RoboForm vs LastPass: which is the superior password manager?

RoboForm and LastPass are constantly cited as some of the best password managers on the market. Functional, affordable, and easy to use, both providers also offer free plans for users to test the waters.

On the other hand, LastPass has had a few hacking and vulnerability controversies, which is a huge liability for a password manager. So, does this mean an automatic win for RoboForm?

Well, not so fast! After all, it’s only fair if we also check out other aspects before giving the final word. So, let’s take a closer look at how RoboForm and LastPass compare in terms of security, features, pricing, ease of use, and customer support.

RoboForm vs LastPass – an overview

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Which one is more secure?

RoboForm is more secure than LastPass, but it’s a narrow margin as both have their strengths and shortfalls. RoboForm’s encryption and multi-factor authentication (MFA), while industry standard, fall slightly behind when compared to LastPass’ more advanced and flexible ones.

However, where RoboForm gained ground is that it’s, so far, still free from privacy scandals. Meanwhile, LastPass has suffered a few security breaches and vulnerabilities.

In 2016 and 2019, Google Project Zero researcher Tavis Ormandy found security flaws that could have exposed over 16 million users’ credentials. While the vaults are in no danger, a hacker could access users’ hashed master passwords, security questions, and email addresses. And in 2022, the company’s source code was accessed through a compromised developer account.

However, to be fair, LastPass was quick to address and fix the flaws on all occasions.

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Encryption

RoboForm and LastPass have very similar approaches when it comes to encryption. They both guard your vault with 256-bit AES encryption, which is virtually impenetrable. Alongside AES-256, both password managers also use PBKDF2 SHA256 hashing for your master password to protect against dictionary and brute force attacks.

However, this is where there’s a fork in their approaches. RoboForm uses 8 million iterations, whereas LastPass uses only 100,100 rounds. From this, we can deduce that RoboForm’ hashing is likely more resistant to attacks.

Either way, both password managers were built on zero-knowledge architecture. So, all encryption/decryption is done locally, and only encrypted data is sent to their servers. Neither the companies nor their employees will be able to access your master password or vault content.

In brief, both RoboForm and LastPass offer top-tier encryption to protect your data. However, RoboForm narrowly leads the RoboForm vs LastPass security matchup because of its higher number of iterations.

Multifactor security

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides a critical extra layer of protection to guard against breaches. Once enabled, you’ll need to verify your identity using two or more ways before you can access your vault.

For RoboForm, users, paid and free, get assorted two-factor authentication (2FA) methods. All main MFA apps like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Authy are supported. The only exception is hardware keys like YubiKey. Plus, RoboForm also allows SMS verification, but it’s best to give this a skip as it’s one of the least secure 2FA methods.

As for LastPass, it supports various 2FA and MFA. For 2FA, LastPass offers:

• LastPass Authenticator
• Smartphone apps like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Symantec VIP
• Software-based authentication services such as LastPass Grid and LastPass Sesame
• Hardware tokens like YubiKey and RSA SecurID

Business users also get LastPass MFA, a separate app, for more secure logins.

Overall, both are doing well in supporting MFA. However, LastPass has the upper hand because of its wider range of authentication methods.

Data storage

Password managers often act as a secure cloud storage vault, too. Although both RoboForm and LastPass let you store an unlimited number of passwords, the two providers took different approaches for other data.

With RoboForm, you get Safenotes, which is akin to an encrypted digital notebook. Here, you can store data like safe combinations, insurance policies, secret recipes, and more. However, other data like videos and photos aren’t supported. For those, RoboForm recommends that you use GoodSync instead.

As for LastPass, your package determines your storage. Free plan gets 50MB, while Premium and Families plans get up to 1GB. Either way, restrictively, each file must not exceed 10MB in size. This is far too low a limit if you plan to store anything other than basic documents and passwords.

Overall, it’s a tie since both RoboForm and LastPass could be significantly more generous and flexible with their data storage.

Privacy policy

RoboForm and LastPass do collect certain personal data even though they were built on zero-knowledge architecture. Of the two, RoboForm is considerably more transparent about its data collection.

RoboForm collects basic user information. So, things like email, name, operating system used, and address are within acceptable bounds. However, its privacy policy is pretty standard and rather upfront about what it logs. Plus, for certain data, you have control over how it's handled and shared.

Contrastingly, LastPass’ privacy policy is more vexing. LastPass shares a policy with its parent company GoTo, which has a range of products. So, it’s almost impossible to determine the exact clauses that apply to LastPass. Worse, GoTo shares your data with ‘affiliated companies and subsidiaries which are directly or indirectly owned’ and other parties.

Overall, you can expect LastPass to collect:

• First and last name
• Billing data
• Email address
• Devices used
• IP addresses
• Location
• Unique device identifiers

Third-party security audits

Regular independent security audits and their findings are great to check if a password manager lives up to its claims.

