NordPass review 2024

According to user ratings, NordPass is one of the best password managers in 2024. It’s a user-friendly tool to keep all of your passwords and general login information secure and protected. And the fact that it’s quite cheap further explains its high rating.

Nevertheless, despite being ranked at the very top, NordPass might still have some quirks that anyone looking for a password manager should consider. For example, some users complain that NordPass autofill doesn’t work from time to time.

In this NordPass review, I joined a team of experts to test the NordPass password manager myself and get first-hand experience with what it’s like to use it. Read along to find out how it compares with other top password managers, and decide whether it is a good fit for you personally.

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NordPass review – key takeaways

NordPass is one of the most popular password managers in the market today. It has multi-platform compatibility and a free version. NordPass is based in Lithuania and is part of the European-based Nord Security.

Here is a short overview of what NordPass password manager has to offer:

• Security. NordPass employs modern XChaCha20 encryption and a zero-knowledge architecture, ensuring that only you can access your data. It has passed a high-standard independent security audit, supports mandatory multi-factor authentication for all users, and provides automatic backups to protect your information even if your device is lost.
• Ease of use. NordPass provides a smooth user experience with integrated features on various devices and browser extensions. It has an intuitive password and data categorization system for easy navigation, so it is suitable for users of all ages. It can also generate strong passwords, so you don’t have to.
• Features. NordPass offers essential features like a password generator, autofill, password import/export, and cloud-based syncing across devices. Advanced features include passkeys, data breach monitoring, secure sharing, and storage for diverse data types such as credit card info, files, and notes.
• Plans and pricing. NordPass offers four main plans: Free, Premium, Family, and Business each catering to different needs. The free plan offers basic password management, a Premium plan at $1.34/month offers advanced features like data breach scanning and a Family plan at $2.68/month is suitable for up to 6 users.

Visit NordPass to learn more about the features

Is NordPass safe?

Yes, NordPass is a very safe password manager. Its safety is verified by multiple independent audits. Additionally, NordPass uses XChaCha20 encryption – one of the most secure there is – and two-factor authentication to keep your password vaults completely protected. Finally, this password manager employs zero-knowledge architecture, which means that no one, not even the NordPass team, can see the passwords you store.

What about data security – has NordPass ever been breached? No, NordPass has never been breached, and it is a very safe password manager to use on both desktop computers and mobile devices.

Get started with NordPass

End-to-end encryption

End-to-end encryption protects data as it's transmitted over the internet to ensure that only the sender and the recipient can read the message. To guarantee this, a public and a private cryptographic keys (public and private) are employed.

NordPass employs XChaCha20 encryption, with a 256-bit long encryption key. It guarantees that prying eyes cannot decipher your data even if they somehow manage to access it. XChaCha20 is safe, fast, and easy to implement, which reduces the potential of human error during application.

Independent audits

In 2022, NordPass passed the SOC 2 Type 1 audit and in 2023, the SOC 2 Type 2 audit. Type 1 assesses the design and documentation of an organization's controls according to trust principles and Type 2 evaluates the actual effectiveness of these controls in practice.

In terms of password management, SOC (Systems and Organization Controls) accreditation is important because it guarantees that NordPass users’ passwords and sensitive information are protected by vetted security controls. These controls are proven to work effectively in practice by independent auditors.

Zero-knowledge architecture

Zero-knowledge architecture ensures that only you know what’s stored in your vault. Even NordPass staff cannot see your passwords, credit card details, or notes, and they don’t have your master password, which ensures your data remains protected even if our servers are breached.

Of course, please keep in mind that if you forget your NordPass master password, you could potentially lose access to all data in your vault, and no one will be able to restore it. Unless you remember your password or set up a recovery option, the NordPass team won’t be able to help you – this is one of NordPass downsides to consider.

Expert comment

Ieva Jociūtė

Senior editor and digital security advocate

In the past, just like most people, I used to store passwords in notes apps, save them within web browsers, and even use post-it notes. Thankfully, the days of not taking care of my most sensitive digital data are long gone.

