LastPass offers a robust, free password manager with competitively-priced plans for premium users, families, and businesses. But beware the drawbacks.
By: Gunnar KallstromHead of information systems and cybersecurity research
Updated September 22, 2023
LastPass: A Quick Overview
Bottom line: LastPass’ user interface (UI) and competitive pricing scheme are its leading features, though there is reason to pause. Customer service is primarily self-serve exploration of FAQs, and LastPass has been the target of several data breaches over the years.
Who should choose LastPass? Both personal and professional users can have their password security needs met by LastPass.
LastPass’s Editor Rating
Overall: (4.4)
After testing the features, I’ve awarded it 4.4/5 stars. Its price-to-feature ratio and innovative UI may coax you to still give LastPass a chance. But its rating was dragged down by hard-to-access user support and a history of data breaches.
There are plenty of options when looking for the best password manager for your personal and business needs. LastPass is used by millions of people worldwide, but that doesn’t mean it best suits your needs.
Read on to learn about the pros, cons, features, and pricing of LastPass, as well as get answers to frequently asked questions.
LastPass standout features
Support
Live chat
Phone
Email
Social media
Community forum
Help center
Best for
Individuals and families, with scalable options for small and large businesses
Promotion
30-day free trial for premium and family plans, with 10% if you complete in-extension “achievements”
14-day free trial for business plans
What Are the Pros and Cons of LastPass?
LastPass makes its mark on the password management industry with its ease of use, variety of affordable plans, and innovative reward system.
It competes with other providers for individual users, but it’s also rich with features that will be attractive to businesses up to enterprise level. There are some drawbacks, though. Here are the details of its pros and cons:
Pros
Plan variety: LastPass has a variety of plans catering to individuals, families, and businesses, with one of the best free versions available.
Free 14 to 30-day trial for all plans: No matter which plan you’re interested in, you have 14 days to test all of LastPass’s features, with 30-day trials for premium and family plans.
Easy UI that rewards exploring its features: LastPass awards new users a 10% discount for exploring everything it offers.
Cons
The company has experienced data breaches: There have been many reported data breaches, the last in November of 2022. While passwords remain secure, the company has been tight-lipped about what user information may have leaked.
Support is lacking: While LastPass claims to have higher levels of support for paying users, my testing of the premium version left me wondering where, exactly, was that customer support.
Who Should Choose LastPass?
Step1.Individuals: There’s no better deal than free. If you only have a single primary device, LastPass is a great option. Multi-device premium plans start at only $3 per month.
Step2.Families: The family plan is great for up to six family members with cross-platform support.
Step3.Businesses, from start-ups to enterprise level: The price and features are perfect for small businesses needing an effective, affordable group security choice, but these options can also scale up to include businesses employing thousands.
LastPass Plans and Pricing
Overall: (4.5)
LastPass offers free, premium, family, team, and business plans that can scale up to enterprise level. Per month, the personal premium plan starts at $3, and the family plan is $4, both with a yearly subscription.
Team plans work for up to 50 members at $4 per user per month with a yearly subscription, and business plans start at $6 per user monthly. LastPass easily ranks among one of the better cheap password managers on the market.
