Dashlane vs. RoboForm: Compare Password Managers

Dashlane and RoboForm are two highly rated password managers that are in heated competition for your attention, with services comparable in price, features, and compatibility. We’ve evaluated both and will help you determine the best fit for your needs.

Dashlane is feature rich and well-vetted, with many attractive security options, including dark web monitoring and a VPN at some plan levels. While RoboForm may lack some of those bells and whistles, it’s got a price point that beats Dashlane on every level.

Which password manager should you get? Let this Dashlane vs. RoboForm face-off help you decide.

Neither is a bad value proposition, and both offer similar features and services (with the exception of Dashlane, which includes a VPN in its lowest-priced plan), so it comes down to which will cost you the least. And while the price difference for a family plan may be negligible, RoboForm is still technically more affordable on that count in addition to a significantly cheaper individual plan.

Dashlane is technically available on a broader range of platforms and browsers than RoboForm, but it’s not by a wide enough margin to give it a significant edge. Both are available in the Google Play store, meaning they can be added to devices like Kindles. Dashlane works with older versions of Android and iOS, which can be useful to some.

RoboForm doesn’t have a stand-alone application for MacOS like Dashlane, but in our testing, the browser extension for Safari performed just as well, if not better. I found little reason to install anything besides the browser extension with RoboForm, which helps immensely with cross-compatibility. If you’re running a supported browser, it doesn’t care what OS you’re using.

On the other hand, I found its browser extension quite congested. Dashlane essentially packed its desktop interface into the extension. While some may find this helpful, I only used the extension to quickly add or retrieve passwords, so it felt a bit overkill.

RoboForm’s browser extension is also minimal — I wasn’t overwhelmed with options. The current app has four main sections in the left toolbar to help you manage your account: All, Logins, Safenotes, and Create Identity.

The stand-alone application, however, felt messier and harder to navigate. While there are useful additions such as “Contacts” and “Bookmarks,” the folder structure feels outdated, clunky, and potentially confusing. With the availability of the browser extension and its better UX, it’s hard to recommend the stand-alone application.

RoboForm’s automatic form-filling works consistently — the ability to preemptively create data sets gives you a greater level of control over the process. When navigating to an online form, RoboForm will ask which identity you want to use and will populate the form using that particular identity’s data set.

When push comes to shove, though, Dashlane gave me more options for input, which gave me more control over the form-filling process.

RoboForm also has several ways to keep your data secure. The first is its “master password” system, which encrypts your passwords and information directly on your device, not its servers. RoboForm cannot access your data because that password is stored directly to your device and never transmitted to the servers.

RoboForm’s security center will also alert you to potential data breaches at websites where you have accounts, as well as evaluate your current passwords for redundancy and strength. In the end, it’s not enough to compete with what Dashlane offers.

The same is true for RoboForm — I would have liked to have seen more 2FA options, but what is there works well. RoboForm offers more authenticator support which gives it a slight edge over Dashlane.

RoboForm still has a slight price advantage over Dashlane, though RoboForm’s features are a bit more limited when compared against Dashlane’s robust security features and add-ons.

Both password managers are truly great, though — Dashlane is one of the best password managers of 2023, and RoboForm is among the best free password managers. And, as with any recommendation, your mileage may vary. That’s one of the benefits of both companies offering free versions — you can try them before committing to a paid plan. While I liked that Dashlane offers a VPN service and dark web monitoring with some plans, you may not need such things and may opt for the cheaper option.

There is no bad choice to be made in this case. Both RoboForm and Dashlane are excellent options for password management.

On the surface, all password managers essentially generate and store passwords. As I evaluated providers, I dug deeper, comparing software on what matters most, including price, platform compatibility, security, and other factors.

I signed up for a plan with each provider to test:

• Plan value: Most password managers offer various subscription plans from free to around $20 per month. While free plans may be sufficient for some, those that need more functionality may prefer paid plans. We included a wide array of free, paid, and inexpensive password managers to find the one that works best for you.
• Platform compatibility: You likely access your online accounts from multiple devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, as well as through different web browsers. Your password manager should be compatible with various devices, operating systems and browsers, and sync seamlessly between them all.
• UX: This is how you interface with all the features and functions of your new password manager — if it’s bad, you’ll be less likely to use the service. While this is a highly subjective category and some will disagree, it’s important to provide an overview based on my experience.
• Form filling: A password manager doesn’t have to include form-filling, but it’s somewhat standard and the ease with which it performs that function can be the deciding factor in which password manager you ultimately choose.
• Security: Since a password manager is first and foremost a security tool, it should come with all of the most up-to-date standard security features. This includes the highest level of available encryption (256-bit AES with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512); 2FA, such as biometric logins or MFA, and a password generator.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA): Used all over the internet to protect your accounts, this is quickly becoming a standard security practice. 2FA is a great way to secure more sensitive accounts to ensure they’re not breached.

Learn more about our review methodology.