As a digital security advocate, I’m well aware of the risks that unprotected login credentials pose. Fortunately, with a trusted password manager, I can easily lock my logins up and make them impenetrable. Moreover, because a password manager autofills my logins, I don’t need to enter them manually or even remember them – this allows me to create the strongest combinations possible.

My go-to password manager is NordPass because it offers impenetrable encryption, easy-to-use apps, secure sharing, and unlimited device connections.

NordPass security features

NordPass has all the main security features you’d expect from a password manager. Of course, that includes the full-set of necessities: data breach monitoring, secure password sharing, password health scan, and the option to store not only passwords but also other types of information such as credit card info, files, and notes .

Here’s the full list of features that NordPass offers:

• Password Generator generates strong passwords that fit your selected criteria.
• Password Health checker scans your passwords for weaknesses. The results are grouped into weak, reused, and old passwords.
• Data Breach Scanner and real-time breach monitor check whether your passwords, banking details, and other info were leaked, and provide recommendations for further steps to take if a leak occurred.
• Passkeys are an alternative to traditional passwords. You can use passkeys via password managers as login credentials on sites that support this feature.
• Emergency Access allows you to give your closest contacts read-only access to your passwords.
• NordPass Authenticator is a feature for Business plan users. You can set up 2FA for your credentials on the mobile NordPass app without downloading an extra authenticator app.
• Secure sharing allows you to securely share logins via email with limited or full access rights with other NordPass users. Also supports CSV file sharing with other providers.
• Credit card info storage allows you to store credit card details for added security and quick payment online.
• Secure Notes allow you to store any type of information – from birth dates to door codes.
• Live text scanning (OCR or optical character recognition) lets you scan information from written documents, images, and credit cards and save important data without having to type it in manually.
• File attachments allow Premium users to attach up to 50 files to any item stored in NordPass – whether it's a password, passkey, credit card, or note. In total, NordPass users get 3GB of cloud storage.
• Email masking allows creating alternative email addresses so you don't have to share your primary address every time you create an account or sign up to an online newsletter. This feature also minimizes the chances of your true email address leaking during a data breach.

I tried every NordPass feature under various circumstances to gauge their effectiveness on desktop, mobile, and browser extensions. You can find detailed reviews of each main feature below.

Password Generator, autofill, and passkeys

I found the NordPass Password Generator to be very helpful as it lets you choose your password’s length and whether you want it to include numbers, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase letters.

For example, creating a new Facebook account requires a password of at least six characters long that includes numbers and punctuation marks. However, by today’s standards, a six-character password is definitely too short, and luckily, NordPass doesn’t create passwords shorter than eight characters. In this case, you must choose your preferred password length and enable digits and symbols to qualify for Facebook’s password requirements.

While not a unique feature, I really appreciate that NordPass’ Password Generator enables generating password phrases instead of a randomized string of characters. Such phrases are potentially easier to memorize, thus making it possible to log in without NordPass’s assistance. Once you’re happy with the output, you can easily save the password to your NordPass vault by clicking the + button.

To go along with passwords, NordPass also has an autofill function. Notably, you will need a NordPass browser extension if you want to use it on a desktop.

During testing, I had an overall positive experience – NordPass would promptly paste in passwords wherever I tried to log in. Nevertheless, while functional, I found NordPass autofill to be a little basic, especially when compared to RoboForm’s form-filling feature, which allows you to autofill all sorts of information, including credit card and other personal data.

NordPass has launched the option to store, create, and use passkeys as an alternative to usual passwords. You can use passkeys as login credentials on sites that support this feature. As of the NordPass update 5.7, you can also use biometric data to verify your identity when logging into online services using passkeys.

Passkeys, in essence, work pretty efficiently. During testing, I created an account on a website that supports passkeys, and two passkey versions were created – public and private. The private passkey was saved and encrypted on my device, and the public was stored on the website’s servers.

