Keeper vs Dashlane – which is the top competitor?

Keeper and Dashlane are two well-recognized password managers that help securely store and manage your online credentials. Keeper is highly affordable, prioritizes security, and provides an ability to customize the service based on your needs. Dashlane, on the other hand, is extremely user-friendly, offers a variety of features, and even includes a VPN.

But which password manager is better for you? In this comparison, I’ll closely analyze the pair’s security, features, plans and pricing, ease of use, and even more to find out how they stack up against each other.

Keeper vs Dashlane – an overview

	Keeper	Dashlane
⭐ Rating:	4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
🥇 Overall rank:	#4 out of #19	#5 out of #19
🔥 Coupons:	Keeper coupon 50% OFF	Dashlane coupon 25% OFF
💵 Price:	From $1.46/month	From $3.75/month
✂️ Free version:	Yes	Yes, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee
🔒 Encryption:	AES-256	AES-256
🖥️ Platforms:	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux
🌐 Browser extensions:	Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Edge, Internet Explorer	Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge

Keeper vs Dashlane: which one is more secure?

Both Keeper and Dashlane use almost-impregnable military-grade encryption, support multi-factor authentication for added protection, have relatively reasonable privacy policies, and can be considered as the best password managers according to our tests.

However, Keeper has the lead courtesy of its more flexible authentication methods and transparent third-party audit results.

Encryption

There’s no surprise twist in the Dashlane vs Keeper match in terms of encryption since both live up to their reputation as top password managers.

In Keeper’s case, it uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is a military-grade cipher coupled with PBKDF2. AES-256 is the industry standard for most password managers and is considered nearly impossible to break.

Additionally, it adopts a zero-knowledge protocol, which means that all encryption and decryption is done locally on your device. The company and its employees don’t have access to the plaintext version of your data.

Dashlane has a similar approach to encryption. It uses the near-unbreakable AES-256 together with a ciphering key derived from your master password. Due to the password manager’s zero-knowledge architecture, all data is encrypted locally on your device, and only encrypted passwords are sent to its servers.

Multi-factor security

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) offers an extra layer of protection to the login process since it requires additional identity verifications beyond just username and password. So, it’s a good thing that both Keeper and Dashlane deliver in this regard. However, Keeper has a slight edge thanks to its more flexible and extensive authentication options.

Keeper supports a wide range of two-factor authentication (2FA) methods. This includes TOTP generator apps like Google and Microsoft authenticator, hardware tokens, U2F-based physical keys such as YubiKey, and smart wearables like Apple Watch.

Additionally, Keeper allows verification via SMS, but I’d recommend skipping it. It’s the least secure one of all of the methods.

Dashlane isn’t far behind, either. It also allows assorted 2FA methods like Dashlane Authenticator, third-party authenticator apps like Google Authenticator and Authy, email, PIN or fingerprint, and even Apple Watch.

Data storage

Keeper offers unlimited password storage, which is quite unusual among password managers. It’s a huge plus, especially for those who use unique passwords for different logins.

However, you’ll need to upgrade to its Family plan to store anything other than just passwords. It comes with 10GB of storage to store things like sensitive files, photos, and videos. Alternatively, Keeper also has Secure File Storage – which offers up to 100GB of encrypted storage – as a paid add-on.

Meanwhile, Dashlane’s free users cannot store as many passwords as its paid users can, as they get a 25-password limit. Paid users get unlimited 1GB of encrypted file storage, but individual files are limited to just 50MB.

Frankly, that’s quite skimpy. While 50MB is likely sufficient for basic documents, it certainly isn’t enough for things like videos or large files.

Privacy policy

Keeper and Dashlane both have the zero-knowledge architecture to ensure that all data is only accessible by the end user and not their employees or third parties. However, both providers do collect some user data.

With Keeper, it collects limited personal information – including username or email address and phone number – for account verification and 2FA authentication.

Additionally, it also keeps aggregate user statistics and website traffic for its site’s administration and performance improvement, including website traffic statistics, date and time of visits, browser types, frequency of visits, and more.

