NordPass vs Norton Password Manager: which one reigns supreme?

NordPass and Norton Password Manager are two well-recognized names in the password management industry. Run by the same people that created the insanely popular NordVPN, NordPass is a highly-rated password manager offering sophisticated security and ample features.

Meanwhile, Norton Password Manager has garnered quite a following with its pretty solid free plan. However, the zero-cost plan requires compromise in terms of security and features, which proves to be a deal-breaker for many.

So, should you invest in NordPass or save your dollars with Norton Password Manager?

Find out in this NordPass vs Norton Password Manager comparison. Let’s take a look at how they stack up when it comes to security, features, pricing, ease of use, customer support, and more.

NordPass vs Norton Password Manager - an overview

	NordPass	Norton Password Manager
⭐ Rating:	4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	3.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
🥇 Overall rank:	#1 out of #19	#15 out of #19
🔥 Coupons:	NordPass coupon 55% OFF	Cybernews Password Manager Coupons
💵 Price:	From $1.34/month	Free
✂️ Free version:	Yes, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee	Yes
🔒 Encryption:	XChaCha20	AES 256-bit
🖥️ Platforms:	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
🌐 Browser extensions:	Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, and Safari	Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Brave

Which one is more secure?

NordPass is easily the more secure password manager in the NordPass vs Norton Password Manager security comparison. NordPass’ robust security ticks all the right boxes with its iron-clad encryption, flexible multi-factor authentication (MFA), and privacy-friendly policy. Its one small flaw is its slightly inconvenient data storage.

As for Norton Password Manager, it offers strong encryption, but that’s about it. It falls short in other areas. For starters, it doesn’t allow multi- and two-factor authentication on desktops. Additionally, it doesn’t provide secure data storage. The password manager is noticeably vague regarding its privacy policy and independent audits.

Encryption

In terms of encryption, NordPass has the upper hand because it uses the more advanced XChaCha20. On the other hand, Norton Password Manager isn’t all that far behind using the highly secure 256-bit AES encryption, either.

In NordPass’ case, it veered from the industry-standard 256-bit AES encryption and opted for the more sophisticated and secure XChaCha20. XChaCha20 is a stream cipher that encrypts individually instead of by block. It’s considered to be more secure and efficient compared to AES-256.

Speaking of AES-256, that’s the encryption algorithm that Norton Password Manager uses to guard your vault. While it’s a rung below XChaCha20, 256-bit AES encryption is virtually impenetrable and still one of the most secure encryption algorithms out there.

Additionally, both NordPass and Norton Password Manager are zero-knowledge password managers. So, their end-to-end encryption prevents the companies and their employees from intercepting, accessing, and leaking your data.

Multifactor security

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is one of the best protective measures for your vault. It provides an additional layer of security by requiring two or more identity verification methods before granting access to the vault. In this aspect, NordPass easily defeats Norton Password Manager.

Since MFA is compulsory for all NordPass users, the password manager goes the extra mile and supports various MFA options to make things easier for its users. Here are its three main MFA options:

• Authenticator applications including Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Authy
• Security keys like YubiKey and MultiPass FIDO
• Backup codes

Norton Password Manager, on the other hand, doesn’t offer MFA and 2FA on desktop. This is especially worrying since MFA and 2FA protect against most attacks like phishing, malicious code, and brute force. Fortunately, as a mild consolation, the password manager’s mobile apps still support 2FA using authenticator apps, phone calls, texts, and security keys.

Data storage

It’s also the norm for password managers to work double duty as a secure cloud storage vault for sensitive documents. In NordPass’s case, you’ll need to download a separate app – NordLocker – to store anything other than passwords.

It’s a slight inconvenience since you’ll have to switch between the two different apps. However, if you can look past that, NordLocker is very liberal with its storage space. Even the free plan gets a generous 3GB storage space. And, you can always purchase its paid plans, too. Those go all the way up to 2TB.

