers real-time dark web scanning, warning users of a compromised email address as soon as it occurs. It’s also simple to use, covers up to five email addresses, and allows you to quickly fix any compromised accounts.
Emergency Access
In the event of an emergency, you can designate a trusted contact who will have access to any or all of your passwords and safe notes. Simply input the email address of the person you want to be your emergency contact, and if they accept, they will have access to your emergency items after the waiting period expires or you confirm their request.
You have the option of setting the waiting period anywhere between instantly and 60 days (and you can even prevent the emergency contact from accessing your emergency items until you respond to their request). You’ll be notified if your emergency contact wants access to your vault, and you can choose whether or not to grant them access.
It’s vital to remember that Dashlane won’t provide your emergency contact access to your payment information, personal information, or identification. Both Password Boss and LastPass provide emergency access options that grant access to the full vault to the emergency contact.
LastPass allows you to share all of the items in your vault, including your banking information, which I prefer, while Dashlane allows you to choose which items you don’t want to share. Having said that, i’d still like to see Dashlane allow users to exchange other files with their emergency contacts.
I enjoy Dashlane’s emergency access feature in general, but I think it could be better. Dashlane, on the other hand, is one of the few password managers that includes emergency access, and setting it up and using it is a breeze.
Plans and Pricing of Dashlane
Dashlane offers four different programs, including:
• Dashlane Free
• Dashlane Essentials
• Dashlane Premium
• Dashlane Family
All three of Dashlane’s paid plans are available as monthly or yearly subscriptions, and they all come with a risk-free money-back guarantee for 30 days. Dashlane also has two business plans that can accommodate the needs of both small and big businesses (Dashlane ranked #1 as the best business password manager in 2021), and both of the business plans offer a free trial.
Dashlane Free
While Dashlane’s free plan has a lot of features, the majority of customers have more than 50 passwords. Furthermore, Dashlane Free can only be used on one device. Both LastPass and Bitwarden provide better free options. LastPass Free allows you to save an unlimited number of passwords on either your mobile or desktop device, but not both.
However, both LastPass and Bitwarden’s free plans have various restrictions, so I recommend investing in a premium password manager that gives you full access to all features. Dashlane Free comes with a 30-day free trial of Dashlane Premium, so you can determine if it’s the best fit for you.
Dashlane Essentials
Dashlane Essentials is a solid entry-level package with a lot of features, such as unrestricted password sharing and an automatic password changing. It’s also less expensive than most competitors who provide a comparable collection of tools. Dashlane Essentials, on the other hand, should be able to be used on an unlimited number of devices.
Dashlane Premium
Dashlane Premium has more features than any other password manager on the market. LastPass and 1Password, Dashlane’s main competitors, are both slightly less expensive. They’re both excellent password managers, but Dashlane has the upper hand thanks to its VPN and live dark web monitoring.
Some of the features Dashlane offers may already be available to you. Dark web surveillance and a VPN are included in some of the finest antivirus products, such as Norton 360. Don’t let this deter you, though. Even if you don’t require all of the functions, Dashlane is still well worth the money.
Dashlane Family
1Passwords’ family plan, in my opinion, is somewhat better because it allows you to add an infinite number of users for a modest price and offers shared vaults for easier password sharing among family members. If you want all of Dashlane’s other capabilities, such as a VPN, dark web monitoring, and one-click password changer, Dashlane Family is a better option.
Ease of Use and Setup of Dashlane
Dashlane is extremely simple to use, however its transition to a web-only program has caused some confusion. When you click Get Dashlane on Dashlane’s website, you’ll be brought to your browser’s online store and prompted to install Dashlane’s web extension. However, you won’t be able to use all of Dashlane’s features if you only install the browser extension and use the web app, so you’ll need to download the desktop program.
However, unless you already know the features Dashlane provides — and that some of them aren’t available on the web app — you won’t realize you should to get the desktop app. Dashlane does not tell you that you should download the desktop software, and the desktop app is no longer available from the official website. To get the desktop app download link, go to My Account in the web app’s bottom left corner, click More features in the sidebar, and then click Download.
Dashlane has a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari, as well as Chromium-based browsers such as Brave and Opera. View all of your saved things, generate new passwords, save new passwords, and auto-fill logins and forms using this plugin. In all of my tests, Dashlane’s auto-save, auto-fill, and auto-log functions performed admirably.
Dashlane is a pretty well-designed password manager, and it’s one of the most intuitive I’ve ever used. Because Dashlane is shifting to a fully web-based software, things can be a little perplexing at first, but once you figure out where everything is, Dashlane is incredibly easy to use. Plus, once the change is complete, I expect Dashlane to be even easier to use.
Dashlane Mobile Application
Dashlane asks you if you want to use biometric logins to access your password vault and whether you want to use your biometrics as an account recovery option if you forget your master password as soon as you download the app. Dashlane then walks you through how to use the mobile app, and after you’re done, you can access your password vault as well as all of the other features.
Dashlane’s mobile app is extremely user-friendly, much more so than the web or desktop versions. Using my Samsung Galaxy and iPhone X, I found it incredibly easy to locate and use all of the functions, and the auto-fill functionality worked flawlessly every time. I couldn’t discover a single problem in Dashlane’s mobile app.
Dashlane Customer Support
Customers can get help from Dashlane in the following ways:
• In English, Spanish, French, and German, there is a comprehensive knowledge base.
• Email assistance is available in English, French, and German.
• Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. US, live chat support is available (in English, French, and German) (Eastern).
• Support is available via Twitter (@DashlaneSupport).
• Reddit’s official support.
This is a fantastic set of assistance options. Along with Keeper, NordPass, and RoboForm, Dashlane is one of the few password managers that includes live chat help. Dashlane’s support team left a lasting impression on me. I received pleasant and well-informed counsel via the live chat option in less than a minute.
Dashlane’s customer service is generally good. There are numerous help channels accessible, and while email assistance may take a little longer to respond to, Dashlane also has a good live chat option, an extensive knowledge base, and even an official Reddit page. All of this makes it an excellent choice if you’ve never used a password manager before.
Bottomline
Dashlane is the best password manager on the market right now. Dashlane is outstanding in every way: it excels at basic password management, has a very user-friendly interface, includes more advanced extra security tools than most competitors, and has quick customer service. Dashlane may be pricier than other competitors, but with great features like live dark web surveillance, VPN, and automatic password changer, it outperforms all of the other password managers I’ve tried, plus it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