When I attempted to log into a website, I typed in my account name and used a device nearby with access to my private passkey. Once typed in, I confirmed the login prompt on the device with NordPass (I used my mobile phone), and I didn’t need to input any passwords. This made the whole process more convenient since there’s no need to memorize passwords. Moreover, security is improved because there’s no way for malicious hackers to log in without my device or brute force the password.

Sharing and storing passwords and other information

NordPass provides a way to securely share passwords between multiple users. At Cybernews, we use this feature to ensure everyone has access to the tools they need. This includes online services we often test (e.g., VPNs and streaming platforms) and various analytics tools. You can find shared login details in the aptly named Shared Items menu.

You can select whichever password you want to share from the main menu, type in the recipient’s email address, and it’ll encrypt the password before sending it. However, note that the recipient must use NordPass to access those shared credentials.

When I shared a password via NordPass during testing, I could choose whether to provide the recipient with limited or full access. I shared a password with full access with a colleague, and they were able to edit the data without restrictions.

On the other hand, when I shared a password with limited access, my colleague could only use the provided data and make no changes to it. So be careful with how much control over your passwords, credit card information, or secure notes you give with this sharing feature.

Besides passwords, you can securely share other important data, too. In the Secure Notes tab in the main menu, I had no trouble typing in a security code, generating a shareable link, and sending the link to my colleague. The link expiration time is 24 hours, or right after the recipient reads the message.

The content of the message is encrypted, so only the sender and the recipient are aware of what content was shared. So, your information stays secure and protected against cyberthreats.

Overall, based on hands-on experience, I found the NordPass password-sharing functions exceptionally easy to use. I especially appreciated the opportunity to decide how much access to credentials I was able to give while sharing a password. The only downside for me was that the recipient must also use a NordPass account. Of course, this is not unique to NordPass, as RoboForm and 1Password also require the same. On the other hand, secure notes are a good enough substitute if your recipient does not want to create a NordPass account.

Besides passwords and secure notes, you can also store credit card and personal information, as well as attach files. The Credit Card item has fields for credit card holder name, card number, expiration date, and CVV. You can also create custom fields. I found it very useful that each field can be copied with just one click and pasted wherever I need it.

The Personal Info items allow you to fill out contact details such as address, phone number, email address, and more. Nordpass Premium users can also attach up to 50 files to any item stored in NordPass – whether it's a password, passkey, credit card, or note.

In the Shared Items menu, you will find all the items that anyone has shared with you, such as secure notes, logins, or credit card information. These items also show up in their respective categories.

Password Health and Data Breach Scanner

The NordPass desktop app also includes beneficial tools. The Password Health checker is a NordPass premium subscription feature that informs you about the state of your passwords. This password health checker scans all the passwords that you’ve saved for weak spots in your security. Then the results are grouped into weak, reused, and old passwords:

• Weak passwords – the passwords in this category are not long enough and don’t contain enough different combinations of numbers, capital and lowercase letters, and symbols.
• Reused passwords – this tab shows the passwords that you’ve repeated for different accounts. And reusing the same password multiple times raises the chances of losing more of your data in case of a hack.
• Old passwords – here you’ll see any password that hasn’t been changed for more than 90 days.

Passwords falling under any of these categories are considered weak and a point of vulnerability in your security. Therefore, you should check this tab regularly to maintain your data safety.

During in-house testing, the Password Health checker flagged 2 weak and 3 old passwords in my vault. I found updating them very easy, and then the report came back clear.

The NordPass Data Breach Scanner is another excellent in-built feature. It checks whether your passwords or other sensitive information have ever been leaked, and it’s available with Premium plans. The tool automatically compares items saved in your vault with information found on leaked databases. While I found using this tool extra simple, I didn’t like that I couldn’t manually enable the instant scanning process on my device.

The scanner is not limited to account credentials, and I was able to check banking information as well. I was able to look for leaked credit card data that matches my last name and final four digits of the card.

Additionally, NordPass Data Breach Scanner provides you with information on what type of data was compromised as well as where and when the leak occurred. Based on these findings, you get recommendations on how to secure affected accounts.