In marked contrast, Norton Password Manager doesn’t offer storage for anything other than passwords. You get unlimited password storage, but you can forget about storing anything else in your Norton Password Manager vault.

Overall, NordPass’ slightly finicky data storage might not get full marks for user-friendliness. Still, it’s certainly enough to help the password manager seize victory in this round of Norton Password Manager vs NordPass.

Privacy policy

While both NordPass and Norton Password Manager are zero-knowledge solutions, they do collect certain personal user data. Of the two, Norton Password Manager is the more aggressive provider.

With NordPass, you can expect it to collect:

• Device information such as IP addresses, browser types, and operating systems
• Anonymized app usage statistics
• Application diagnostics

As you can see from above, nothing too intrusive is collected. Additionally, NordPass clarifies that there are workarounds to conceal your identity, and you have control over how your data is shared.

In contrast, Norton Password Manager’s privacy policy is trickier because it shares a general policy with other Norton products. This makes it much harder to pinpoint the specific clauses and terms that apply to Norton Password Manager.

Norton Password Manager is also bolder with the data it collects. Among other things, it collects:

• User data like name, address, phone number, and social security number
• Administrative data such as usage information
• Security data that may include financial transactions

Third-party security audits

Regular independent audits are essential to evaluate a password manager’s security and eliminate any vulnerabilities that could be exploited. While NordPass isn’t exactly the most prolific password manager in this respect, it still easily triumphs over Norton Password Manager.

NordPass has passed the SOC 2 Type 1 audit. On top of that, the password manager has also been externally audited by the security firm Cure53. While Cure53 found nine vulnerabilities, NordPass solved the issues before the firm completed the full audit.

In very stark contrast, Norton Password Manager doesn’t share any information about whether it has been independently audited. That said, most – if not all – password managers that have undergone third-party audits are usually keen to share the results with the public. So, in this case, it’s very likely that Norton Password Manager’s silence indicates that it hasn’t been independently audited.

NordPass vs Norton Password Manager: features overview

NordPass has the overwhelming win in the NordPass vs Norton Password Manager feature comparison.

NordPass brings to the table plenty of core and advanced features that help simplify and improve the password management experience. Whether it’s password importing, recovery, or sharing, NordPass’ well-rounded features have you covered. To get a full understanding of all of the features, check out the NordPass review.

On the other hand, Norton Password Manager is as bare-bones as they come, with many primary features sorely missing. And, for the features that you do get, most of them fail to live up to expectations. To learn more, check out our in-depth Norton Password Manager review.

Password importing

NordPass and Norton Password Manager both support multiple bulk password-importing options to make it easier to migrate your passwords. Between the two password managers, NordPass supports more applications.

In NordPass’ case, it automatically recognizes the saved passwords on your browser and allows you to migrate them over to its platform with just a few clicks. Furthermore, it also supports password importing from a long list of password managers like Keeper, Dashlane, and RoboForm. The commonly-used CSV file is supported, too.

Meanwhile, Norton Password Manager is far more restrictive with its password-importing feature. It still supports bulk password import from familiar apps like Chrome, Firefox, Dashlane, and 1Password. However, oddly enough, it doesn’t allow you to import using generic CSV files. This is especially frustrating since CSV is one of the most-used formats.

Account and password recovery

NordPass races ahead yet again in this round of NordPass vs Norton Password Manager faceoff courtesy of its helpful account and password recovery feature.

Meanwhile, Norton Password Manager has only one recovery option, which comes with strings attached.

When you sign up for a NordPass account, you must generate a unique 24-symbol Recovery Code. This code is the key to your account recovery. Without the code, you’ll have to reset your NordPass account.

Meanwhile, things are less grave if you subscribe to NordPass Premium. The plan comes with Emergency Access, where your appointed contacts get read-only access to your vault.

Unfortunately, account and password recovery is far more taxing and vexing with Norton Password Manager. Here, there’s only one option: reset using biometrics. And, since biometrics is a requirement, you can only reset your Norton Password Manager account on a mobile device.

