Why You Need a Password Manager
If you reuse passwords across sites, every site you log into is only as secure as the worst-managed one. A password manager solves that — and the open-source ones are free.
The problem
The average person has well over 100 online accounts. No human can remember 100 unique strong passwords, so almost everyone reuses. When one of those sites gets breached — and they regularly do — attackers grab the email-and-password pairs and try them on banks, email providers, and social media. This is called credential stuffing, and it's how most personal account hacks happen.
What a password manager does
It generates unique random passwords for every site, stores them encrypted, and fills them in automatically when you visit the login page. You only need to remember one master password — everything else is handled for you. Sync it between your phone and computer and your passwords go everywhere you do.
Our pick: Bitwarden
Open source. Free for unlimited devices and unlimited passwords. Optional $10/year premium adds built-in two-factor codes (TOTP) and encrypted file attachments. If you really don't trust someone else's servers, you can self-host the whole thing on a small VPS — we've done it for customers who asked.
Alternatives
- 1Password — closed source but very polished, $36/year. Good if you want the best UI and are willing to pay.
- KeePass — free and offline-only. Stores everything in a file you carry yourself. Best for technical users who want zero dependencies.
- Browser built-ins (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) — better than nothing, but tied to that browser and that account. Use a real manager.
Getting started
- Pick one (we suggest Bitwarden), create an account.
- Choose a strong master password — ideally a four-word passphrase, not a clever single word. Write it down somewhere physically safe. If you forget it, no one can recover it.
- Install the browser extension and the phone app.
- Import your existing passwords from your browser (the extension walks you through this).
- Over the next few weeks, change your reused passwords as you log into each site.