RoboForm has been audited by independent third-party firm Secfault Security proving that it's free from security vulnerabilities. Also, it has SOC 2 certification on its servers. These servers are reportedly located in a secure Tier 1 facility, surrounded by armed guards, backup generators, and connections to Internet backbones.

As for LastPass, Tevora Business Solutions audited LogMeIn’s services (including LastPass) and found that they meet the Trust Service Principles set by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

However, this was done before LastPass’ breach and vulnerability incidents. Plus, it's an across-the-board audit for LogMeIn staff compliance and not one specifically on LastPass’ products and services.

RoboForm vs LastPass: features overview

RoboForm leads the LastPass vs RoboForm feature comparison. That said, it’s a very sharply-contested battle since both RoboForm and LastPass offer wide password-importing options, several password recovery methods, and handy autofill features.

Where RoboForm has the edge is that its password generator is more versatile compared to LastPass’ version. Additionally, its password-sharing feature is available to all, while LastPass comes with various restrictions.

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Password importing

Just like other savvy password managers, RoboForm and LastPass include password-importing features in their bundle to make the process easier for their users.

In RoboForm’s case, it supports bulk password importing from a long list of sources. Among them are:

• Browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Edge
• Other password managers such as LastPass, 1Password, and Keeper
• CSV files

Similarly, LastPass also makes password importing a breeze for its users. To start, you can bulk import from various browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Safari with ease. Alternatively, importing from other password managers such as RoboForm, Keeper, and 1Password is allowed, too.

Additionally, you could also use LastPass’ passive import function if your former password manager doesn’t support password exporting. All you need to do is launch both password managers simultaneously. Otherwise, a CSV file works, too.

Overall, the duo greatly simplifies the password-importing process with their diverse options.

Account and password recovery

For the more forgetful folks, you’d be relieved to know that RoboForm and LastPass offer a few recovery methods for lost or forgotten master passwords.

For paid users, RoboForm allows you to designate an emergency contact who can access your account and download your data if you’ve lost your master password. The only requirement is that the contact must have a RoboForm account. Alternatively, if you’ve enabled biometrics on your mobile app, you can also use it to restore your password.

LastPass, meanwhile, lets you pick among mobile account recovery using Face or Touch ID, password hint, a One Time password, SMS recovery, or reverting to your previous master password. Regardless of the method you choose, you’ll need to first log in using your browser’s web extension.

Password generator

For unique and strong passwords, the easiest way is to use a password generator. That’s why, with RoboForm, you get a very customizable password generator.

You can adjust it to include or exclude upper or lower case letters, numbers, hexadecimal, and symbols. Also worth noting is that the password generator’s default number of characters is 16, but you can max it out at a whopping 512 characters.

Quite similarly, LastPass’ password generator also allows almost the same customizations. Of course, the choice to include/exclude capitalization, symbols, and numbers are a given. Other than that, you can tweak the settings to generate easy-to-say or read passwords. Either way, the number of characters is set at a maximum of 50.

Overall, both password generators make it very easy to create unguessable passwords. However, RoboForm has the advantage in this round of RoboForm vs LastPass because of its high character limit.

Password sharing

Safe sharing is critical to allow users to share records without compromising security. In this regard, RoboForm has a clear advantage over LastPass.

With RoboForm, you can share passwords easily using a link sent via email. Here, you can customize permissions as well as revoke access at any time. You can even share an entire folder, too. The only condition is that your recipient must have an account, which shouldn’t be too much of an issue since RoboForm has a free option.

Meanwhile, password sharing is trickier with LastPass since your plan will determine if you get the feature and the limitations attached.

Unfortunately, LastPass’ Free and Premium plans users don’t get password sharing. Meanwhile, Family plan users can share passwords with 6 users and Teams plan users with 50 users. On the other hand, Business plan users get unlimited password sharing.

If sharing passwords and files among your closest ones is crucially important to you, make sure to visit our guide on the best password managers for families.

Autofill

Both RoboForm and LastPass offer autofill to simplify and speed up login, payment, and other form-filling processes in a secure manner.

In RoboForm’s case, its autofill feature automatically fills in all the relevant fields and submits the form for you. All you need to do is click on its icon. This applies to login, addresses, payment details, and more.

Likewise, LastPass’ autofill also automatically completes login credentials, payment details, personal details, and more. Additionally, the password manager offers the option to disable the feature for selected sites, too. This is a great safeguard to have in place, especially for suspicious sites.

Overall, the pair’s autofill features are incredibly helpful and convenient. The only thing to note is that both RoboForm and LastPass users have complained that their autofill occasionally glitches, which could be frustrating.

Plans and pricing

RoboForm is more affordable than LastPass. Although both password managers have free plans, they also have other risk-free ways that you can test their services. RoboForm has a 30-day money-back guarantee, while LastPass offers a free 30-day trial.