Overall, I found the Password Health checker and Data Breach Scanner very useful, but I also wish there were some improvements. For example, the Password Health checker only indicates the strength of singular passwords, and not the entire vault. That’s something you can get with Dashlane, and it offers an overview of your overall online security – I wish NordPass offered that as well.

In terms of Data Breach Scanner, I liked that I could add however many emails I want to be checked. Unfortunately, I found adding them manually a little inconvenient – in my opinion, the emails and passwords should be taken from the stored items directly. 1Password deals with this issue quite well and provides a single dashboard for both password health and data breach monitoring.

Emergency Access and Authentication

For Premium users, NordPass offers Emergency Access. It's a feature that gives your closest contacts read-only access to your passwords. Should something happen to you, your personal data will still be accessible.

Emergency Access can also be a useful feature in case you forget or lose your master password – think of it as a last-resort access solution. While not major, it's still an important addition to a solid NordPass package. However, it’s important to mention that Emergency Access is not available on macOS.

Overall, I found the Emergency Access feature to be a little basic. By comparison, Roboform’s Emergency Access is similar in the way that the user can choose a dedicated person to get access to the account, but the difference from NordPass is that the emergency person gets full rights to the entries.

Also, unlike NordPass, Keeper lets you designate five people to get access and also indicates how much time should pass before your vault is accessible to them. So while the feature is quite similar across most major password managers, during testing, I found NordPass’ version a little too simplistic in comparison.

One more important thing to discuss is biometric authentication. While testing NordPass, I found that desktop devices don’t support biometric authentication by default unless you connect an external fingerprint scanner. Once you do, Mac users must enable Touch ID, while Windows users can use Windows Hello. The Linux app doesn’t support biometric authentication at all.

NordPass plans and pricing

NordPass has four types of plans – Free, Premium, Family, and Business – and each of them includes a different number of features. Even though all options are great, every single one of them caters to users with different needs.

Putting all things together, the NordPass Free version is actually pretty good, as long as you only require it to keep your passwords in one location. But if you seek higher security and a way to share your passwords safely, then the Premium plan is where it’s at. However, note that both Free and Premium plans only cover a single account, and if you need greater coverage, you should choose the Family plan.

The NordPass Business plan has pretty much the same features as the Premium plan but is more targeted towards bigger teams, so it covers more devices (up to 250). There are also Business-plan-specific features that allow for greater compatibility with different departments of the company.

And for peace of mind, all paid NordPass plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try out the premium features for yourself before committing fully to a free or paid plan.

To see which plan option is the most worthy of your attention, here’s a quick breakdown to help you select the best one for your needs.

NordPass Free plan

NordPass has a great free version that has unlimited password storage, allows you to keep secure notes and credit card details, and sync passwords across all devices. However, the NordPass Free plan covers only 1 user account, supports one simultaneous device connection, and offers fewer features.

Compared to the Premium plan, NordPass Free plan lacks several important features, such as password health checker and emergency access. Even compared to other free password managers, like RoboForm, NordPass free version is somewhat bare. However, the Free plan also includes a multi-factor authenticator and 24/7 live chat support, which RoboForm offers only with Premium.

NordPass Premium plan

The Premium plan of NordPass comes for $1.34/month and includes everything that the Free plan does and more. Notable features include data breach scanner, password health detection, and email masking.

In my experience with NordPass, the Premium plan is definitely worth the price. All of the features make it a full-fledged password security tool that is very convenient for all kinds of purposes. The data breach scanner proved to be useful a couple of times – it warned me in time about some compromised accounts. The password health checker is also a nice touch, as it makes it easy to update old passwords.

Compared to other providers’ Premium plans, such as 1Password, NordPass is pretty standard, although 1Password is a little bit more expensive.

Get NordPass Premium plan

NordPass Family plan

The NordPass Family plan supports 6 accounts per subscription, as opposed to the 1 account available with the Premium plan. Besides that, it grants the same features and costs only $2.68/month.