LastPass free
LastPass premium
Family plan
Team plan
Business plan
Price
$0
$3 per month, billed annually
$4 per month for up to 6 users, billed annually
$4 per user per month, billed annually
$7 per user per month, billed annually
Best for
Single device users
Single user across multiple devices
Families of 2+
Small businesses of 50 users or less
Enterprise level businesses
Free trial
N/A
30-day
30-day
14-day
14-day
Platform compatibility
ChromeOS, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge, iOS, Android, Windows PC, MacOS, Linux
ChromeOS, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge, iOS, Android, Windows PC, MacOS, Linux
ChromeOS, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge, iOS, Android, Windows PC, MacOS, Linux
ChromeOS, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge, iOS, Android, Windows PC, MacOS, Linux
ChromeOS, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge, iOS, Android, Windows PC, MacOS, Linux
Autofill capability
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Guest accounts
No
No
No
No
No
Number of passwords
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Available Storage
None
1 GB
1 GB
1 GB per user
1 GB per user
Password sharing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
2FA
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Account recovery
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Support types
Online FAQ
Community support
Online Support Ticket Manager
Online FAQ
Community support
Email support
Online Support Ticket Manager
Online FAQ
Community support
Email support
Online Support Ticket Manager
Online FAQ
Community support
Email support
Online Support Ticket Manager
Online FAQ
Community support
Email support
Online Support Ticket Manager
Encryption
AES 256-bit
AES 256-bit
AES 256-bit
AES 256-bit
AES 256-bit
Reporting capabilities
No
No
No
Yes; customization also available
Yes; customization also available
Single sign-on (SSO)
No
No
No
No
Yes
LastPass Platform Compatibility
Overall: (5.0)
The latest version of LastPass is compatible with:
Step1.iOS
Step2.Android
Step3.Windows PC
Step4.MacOS
Step5.Linux
Step6.ChromeOS
Step7.Browsers (Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge)
While LastPass is available on most platforms you’d expect, it was oddly difficult to discern platform compatibility. Its website gives only basic information. There was no actual list of compatible platforms or browsers — just a lineup of pictures and icons to infer compatibility.
While I like keeping things simple, it doesn’t build confidence for it to be the only page, with no way of learning more about the service’s features and credentials before you trust them with your most sensitive information.
LastPass UX
Overall: (5.0)
LastPass’ browser extension is simple, understandable, and generally easy to navigate, with an interesting mechanic that rewards you for exploring its features.
The LastPass extension has five main sections in the left toolbar to help manage your saved information: Passwords, Notes, Addresses, Payment Cards, and Bank Accounts.
“Passwords” manages your saved accounts
“Addresses” populates data sets for automatic form filling
“Payment Cards” saves your credit and debit card information
“Bank Accounts” adds direct banking information such as account and routing numbers
“Notes” is something of a catch-all for keeping information secure that doesn’t fit into these pre-established categories
Adding and editing information was easy across the board.
The thing I found most interesting about the UX was the reward mechanism implemented for exploring the UI. It will give you a 10% discount for completing “achievements,” mostly geared toward teaching how to use the features of this service.
I love this concept and hope to see it crop up more often for services like this.
LastPass Form Filling
Overall: (4.5)
Form filling works as intended, with a big, friendly reminder in text fields that might warrant it.
Using the data you’ve filled in via the “Addresses,” “Payment Cards,” and “Bank Accounts” sections, LastPass alerts you with an unobtrusive red box to let you know it detects a form. Upon clicking the form, you can choose whose information to choose.
While this feature works fine, it isn’t apparent how to distinguish between data sets until you’ve set up a few, particularly if you have multiple addresses under the same name.
The system seems to assume each address will be for a different person. But if you’re adding many addresses, this could make the form-filling drop-down menu significantly more difficult to use.
LastPass Security
Overall: (3.0)
LastPass is good at analyzing potential security risks, but recent data breaches may give you pause.
I found the actual front-facing Security Dashboard built into the browser extension to be thorough and a breeze to use, with features not commonly seen for these kinds of services, such as dark web monitoring.
Other features, such as identifying weak or compromised passwords, worked well, with helpful suggestions on strengthening your security.
As to how LastPass safeguards your data, it uses AES-256 bit encryption with PBKDF2 SHA-256 and salted hashes to ensure complete security in the cloud. You’ll create a password manager account with an email address and a strong master password to locally generate a unique encryption key.
Your master password, and the keys used to encrypt and decrypt data, are never sent to LastPass’ servers and are never accessible by LastPass.
Despite this, it is worth noting that LastPass experienced a security breach on November 30, 2022. While the company assures users’ passwords were not leaked, it admits the attacker gained access to certain elements of customers’ information, though the specifics are unclear.
LastPass Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Overall: (4.7)
MFA is limited in scope but available for those who want an extra layer of security.
LastPass allows you to enable MFA when accessing your dashboard. There are many free options to use an authenticator, with more options (including YubiKey and fingerprint sensors) available to those who pay for the premium service.
This adds a welcome layer of security and a level of control over that security method. Yet it’s a little disappointing this feature is only available to unlock your LastPass account itself, without an option to add MFA to specific website logins you might want to keep more secure.