Dashlane, too, collects certain types of data. Among them are:

• Registration data
• Billing data
• Secure data
• Support and correspondence
• Feedback
• Device and browser data
• Usage data
• Aggregated data
• Cookies

According to Dashlane, the data is used for verification, services and support, communication, and coordination of marketing efforts.

Third-party security audits

Keeper has the upper hand in the Keeper vs. Dashlane faceoff for third-party security audits as it has been independently audited several times. Meanwhile, information on Dashlane in this regard is scarce.

Keeper passed the Service Organization Control (SOC 2) audit, which tested management and operational methods over 6 months. The provider also complies with the ISO 27001 standard, which outlines the requirements for an information security management system (ISMS). This includes things like information security policies, access control, and cryptography.

Additionally, Keeper is also compliant with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework. The framework ensures that companies comply with data protection requirements when transferring personal data from the European Union to the United States.

Contrastingly, third-party audit results for Dashlane are hard to find. However, Dashlane claims that its products “are audited regularly and by different security auditors.”

Keeper vs Dashlane: features overview

Both Keeper and Dashlane offer nifty basics like password importing, sharing, and generating as well as account/password recovery and autofill. What sets them apart is how the features are put into play. Keeper comes out ahead here with its smooth processes, flexible approach, and greater control. However, you’ll need to opt for premium plans to get all the benefits.

Password importing

Keeper offers plenty of ways to import your passwords to the Keeper vault. All unprotected passwords from browsers can be automatically imported with Keeper’s Importer to the vault.

Keeper supports imports from other password managers, too, for easy switching. The list includes 1Password, Dashlane, KeePass, RoboForm, ZOHO, and more. Alternatively, it also allows import from .CSV file, Excel, JSON file, and Commander CLI.

Dashlane also has various ways to import passwords in bulk. It supports imports from other password managers such as 1Password, KeePass, LastPass, and RoboForm as well as bulk uploads with CSV files.

In brief, it’s fair to say that both password managers provide great flexibility when it comes to password importing options. However, I’d give the win to Keeper for this round as it has more extensive options, and its overall importing system is more seamless.

Account and password recovery

Keeper is significantly more accommodating when it comes to account and password recovery.

With it, you can designate up to 5 contacts who can access your vault in case of an emergency. You’ll also need to set up how much time should pass before the contacts can access the vault, as the feature is technically designed to deal with eventualities like incapacitation, disability, and death.

Beyond that, Keeper also requires all new accounts to set up a security question. If you lose your master password, you’ll need to answer the question correctly to reset your master password.

Contrarily, Dashlane ditched its emergency access feature with the discontinuation of its desktop apps. But, you can still reset your master password with your fingerprint or Face ID on iOS and Android devices. Otherwise, you’re fresh out of luck and will need to reset your Dashlane account.

Password generator

A password generator is a common yet very helpful feature for a password manager and both Keeper as well as Dashlane nailed this aspect.

With Keeper, you can customize the length of the password and the types of characters to include – such as capital letters, numbers, and symbols – to create a stronger password. The maximum character length here is 100, which is sufficient to create a super-secure password.

Similarly, Dashlane also has a password generator that allows customization of the length of the password and the types of characters.

By default, it’ll generate a 12-character password, but you can tweak it to be shorter or longer. The tool can generate passphrase passwords of up to 10 words.

Password sharing

Keeper recently launched its One-Time Share feature, which enables its users to share records with anyone on a time-limited basis securely. This handy little feature could be used for password sharing, too.

Here, One-Time Share links can be sent to recipients via multiple channels, including direct QR code scan, airdrop, email, and SMS. And, to turn security up a notch, One-Time Share is also device-locked so that the link is only accessible on the original recipient’s device.

As for Dashlane, it rather restrictively lets you share sensitive information with only 5 other recipients. However, the recipients must first sign up for a free Dashlane account. However, password sharing is available for every Dashlane user.

Quite obviously, Keeper’s password sharing feature is more convenient and advanced compared to Dashlane.