Password generator

Both offer a password generator to make it easier to create strong and unique random passwords that are difficult to crack. However, where NordPass’ password generator nailed the assignment, Norton Password Manager’s version has a few damning flaws.

NordPass’ password generator lets you customize the length of the password. It’s set to 12 characters by default, but you can go up to 60 characters. Besides that, you can also include/exclude upper and lower cases, symbols, and numbers. Another huge plus is that the generator can create passphrases of up to 10 words.

Meanwhile, Norton Password Manager’s version can create passwords of between 4 and 64 characters. You can also include/exclude letters, mixed cases, punctuation, and numbers.

However, you can’t edit the generated passwords. And there’s no option to create passphrases either. Worse, its mobile apps’ password generator creates only the shortest possible passwords. For those caught unaware or unfamiliar with password safety, those short passwords could leave them open to attacks.

Password sharing

Regarding NordPass vs Norton Password Manager for password sharing, it’s another triumphant conquest for NordPass. NordPass lets you easily share your saved items like passwords and secure notes. You’ll also be in the driver's seat and control each recipient’s access level completely.

Select the item you want to share, tweak the access level accordingly, and insert the recipient’s email address. Once sent, your recipient will receive a notification about the shared item.

For trusted contacts, there’s also a Transfer Ownership option in which you, as the name suggests, transfer all rights to another user.

In marked contrast, Norton Password Manager doesn’t offer a password-sharing feature. Instead, your band-aid solution is setting up an account and sharing the login details with the relevant parties. Naturally, this is far from ideal, given the necessary compromise regarding security and user-friendliness.

Autofill

Autofill is a convenient feature that automatically fills up login, payment, and other online forms on your behalf. NordPass’ autofill feature is an excellent example of how it should work but, unfortunately, Norton Password Manager’s version falls short of expectations.

NordPass’ autofill has all the makings of a great tool. It’s accurate, intuitive, and fast. Simply click on the NordPass icons, and it will automatically fill in the login fields with your credentials.

Now, most free password managers tend to skip out on autofill. So, Norton Password Manager should be applauded for even including the feature. But, at the same time, its autofill feature tends to frustrate and delay rather than simplify form-filling processes. More often than not, clicking on its icon doesn’t trigger the feature. And, at other times, it simply doesn’t work.

Plans and pricing

NordPass has the upper hand in the NordPass vs Norton Password Manager pricing comparison for a few reasons. For starters, its wide selection of plans can cater to all sorts of users.

Additionally, for risk-free trials, NordPass also has a 30-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. And that’s on top of its free plan. Plus, it's incredibly generous with its features, too.

Plan	NordPass	Norton Password Manager
Free	$0.00	$0.00
Premium	$1.34/month (1 user)	-
Family	$2.68/month (6 users)	-
Business	$2.87/month	-
	Try NordPass	Try Norton Password Manager

As for Norton Password Manager, its completely free plan is one of its most attractive attributes. However, that one free plan isn’t sufficient to serve all types of users and would unavoidably leave some without a fitting solution.

Moreover, its sparse features could very well cause gaps in its protection, too.

NordPass pricing

NordPass offers three personal plans:

• Free – $0.00
• Premium – $1.34/month for 1 user
• Family – $2.68/month for 6 users
• Business – $2.87/month/user (up to 250 users)

The Free tier is generously loaded with features like unlimited passwords, autosave and autofill, automatic sync, and MFA in addition to a free 30-day Premium trial. That said, you’ll still need NordPass Premium to access all of its features. Premium comes with everything in the Free plan, secure sharing, emergency access, data breach scanner, and Password Health.

To fit in more users, upgrade to its Family plan. This plan offers the same features as Premium but supports up to six users.

Additionally, NordPass also offers a Business plan, which includes everything in the regular Premium plan, as well as an admin dashboard for user management, and personal password vaults for each employee.