Recent Improvements to LastPass
Step1.Improvements made to stabilize the search functionality of the LastPass browser extension
Step2.Various improvements were made to the new save and fill experience, including better field recognition for displaying the LastPass in-field icon and proper use of autofilling login data after adding new records using the “save all entered data” feature
Step3.Additional adjustments were made to the MFA re-enrollment experience for LastPass users
Step4.Support for YubiKey
Compare LastPass Alternatives
LastPass is a strong contender for password management, but competitors, including Dashlane, Keeper, RoboForm, and NordPass, could be a better fit. We looked closely at each password manager, spent time using the services, and researched each for hours.
Our research provides objective information about each company so you can find the one that will be best for you.
See how LastPass compares to other top-tier password managers that the PasswordManager.com team recommends:
Consider NordPass if: You don’t want different packages for your family and business.
Starting price: $2.49 per month
Platform compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and popular browsers, such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Safari
Security: XChaCha20 encryption algorithm and a zero-knowledge policy
Secure data sharing solution
Safe sharing of login details
Real-time breach monitoring
Data breach scanner
Frequently Asked Questions About LastPass
What are the cons to LastPass?
LastPass doesn’t offer robust customer service. You are generally expected to first sort your problems out through its FAQ and community support options, with direct company contact coming in third.
While the website claims email support service, that email isn’t easy to find — even within the help tab of the browser extension.
Can LastPass be trusted?
It is good to pause when hearing of recent data breaches at the company. However, the nature of its zero-knowledge system means all the data stored in your LastPass account is encrypted and can only be unlocked with a master password not even LastPass knows.
Is it worth paying for LastPass?
LastPass is certainly one of the more feature-rich services at this price point — if it ticks the right boxes for you, it could be worth the purchase.
Is LastPass better than 1Password?
In many ways, 1Password offers a more compelling service. But LastPass has one advantage: a free version you can use for as long as you like before deciding if it’s a service you want to pay for.
Where does LastPass store my passwords?
Passwords are stored in servers run by LastPass, but are encrypted until unlocked by a master password only ever stored locally on your device.
What Is LastPass the Company?
Founded in 2008, LastPass is used by more than 30 million users and 85,000 businesses worldwide. LastPass was purchased by LogMeIn Inc (Now GoTo) in 2015.
But in December of 2021, its parent company announced LastPass would be established as an independent company again due to its rapid growth and user adoption rates.
Our rating process involves a thorough and detailed study of the various features offered viz-a-viz the competition. I looked at the multiple facets and features provided by LastPass compared to other significant industry players by direct testing to ensure an accurate rating.
I’ve also applied my personal experience using LastPass to provide a user’s perspective.
While I did a comprehensive overview, I gave more weight to specific parameters that were paramount. These include ease of use, security, customer support, security breach reports, scalability, and, last but not least, the price.
LastPass scored well in some areas (primarily price and ease of use), but had significant losses in other areas, particularly when it comes to security breaches.
But at a starting price of $3 a month for a premium plan, and more robust features when compared to other services at this price point, this may still end up being the password manager for you.
Gunnar Kallstrom, The Password Manager, is a Cyber Team Lead for a DOD contracting company in Huntsville, AL, and has also worked as a CND Cyber Analyst. An author and content creator for a cybersecurity academy, Gunnar spent nearly 15 years in the Army as a musician before entering the cybersecurity field.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Thomas Edison State University and a master’s in organizational development and leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word.
Kallstrom has completed several CompTIA courses, including Secruity+, Network+, A+ Core 1, and A+ Core 2. He earned a CompTIA Security+ Certification. Additionally, he has completed the Cyber Warrior Academy program with more than 800 hours of hands-on, intensive, and lab-driven technical training in cybersecurity methods and procedures.
Passionate about all things cyber, Kallstrom was a speaker on a panel at the 2022 InfoSec World conference, giving a talk entitled “Hacking into a Cyber Career – True Stories.” Kallstrom is also a mentor to entry-level cybersecurity candidates seeking to break into the field. When he’s not working, he still enjoys playing guitar and fishing (not phishing).