Note: Keeper now offers dark web scans for Business and Enterprise accounts.
LastPass is one of the most popular password managers available. It’s free, reliable, and easy to use. Keeper is a lesser known password manager and also offers a free trial. So does Keeper offer anything over LastPass that makes it a better option? We’ve compared Keeper vs LastPass in a number of different categories to see how they stack up.
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Key Similarities
Now, this comparison is super long and detailed, but if you just want an overview, here are a few things that Keeper and LastPass have in common:
- Based in the United States: Both password manager companies are based in the United States, which means that they fall under the jurisdiction of Five Eyes, Nine Eyes and 14 Eyes (we’ll talk more about what that means in a second).
- Dark web scans: Both password managers will scan the dark web for your credentials, alerting you if they’re found so you can change your passwords ASAP.
- Family, personal and business options: Both offer subscriptions specifically designed for personal use, family use or business use, from small businesses to larger enterprises.
Key Differences
Of course, they also come with many differences, including:
- Credit monitoring: Only LastPass offers credit monitoring in addition to a dark web scan.
- Pricing: What you’ll pay depends not only on what password manager you choose but also which plan you choose within that password manager, with costs ranging from $0 all the way up to $8 a month.
- Importing from browsers: Only LastPass lets you import your passwords directly from Internet Explorer and Safari, so if you use those browsers, it may be a better option.
Privacy
Okay, now let’s talk more about privacy. Of course, you’ll use your password manager to store the passwords to all your online accounts, which contain a ton of your personal information, from your home address to your credit card numbers. LastPass and Keeper are based in Boston and Chicago, respectively, but cities in the good old U.S of A. That means that the government could legally force either company to hand over your data, but that would really only happen in extreme situations, like if they needed it from a crime investigation.
Now, if neither company logs your data, they’d have nothing to pass on to any government agency, which is why I took the liberty of reading Keeper and LastPass’ privacy policies. Both password managers will keep your basic information like your billing info for payments, password, your location (although you can opt-out with LastPass) and some session and usage data. However, Keeper definitely keeps more data, including:
- Device type
- Operating system version
- Device identifiers
- System performance
- IP address
- Aggregate user statistics and web traffic.
- Phone number.
Top Password Manager for Privacy
Of course, neither password manager will have access to your vault, but if you’re super concerned about privacy, LastPass is a better option than Keeper.
Features
In short, both Keeper and LastPass let you store an unlimited number of passwords across all of your devices. Instead of having to remember a million different passwords, you’ll only have to remember one, your master password.
If your accounts are breached, they’ll alert you immediately so you can change your password using their password generators.
They’ll make up something long, complicated, as well as unique so every account has its own strong password. Unfortunately, neither Keeper nor LastPass changes old passwords automatically, so this is something you’ll have to do manually, one at a time. Each password manager will provide you with a strength report so you can focus on the ones that need fixing. In addition, both allow for multiple users, auto-login so you don’t have to enter your master password a million times, and form filling (although this is a separate cost with Keeper called KeeperFill).
Aside from entering your password, Keeper and LastPass offer even more options to make sure that the right person is accessing each account. Two-factor authentication will send a passcode to a device, while multi-factor authentication uses biometrics like fingerprint or facial ID. So even if someone has your master password, these authentication methods offer even more security for your accounts.
So what happens if you forget your master password completely? Don’t worry, both password managers let you add an emergency contact when you set up your account. This person can let you into your vault in case you forget this very important master password.
How Encryption Works
As far as encryption goes, both password managers use the industry standard of AES-256 bit and PBKD52 to prevent password cracking. LastPass uses SHA-256, a Secure Hash Algorithm that contains keys for encryption, while Keeper uses a 2048-bit RSA for its multi-factor authentication.
Both password managers let you import your passwords directly from Chrome, Firefox and Opera, but only LastPass tacks on Internet Explorer and Safari, making it better for users of those browsers.
Extras
While LastPass offers a dark web scan and credit monitoring, Keeper only offers a dark web scan. What is that exactly? Well, the dark web is a section of the Internet only available through special software. It’s a hotbed of cyber crime, with millions of stolen passwords floating around, ready to be sold for profit. So naturally, it’s a relief that both password managers will make sure that your credentials aren’t there, alerting you if they’re found so you can change your passwords.