The plan owner can also manage other accounts – add or remove them from the family plan as you wish. Other than that, each user gets a separate account with all the Premium plan features.

Compared to the family plan of 1Password, both password managers are pretty much the same regarding features. However, NordPass allows 6 guest user accounts, whereas 1Password allows only 5.

Get NordPass Family plan

NordPass for Business

Nordpass offers plans for businesses starting from $2.87/month, and there are some significant differences between Premium and Family plans. You can get a plan for up to 250 employees, and if you need more, you can contact NordPass to discuss the Enterprise plan that offers support for unlimited users.

The Business plan comes with an admin panel for overseeing and managing all business plan user accounts. Each individual in your organization gets a separate account, although the administrator of the plan can manage permissions, add and remove users, as well as track their activity logs.

Additionally, the password manager storage is exclusively cloud-based, which means that any company-wide updates automatically sync between all employees’ accounts.

NordPass for Business is a great solution that grants autonomy to employees – they can save passwords on their personal accounts and still easily share them with their teammates or the entire organization.

Get NordPass Business plan

NordPass compatibility and ease of use

To put NordPass to the test, I used iPhone (iOS 15.0), MacBook Air (macOS Sonoma), Samsung (Android 11), and Lenovo ThinkPad (Windows 11) devices. When it comes to setting up NordPass, I didn’t notice a significant difference between different operating systems, and it took me just a few minutes to install the app and create an account.

Signing up was also exceptionally simple; especially if you opt for the free plan, in which case all you need to do is provide your email address. When purchasing the Premium plan, I created a Nord account, which can be used to log into all Nord Security apps, including NordVPN and NordLocker. After that, I was able to set up my master password and start using the password manager.

In case you are struggling with the setup process, NordPass provides helpful Getting Started guides with detailed screenshots. Additionally, if any issues occur halfway through, you can always contact NordPass support via the live chat.

Overall, I found NordPass to be both feature-rich and lightweight. The number of tools might seem overwhelming when listed, but the truth is that you don’t notice the abundance once using the app – they are integrated quite seamlessly into the user experience.

Before I dive deeper into different NordPass apps, here’s a quick summary of its compatibility:

NordPass desktop apps

Based on my hands-on experience, NordPass desktop apps are really intuitive. Upon opening, you can see all of your items displayed in a list. I appreciate that you can order this list alphabetically, by folder, or based on when the password was last used – in any way that is the most convenient for you. You can also use the search bar at the top to find items instead of scrolling.

All of the features are neatly put under Categories, Folders, and Tools. Such categorization made it easy for us to find all necessary items and information in no time at all.

Categories:

• Passwords
• Passkeys
• Secure notes
• Credit cards
• Personal info
• Shared items
• Trash

Folders:

In this tab, you can individually create folders and later, access them quickly.

Tools:

• Password Generator
• Password Health
• Data Breach Scanner
• Emergency Access

Download NordPass for desktop

NordPass mobile apps

The NordPass mobile app is the same on Android and iOS, both in the sense of design and user experience. During testing, I found it very easy to set NordPass up on both Android and iOS devices. The apps are intuitive and easy to use and navigate. I particularly enjoyed that everything on the apps is easily accessible from a simple menu at the bottom of the screen:

• Home. This is the main tab where you can see all your saved passwords and add new ones. Also, it includes a search bar to find a particular password quicker.
• Browse. This section categorizes saved items for easier access. You can browse through passwords, secure notes, credit cards, personal information, folders, shared and deleted items.
• Tools. Here you can find all NordPass useful features, including a Password Generator, Password Health, and a Data Breach Scanner.
• Menu. This is the tab where you can access settings, help center, and also switch accounts or lock the NordPass app.

The NordPass mobile apps all have the same features as the desktop applications, including passwords, personal information, credit cards, and secure note storage. The tools are available as well – you can easily generate a password, check the health of your logins, and track whether your information appears in any data leaks.