Autofill

Helpfully, both Keeper and Dashlane also offer autofill functions to allow quick access to your accounts by automatically entering your login credentials when visiting saved sites.

In Keeper’s case, it’s called KeeperFill, and it’s available for download separately or can be used directly through Keeper’s app. In the app, you can click on one of your saved credentials, and you’ll be automatically logged in. Alternatively, you can set up hotkeys to instantly launch KeeperFill or autofill login details to speed things up.

Meanwhile, Dashlane’s autofill feature uses machine learning to accurately and swiftly autofill passwords and data. When visiting a website, you’ll see a dark green D icon in the login fields. A click is all it takes to access your account.

Plus, Dashlane’s autofill feature is also great for quick checkout for online purchases. Simply click on a credit card to use, and Dashlane will fill in the information on your behalf.

Plans and pricing

When it comes to Keeper vs Dashlane pricing, it’s a tough call since both have pros and cons. The two offer great flexibility with different plan options and billing cycles as well as relatively robust features and 30-day free trials. However, the scales tip slightly in Keeper’s favor.

Plan	Keeper	Dashlane
Free	$0.00	$0.00
Premium	$1.46/month (1 user)	$3.75/month (1 user)
Family	$3.13/month (5 users)	$5.62/month (10 users)
Business	From $2.00/month (1 user)	From $8.00/month (1 user)
	Try Keeper	Try Dashlane

With a limited free version and a 30-day free trial, Keeper comes as a cheaper provider. Meanwhile, Dashlane is priced higher overall, but its free plan is quite generous with features.

Keeper pricing

Keeper only has 2 personal plans, but they’re sufficient to cover most users’ needs:

• Keeper Unlimited – $1.46/month for 1 user
• Keeper Family – $3.13/month for 5 users
• Keeper Business – from $2.62/month per 1 user

Keeper’s Unlimited plan is a great option if you’re a solo user. Among other things, it comes with unlimited password storage, autofill, password generator, and secure sharing. It can also be used on an unlimited number of devices.

Meanwhile, Keeper’s Family plan is a great fit if you need to fit in more users. The plan comes with everything in the Unlimited plan as well as 5 private vaults and 10GB of secure file storage. Plus, for a test run, Keeper offers a free trial and a limited free version for 1 mobile device.

Keeper’s Business plan is built for organizations, and the subscriptions are per user. If you opt for Business Starter, you get the basic password management perks along with more business-focused features like Security Audit or Team Management. Business and Enterprise plans come with such additions as Delegated Administration and Azure Integration.

Dashlane pricing

As for Dashlane, in addition to its free version, it has 2 other paid plans:

• Dashlane Premium – $3.75/month for 1 user
• Dashlane Family & Friends – $5.62/month for 10 users
• Dashlane Business – from $8.00/month for 1 user

The free plan offers a pretty good deal as you get a password generator, autofill, Secure notes, and you can store up to 25 passwords

Dashlane’s Premium and Family & Friends plans are far better options. The 2 plans have the same features – the only difference lies in whether you need one account or multiple accounts to share. Both plans can support unlimited devices and include additional features like unlimited password storage, dark web monitoring, and a VPN.

Dashlane has Business and Enterprise plans too. The Business plan offers SSO integration, on-demand phone support, Dark Web Insights, and other great features. By subscribing to the Enterprise plan, you also get access to a dedicated customer success manager, onboarding customer support specialist, and onboarding technical engineer.

Platforms, interface and ease of use

Compatibility certainly isn’t a problem with both Keeper and Dashlane but Keeper one-upped Dashlane in many aspects. The pair is compatible with all of the widely-used operating systems in the market. But, Keeper has a leg up here since it also supports Linux, unlike Dashlane.

	Keeper	Dashlane
Supported OS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Browser extension	Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, Edge, Internet Explorer	Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, Edge
Number of users	Up to 5	Up to 6

Additionally, both also have a range of dedicated browser extensions for autofill. But, again, Dashlane falls short since Keeper has an extension for Explorer, while it doesn’t. Although, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue soon since Microsoft has retired the browser.

