Password managers are becoming increasingly popular for personal and business use. The best password managers for business include specific features that make it easier to secure files and company credentials, share and collaborate on encrypted data, and protect sensitive information.
Although many password managers provide an all-round service helping users to store information and securely manage credentials for an ever-increasing number of web platforms, some are better for businesses than others. Business users need specific features, like one-time sign-on, that a personal user doesn’t necessarily need or even want.
In this article, we’ll talk you through the pros and cons of the best password managers for business, so you can decide which password management platform will suit your company best. The options listed vary significantly in terms of pricing but in general, the more you are willing to pay per user, the greater breadth of features you can enjoy.
The top 3 best password managers for business
LastPass: a versatile manager with great options
Available for a wide range of operating systems, LastPass is a versatile password manager. Its solid interface and range of two-factor authentication (2FA) options are strong features, while even the free version supports unlimited passwords and offers a built-in strong password generator.
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Dashlane: top password manager with outstanding features
Dashlane is a cross-platform password manager with neat desktop applications, and comes with the ability to change website passwords in bulk. Available in free, premium, and premium plus plan options, paid features include an unlimited VPN service, dark web monitoring, identity theft insurance, and credit monitoring.
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LastPass is one of the best-known password managers out there. It has a series of options for businesses, ranging from an advanced multi-factor authentication (MFA) plan all the way up to the provider’s Identity plan, which includes all the benefits of MFA with enterprise-level features.
Most SMEs will probably opt for the Teams plan, which the company recommends for teams with up to 50 employees. The Teams plan includes password-sharing facilities, easy one-click management features to add or remove users, password storage, file sharing, and remote access too. On top of this, each member of your team can take advantage of a personal vault to store unrelated credentials.
However, if you want to access a single sign-on, you need to opt for the Enterprise plan. The single sign-on option is available for over 1,200 apps, including Asana and Dropbox, which is particularly impressive when compared to the number of apps available in other password management single sign-on options. To find out more, read our LastPass review.
Zoho is fast becoming a well-established name in the Software as a Service (SaaS) field, with multiple diverse branches to the organization. The company’s password manager offering, Zoho Vault, is a little different than most, as it is targeted at business users instead of focusing on personal plans as many rival products do.
Don’t be too put off by the absence of a desktop app. Although the absence is unusual, the platform’s other features more than make up for it. Like LastPass, Zoho offers multiple business plans, including Teams and Enterprises. Again, the Teams plan is probably the most relevant.
It includes simple access controls, password and document sharing, remote access, and unlimited storage for passwords and documents so that all of your organization’s critical or sensitive data can be secured in one place.
The Enterprise plan includes superior features, such as periodic, encrypted backups, help desk integrations, and single sign-on over multiple applications—not close to the number provided by LastPass, but there’s the option to add your own apps using the platform’s REST API (application programming interface).
Zoho Vault may not be the most well-known password management platform, but businesses already using Zoho products may be particularly interested in integrating the service. Our full Zoho Vault review gives an overview of the service and what we thought of it in more detail.
Dashlane is renowned as one of the best password managers available, with popular free and paid-for personal plans. The provider’s business offerings include a Team and Business option. The latter is aimed at enterprise-level clients, and, unlike the Team plan, includes single sign-on options.
Regular business-level options include advanced reporting, so you can track who in your organization could threaten the security of your network; password sharing; Smart Space technology to separate business-specific and personal credentials; and an Admin Console for secure oversight.
The ability to access reporting in real time will also be a draw to users who want to make the most of the software and utilize more advanced features, as this feature makes it possible to see exactly how the technology is being used.
The security of the platform also deserves a mention. Although all password managers provide advanced password encryption, Dashlane is also advertised as using security architecture that has never been breached by hackers. When it comes to password management, security is the number-one priority, so these credentials are particularly noteworthy. Read our Dashlane review to learn more about the service.
1Password offers a Teams plan, but business users are better off opting for the provider’s Business plan as the features provided are far more advanced. The platform boasts an easy onboarding procedure, which is important, especially if you have a large team and don’t want to waste precious time and resources teaching your staff how best to utilize the software.
There are also a series of advanced reporting functions, including domain breach reports and custom analytics, so you can track how well the feature has been adopted in your company. On top of this, the Business plan includes advanced security protocols to strengthen your existing cybersecurity defenses, single sign-on options, multi-factor authentication, and security alerts.
1Password’s extra security features are particularly impressive, and so too are the service’s support capabilities. Instead of navigating help sites, 1Password’s business users benefit from a dedicated global support team on hand to offer one-on-one help at any time.
In terms of shared folders, 1Password’s approach is particularly interesting. Users can be grouped by permissions, where access is granted to particular vaults depending on requirements. This provides an easy way to manage who has access to the right credentials and provides context as to why they need this access. Our 1Password review provides more detail on the manager and what we thought.
Keeper is an affordable password manager for businesses, with business plans costing just $3.33 per user a month. To put that in context, both Dashlane and 1Password have comparable plans at around $8 a month.
That said, if you want some of the options that you’ll find with other business plans, such as single sign-on and more sophisticated multi-factor authentication, you’ll need to opt for an Enterprise plan, which requires a bespoke pricing structure.
However, Keeper’s standard Business plan does offer a lot. You’ll find personal encrypted vaults for each user, shared folders for passwords and other sensitive documents and files, reporting mechanisms, basic multi-factor authentication, and security audit technology too.
The software also includes a password generator tool, a useful addition, especially for users who are unaware of the need for strong passwords. If you want to add any additional extras, such as secure messaging or advanced reporting, you’ll need to pay more.
You might not miss these extra features if you don’t want to spend a little extra, but some, such as Dark Web monitoring for individual employee vaults to prevent breached credential use, are very useful. Still, the existing features of the Business plan should be sufficient for most users. Read our Keeper password manager review to find out more.
If your organization consists of just two employees, then you can use Bitwarden’s business service for free and take advantage of all the core features. However, most organizations have a few more members of staff to consider.
The paid-for business plans are very reasonably priced, at just $3 per user a month for the Teams Organization plan and $5 per user a month for the Enterprise Organization plan. With such a small margin, it’s worth investing in the higher-priced plan.
The Enterprise Organization plan includes single sign-on options, device syncing, four multi-factor authentication methods, encrypted file attachments, unlimited storage, and unlimited users. As you might expect from an open-source platform, there are some particularly interesting extras targeted at more advanced users.
These include the option for self-hosting, API access, and the option to use Bitwarden’s other open-source apps, such as the platform’s secure information transmission product, Bitwarden Send. Our Bitwarden review provides further detail on the password manager’s features and security.