However, where RoboForm has the upper hand is that it’s the cheaper option when it comes to paid tiers. Plus, RoboForm is also more generous with its features.

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RoboForm pricing

RoboForm has a range of plans for personal and business users. Users get 4 options:

• RoboForm Free
• RoboForm Premium – $0.99/month for 1 user
• RoboForm Family – $1.59/month for 5 users
• RoboForm for Business – $2.49/month per user

RoboForm Free is a good gateway into the password manager’s service, but it’s missing certain features. To utilize all of RoboForm’s features, you’ll need Premium. This plan is for one user and comes with unlimited logins, password audit, emergency access, cloud backup, and a secure shared folder.

RoboForm Family has all the same features, too, but the difference is that it can support up to 5 users.

Organizations can also go for RoboForm for Business subscription, allowing 1-1000+ users. It offers centralized management, automated user provisioning, dark web monitoring, and many other excellent features. The price depends on the subscription length and the amount of users.

LastPass pricing

LastPass offers 3 plans:

• LastPass Free
• LastPass Premium – $3.00/month for 1 user
• LastPass Families – $4.00/month for 6 users
• LastPass Business – $6.00/month per user

The Free plan is stripped-down with only unlimited password storage and several basic features included. So, spring for LastPass Premium to get more features like secure bulk sharing, emergency access, and dark web monitoring.

To enjoy the full list of features, instead, you’ll need LastPass Families. It supports up to 6 users and comes with a family manager dashboard and unlimited folder sharing.

Platforms, interface, and ease of use

In terms of compatibility, RoboForm and LastPass work with all the major operating systems and browser extensions.

However, ease of use is where their differences come to light. Both shine and fall in different areas to bring a tie to this round of RoboForm vs LastPass. RoboForm has intuitive and functional desktop apps but basic extensions and mobile apps. Meanwhile, LastPass offers robust mobile apps but has restrictive desktop apps and extensions.

Desktop apps

Both password managers ensure that their installation and setup processes are as straightforward as just clicking when prompted. However, RoboForm has the upper hand when it comes to functionality and ease of use.

RoboForm’s desktop apps are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux devices. And the apps for the different operating systems all bear a heavy resemblance to each other. Either way, your app will be streamlined, clean, and intuitive.

In contrast, LastPass’ desktop apps come with many strings attached. To start, the desktop app is available for Windows but not for Mac since the native Mac app was discontinued in 2020. And, even so, the Windows desktop app is only available to paid users and is a pale reflection of its much more functional web browser version.

Browser extensions

The duo supports all the major browsers, including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. Setup involves just a few guided clicks.

As can be expected from most browser extensions, RoboForm’s browser extensions see their functionalities tied to its web app. That said, you still get core features such as autosave, autofill, and password generator on RoboForm’s extensions.

In a similar fashion, LastPass only has selected functionalities on its browser extensions. You get basic features like autofill, autosave, and password generator, and that’s about it. For everything else, you’ll need to head to its web app.

Mobile apps

To install either RoboForm or LastPass mobile app, just download the app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

In RoboForm’s case, its mobile apps for iOS and Android are very alike. Responsive, sleek, and easy to navigate, it’s easy enough to manage your passwords from anywhere. Meanwhile, functionalities are somewhat limited, but all the key features, such as autofill, password generator, and password audit, are available.

In contrast, LastPass’ mobile apps are more functional. You get the full spectrum of features as well as, excitingly, mobile-exclusive extras like autofill in apps and split-screen features for iPads. Navigation is also a breeze since everything is well organized.

To sum up, LastPass comes out on top courtesy of its excellent fully-functional mobile apps.

Customer support

RoboForm is the clear winner when we compare LastPass vs RoboForm customer support. With RoboForm, your support options depend on your plan. All users get 24/7 ticket support, but only those on paid plans get priority online support and live chat support. However, the latter two are only available during business hours.

So fortunately, RoboForm’s Help Center, User Manual, and Tutorials are filled with articles and guides. Each one is detailed and comes with images for clarity purposes.

In contrast, LastPass prefers that you check out its FAQ section for DIY help before reaching out. This is where you can find hundreds of articles covering all-thing password management. Otherwise, it also has a ticketing system, but that’s only available to its paid users.

In brief, RoboForm’s support system is significantly more solid than LastPass’s one. Plus, unlike LastPass, RoboForm’s agent assistance is also easily accessible regardless of your plan.

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RoboForm vs LastPass – which one to choose?

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RoboForm is the superior password manager when compared to LastPass. Although the competition is stiff, RoboForm has more functional features, cheaper pricing, and better customer support. Most importantly, it’s free from security controversies and breaches.

As for LastPass, it’s still a fantastic password manager with robust security measures and rich features. That said, its hacking and vulnerability scandals are a deal-breaker for some users. Plus, its lack of transparency when it comes to policies and independent audits is a huge handicap, too.

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