As for ease of use, it’s a draw, with both Keeper and Dashlane prioritizing beginner-friendly setup processes and intuitive interfaces for easy navigation.

Desktop apps

Keeper’s desktop apps are available to those on Windows, Linux, and Mac. The app is clean, modern, and easy to navigate. The menu is clearly visible and offers quick access to your vault, identity and payment details, security audit, and deleted items. Plus, there’s an option to easily create new entries, too.

Well-structured and thoughtfully organized, I’d say that the app perfectly walks the line between functionality and simplicity. Both newbies and experienced users will have no problem navigating the app.

Unfortunately, Dashlane has discontinued its desktop apps for Windows and Mac. This means that your options now are limited to either browser or mobile apps. It also means the removal of Dashlane’s emergency access feature.

In brief, Keeper’s desktop apps get the nod when it comes to ease of use. And, on the flip side, Dashlane’s lack of desktop apps is a hit on functionality and likely security.

Browser extensions

Both Keeper and Dashlane have multiple browser extensions, which are incredibly helpful for password autofill and autosave purposes when you’re browsing online.

In Keeper’s case, it has extensions for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Edge. Plus, it also has an extension for Internet Explorer, which likely will not be an extra advantage once Explorer is fully retired.

In any case, it’s easy enough to add a Keeper extension to the browser of your choice as a click is all it takes. However, just like most password managers’ browser extensions, its functionality is tied to the web app. Using the extension, you can access the more basic features like generating passwords, but everything else is only accessible through the web app.

Dashlane isn’t all that much different from Keeper, either. Although, it has one fewer extension since it doesn’t have an extension for Internet Explorer. Instead, it only has extensions for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Edge.

Mobile apps

Keeper’s mobile apps for Android and iOS look somewhat different from each other. But, both sport a neat, sleek, and intuitive design that makes navigation a breeze. Plus, there’s no compromise in terms of functionality.

Whether on Android or iOS, the dashboard is a close reflection of its desktop apps. It houses things like vault, identity and payments, two-factor codes, and more. The only glaring difference is that, unlike when using desktop apps, you can’t export/import passwords on the mobile app. That’s, of course, very understandable.

Similarly, Dashlane’s mobile app for Android devices is also packed with many functionalities that you’d find in the full version. VPN, Secure Notes, and autofill – they’re all there. However, its iOS version is more pared down to account for Apple’s third-party apps and general security restrictions.

Customer support

Both Keeper and Dashlane have multiple customer support channels.

With Keeper, the best place to start the search for answers is its extensive knowledge base, which houses hundreds of in-depth articles, guides, and how-tos. And, the help page also displays server status for a quick check, in case you’re facing service issues.

Additionally, Keeper also has a 24/7 ticketing system. While not instantaneous, response times for tickets are short and more than acceptable. Plus, the agents are knowledgeable and keen to help.

Dashlane, on the other hand, offers live chat and email support. Unfortunately, these channels are only available during business hours, Monday to Friday. But, if you do catch the agents within these hours, they’re efficient, professional, and fast.

Outside of these hours, your best bet is to independently make your way through its massive knowledge base and FAQ section.

Overall, it’s fair to call a tie here as both have their hits and misses. Keeper doesn’t have a live chat support option, but human assistance is available 24/7. Meanwhile, Dashlane offers live chat, but its support channels are only available during business hours.

Keeper vs Dashlane – which one wins?

All things considered, Keeper is a better password manager than Dashlane. Keeper has stronger security for a lower price, starting at $1.46/month, and is easier to use on different devices. Dashlane costs more, starting at $3.75/month, and doesn't offer as much unless you pay. Its free version is also limited. Dashlane does have good customer service, but Keeper gives you more for your money.

Category	Keeper	Dashlane
Features	✅	❌
Pricing & plans	✅	❌
Security	✅	❌
User-friendliness	✅	❌
Customer support	✅	✅
Compatibility	✅	❌

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