Norton Password Manager pricing

Norton Password Manager is an entirely free password management solution, which would explain its skimpy features. That said, you can still enjoy unlimited password storage, a password generator, Safety Dashboard, autofill, and offline mode.

Alternatively, Norton Password Manager is part of the Norton 360 complete security suite. Depending on the plan you opt for, you could get an antivirus program, a secure VPN, dark web monitoring, and a firewall in addition to the password manager.

Platforms, interface, and ease of use

When it comes to NordPass vs Norton Password Manager for compatibility, NordPass emerges as the victor again. NordPass works with all the major operating systems and web browsers.

Meanwhile, Norton Password Manager has browser extensions and mobile apps but completely neglects to offer desktop apps.

	NordPass	Norton Password Manager
Supported OS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Android, iOS
Browser extensions	Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Edge	Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave
Number of users	Up to 6	1

Compatibility aside, both password managers’ platforms and interfaces are intuitive and user-friendly.

Desktop apps

NordPass’ desktop apps work on all Windows, macOS, and Linux devices. And, don’t worry about setup. The process takes only minutes, and you’ll be closely guided through the steps.

Whether you’re using a Windows, macOS, or Linux device, you’ll see very similar desktop apps on all three operating systems. Across the board, they’re intuitive, responsive, and well-designed. All the essential features are also right at your fingertips and carefully organized under a sleek menu.

Meanwhile, Norton Password Manager is no threat to NordPass’ winning position whatsoever since it doesn’t even have a desktop app.

Browser extensions

The pair’s extensions work on all the common browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. To add the extension to your browser, you just need to click when prompted.

Since their functionalities are heavily tied to their web apps, you won’t be able to access all of the features on the extensions. Instead, you can expect to see only core features like autosave, autofill, and password generator. While annoying, this is quite typical for browser extensions.

Mobile apps

To set up NordPass or Norton Password Manager’s mobile app, just download the app from either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

In NordPass’ case, its mobile apps for Android and iOS devices look very alike to each other. Both versions are easy to navigate, responsive, and neat despite being packed to the brim with all the same features as NordPass’ web and desktop apps. Either way, you shouldn’t have any issues finding exactly what you need.

Contrastingly, Norton Password Manager’s mobile apps come with only basic features. Even then, some features are simplified versions of their desktop counterparts. While this does affect the apps’ functionality, it also means that, on the plus side, the mobile apps are uncluttered and beginner-friendly.

Customer support

NordPass and Norton Password Manager offer multiple customer support options, including 24/7 live chat. However, you’ll see vastly different experiences with the two password managers.

With NordPass, you can contact its support team 24/7 via live chat and email. Generally, its agents are helpful and well-trained to assist. Otherwise, you could also visit NordPass’ online help center. Here, you’ll find a wealth of articles, detailed guides, and tutorials on password management.

As for Norton Password Manager, you’ll need to visit Norton’s main page to get to customer support. Your options are 24/7 live chat, phone support, and a community forum. However, unfortunately, its support quality leaves much to be desired.

For starters, its live chat agents have difficulties answering simple questions about the password manager. Additionally, its community forum isn’t very well-moderated or active, and most questions go unanswered. Instead, your best bet is to check out Norton’s shared Knowledge base and FAQ.

NordPass vs Norton Password Manager – which one to choose?

Category	NordPass	Norton Password Manager
Security	✅	❌
Features	✅	❌
Pricing & plans	✅	❌
User-friendliness	✅	❌
Customer support	✅	❌

Overall, as is plain to see, NordPass is the better password manager in the NordPass vs Norton Password Manager comparison. An all-rounder, NordPass delivers the complete package with its unparalleled security, robust features, affordable pricing, and easy-to-use platforms.

In contrast, Norton Password Manager certainly has its appeals like zero cost and strong encryption. However, its weak spots, such as poor overall security and meager features, will likely deter many users.

FAQ