LastPass review: Is this popular password manager still worth using?

LastPass wants to make the password you choose for its service the last you’ll ever need. But to meet that lofty goal, LastPass needs to offer great security, easy operation, and enough unique features that you’ll want to keep subscribing year after year.

I’ve reviewed LastPass to find out if it deserves a spot on our list of the best password managers available, checking ease of use, features, customer service, and security to ensure it offers good value.

Specs

Tiers and pricing

LastPass currently has a sale that cuts annual subscription prices in half. That’s a great deal on a popular password manager. Your renewal cost will be at LastPass’ standard prices, which are reasonable.

A Premium subscription normally costs $36 annually. You can sync passwords across all your devices and securely store up to 1GB of encrypted notes, card numbers, addresses, and attached photos. LastPass offers a plan for Families that includes six individual accounts for $48 per year.

That’s significant savings for families, making the cost per person as low as $8 annually. Sale prices might cut that to $4 for each person in a big family.

LastPass also offers a free version that supports a single device. You can use it on a computer or a mobile device but not both. Sharing is limited to only one other person, and secure storage is capped at 50MB. If you’re looking for the best free password manager, check out Bitwarden, an open-source solution with a good free app.

Design

When I logged into my LastPass account, a prompt to install the browser extension appeared at the top and below I saw options to add passwords manually or import them.

I installed the extension and signed in, then imported the passwords saved in my browser. LastPass supports Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and even Explorer. I could also import vaults from 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, KeePass, Keeper, RoboForm, and logins stored in CSV format.

With everything imported, I installed the app on my iPhone, signed in, and authenticated via email and text message. I switched on Face ID to simplify mobile access. All my passwords had already synced, so I could log into any account I had on my Windows PC.

Switching back to my computer, I explored the extension, which has a convenient one-click website launch feature and a favorites tab. The web app has many more options and is the best place to adjust settings, organize logins, and more.

Features

Autofill is a critical feature for a password manager and LastPass handles it well. When I open a website where I have an account, the username and password are instantly filled in. A LastPass icon at the right opens an options menu where I can choose another account, generate a new password, or switch off autofill for this website.

On my iPhone, a single tap authenticates with Face ID and fills logins. It works as well as the built-in autofill in the Edge browser on my Windows PC and the Passwords app on iOS.

To compete with tech leaders like Microsoft and Apple, third-party solutions offer cross-platform ease, more options, and advanced features. LastPass works on nearly any device. There are Apple Watch and Wear OS apps. LastPass even made an app and browser extension for the Meta Quest.

Like many other password managers, LastPass rates my security score, alerting me to reused and weak passwords. I can update the logins or delete the accounts if I no longer use them. On the same security tab, there’s an option for dark web monitoring. I can add up to 200 email addresses to the checklist.

Sharing logins is a unique feature that adds great value to password managers. LastPass lets me share a login with anyone simply by entering their email address. The recipient needs a LastPass account to access that password but a free account suffices.

I tried a LastPass Families account that provides six individual accounts. In the web app, there’s a Families tab that makes it easy to add and manage members. Among members, I can share entire folders that contain logins, notes, addresses, and more.

Support

LastPass offers 24/7 live chat for customers. I visited the support center and used the chat bubble at the bottom right to test responsiveness. The initial reply came from a chatbot that didn’t understand my question about secure storage.

I asked for a human agent and was quickly transferred to the queue with an estimated wait time of up to five minutes. It took mere seconds for live support to respond.

I had to copy and paste my question but the interaction was quick and helpful, clarifying that LastPass Family plan members set up personal and shared folders.

I also asked for live chat hours and the agent confirmed it’s available all day, every day with an average wait time of two minutes.

Privacy and security

A password manager has access to logins for all your accounts so privacy and security are essential. Your financial data, medical records, social media history and friend lists, personal photos and videos, school, and work data could be at risk if this information leaked or fell into the wrong hands.

LastPass currently holds several security certifications including ISO 27001, SOC2 Type II, SOC3, BSI C5, TRUSTe, and more. Hackers sometimes still find ways to bypass safeguards.

The company has suffered several security incidents, most recently a serious breach in 2022 when hackers accessed the LastPass source code and the customer database.

In response to the ongoing issues and growing lack of trust, LastPass separated from GoTo and now operates as an independent company under L.P. This private equity firm owns GoTo, calling into question the impact of this change.

LastPass suggests this is a new chapter for the company, one focused on “innovation, security, privacy and trust” with a “dedicated threat intelligence team” led by a new team of executives that are “respected veterans in the industry.”

At best, LastPass must be treated as a new and unproven password manager with a short security and privacy track record. At worst, LastPass is the same company with a history of security breaches.

Is LastPass right for you?

LastPass offers great customer support and good value as a cross-platform password manager. You can install LastPass on almost any device, including your phone, watch, computer, and Quest VR headset.

Sharing isn’t as robust as top password managers like 1Password and Keeper, but you can share a joint login so anyone with a free or paid LastPass can enjoy autofill without letting them see your password. You can revoke access at any time.

The only question is whether LastPass security is good enough. After the 2022 breach, the company is motivated to restore trust and is under scrutiny from industry watchdogs. We’ll be keeping an eye on LastPass and update our rating if it can avoid further issues. Everyone deserves a second chance.

However, that’s no guarantee your data is safe. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your logins, check out our list of five password managers with better long-term security records than LastPass.