However, the mobile apps also have some additional features. One of them is OCR, or optical character recognition, which essentially is live text recognition. Once you take a photo of a note or bank card, NordPass automatically scans the contents and fills out the item fields with that information. It may not always be accurate, but it definitely speeds up the process a little bit.

Another notable difference from the desktop applications is that biometric authentication is supported by default. You can use your fingerprint or Face ID to log into NordPass apps without your master password.

Download NordPass on mobile

NordPass Web Vault

NordPass Web Vault is a convenient solution for people who don’t like apps. It is a web-based NordPass application that you can log into from any device and any browser. You don’t need to download and install the NordPass app on a device at all. Having a web vault is beneficial when you’re using devices that are not your own, such as a library PC or your friend’s phone in case of emergency.

The NordPass web vault has the same interface and all the features of a regular desktop and mobile app. You can easily access all your passwords and other items, change your account details, and use the password generator, health checker, and data breach scanner.

I encountered absolutely no roadblocks when using the Web Vault. Since the design is the same across all NordPass apps – web-based or not – there were no navigation issues either. Logging in is as easy as ever – all you need is your Nord Account details and your master password.

NordPass extension for browsers

You can get the NordPass extension for the most popular browsers like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Brave.

The extensions offer the same functionality as desktop applications. So, for example, if you use Google Chrome and install the NordPass Chrome extension, it enables password autofill while browsing. When I tested the extension, the autofill function worked well on most sites, although details varied since the login form is different on each web page. For example, sites using unconventional login forms can cause slight issues. Meanwhile, creating new accounts was a breeze since NordPass immediately suggests a secure password and saves the details if you create an account.

However, one thing that I thought was inconvenient with the NordPass browser plugin is that you can’t use tools or edit information directly through the extension. If you want to use a password generator or any other tool, you are prompted to open the desktop application. Besides, you can’t log into the browser extension without a desktop application either.

But this practice is quite common among reliable password managers, and you’re unlikely to find other services that grant such privileges to their extensions. This limitation is implemented to minimize potential vulnerabilities and to ensure a compromised browser doesn’t have the opportunity to access your vault. Additionally, you can always edit information and access tools without apps using the Web Vault.

NordPass customer support

NordPass has an extensive selection of support channels, which include FAQs, set-up guides, and a general knowledge base. If your question is related to anything regarding NordPass apps or your account, you can be sure to find your answers there. As I navigated the help center, I found it intuitive, and the answers were easy to find. The how-to guides also include helpful images and tips to make finding a solution even easier.

Nevertheless, if you would rather speak to a real person, there’s also the option to get help via email or 24/7 live chat. I tested both of these options, and I personally preferred live chat because I was connected to an agent in seconds. When I submitted a ticket, I got a response via email in a couple of hours. In both cases, issues were resolved professionally and quickly – NordPass customer support is really one of the best.

NordPass video review

In this NordPass review, you will learn all the key aspects of NordPass that will help you decide whether it's for you.

Is NordPass worth getting?

Overall, I recommend NordPass for both beginners and advanced users. This password manager has a positive reputation for a reason. The security features are faultless, starting with robust encryption and ending with independent audits and certification. Both desktop and mobile apps and the Web Vault are very pleasant to use, and I personally appreciated the interface that allowed me to share and extract passwords in mere seconds.

Of course, there are some room for improvement. The autofill function can be a bit slow and, compared to other features, less intuitive. The lack of phone support can also disappoint some people. But overall, NordPass is a solid password manager that’s worth its budget-friendly cost.

I recommend this password manager because of its abundance of features, intuitiveness, and top-notch security. And considering that you can get it for free is even more of an incentive to at least give it a try.

Visit NordPass

How we tested the NordPass password manager

We tested NordPass from start to finish to get a clear picture of how it works in every situation. We followed our usual procedure of testing password managers. First, we set up the free version on desktop and mobile to evaluate the service’s core features (password generation, storing, sync) and installation process. We followed up with browser extensions before upgrading to the premium plan to test advanced features like item sharing, data breach monitoring, and password health checking.

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