LastPass also offers free credit monitoring, which monitors your credit reports for any changes. For an additional $9.95 a month, LastPass will provide:
- Full access to three credit reports
- Regular monitoring all of reports
- Instant alerts to any changes on reports with detailed information on what changed and what you should do about it, if anything
- Reports displayed in credit monitoring dashboard, refreshed each month
- Full-service resolution if you are the victim of identity theft.
Storage
Both password managers also give you some additional encrypted storage, 1 GB with LastPass or 10, 20 or 50 GB with Keeper, depending on what plan you choose (that is, if you choose to pay for KeeperChat at all). Not only is this storage stored on your device, but also in encrypted cloud storage for backup.
Top Password Manager for Features
Despite the fact that it offers less storage, LastPass has better features than Keeper, especially if you’re a Safari or Internet Explorer user. It’s also the only option with credit monitoring. LastPass two, Keeper zero!
Using Keeper vs. LastPass
No one wants to spend large amounts of time figuring out how to use their password manager; after all, this is something that is supposed to make your life easier!
Using Keeper
I had a really easy time using Keeper, particularly when it came to importing my passwords from Chrome. First, you’ll need to download the Keeper desktop app, which took me a few seconds. Then, I made up my username, master password, plus a question and answer for security in case I forget my master password. From there, the app prompted me to import my passwords from my browser, which, like I said, was Chrome. After entering my keychain password (a secret I’ll never tell), the Keeper app immediately found over 70 usernames and passwords, adding them to my vault in one click!
Once that’s done, Keeper does the work for you. If you need to access your vault for whatever reason, their dashboard is clean and user-friendly. Although the app froze for me once, it was still a good experience overall.
Using LastPass
You’ll start setting up LastPass by creating a username and master password directly on their website. Then, you’ll download the browser extension. Annoyingly, the process toggled between the browser extension and the website, so it wasn’t the smoothest experience; I would’ve preferred everything in one place, preferably the desktop app. But even when I clicked on features in the app like “Security Challenge”, it brought me back to the website. What is the point of having an app if you’re just directing people back to the website?
LastPass is also a bumpier ride when it comes to importing your passwords from Chrome. Unlike Keeper, LastPass didn’t prompt me, so I had to Google it. I learned that I couldn’t directly import my passwords from Chrome, but instead had to download them from my browser as a CSV file, copy everything and paste it into the LastPass app. So while it wasn’t exactly the biggest hurdle I’ve ever encountered, it definitely took a lot more steps than Keeper.
But once that was over and done with, LastPass was easy to use, set up very similarly to Keeper (and most password managers, as a matter of fact).
Top Password Manager for User Experience
Overall, I had a much easier time setting up Keeper over LastPass. Now, Keeper only needs one more category to catch up to LastPass…let’s see which one has better pricing.
Subscriptions
The good news is that whether you’re using Keeper or LastPass, they both have options for individuals, families as well as businesses.
Keeper Subscriptions
Keeper’s options range from $2.50 per person per month to $8 a month for a family of up to five people, which is super reasonable.
Personal
Keeper works a little bit differently than LastPass in one regard— they offer a service called KeeperChat, which lets you text securely along with giving you some secure storage. If you buy Keeper with KeeperChat in one foul swoop, you’ll get a discount, which is nice. This is a great option for the privacy-concerned in particular. Options are available for individuals and for families of up to five people, and it will never cost you more than $10 a month.
Business
As far as business goes, you can choose between Business and Enterprise, with Enterprise tacking on some extra features like:
- Additional multi-factor options
- API access
- SAML single sign-on
- Cloud app provisioning
The cost per user is super minimal with either plan, as you’ll pay under $4 per user per month no matter which plan you choose.
LastPass Subscriptions
Okay, Keeper is going to be tough to beat when it comes to subscriptions and pricing. Does LastPass have what it takes?
Personal
As you can see, LastPass has a really great free option that lets you store as many passwords as you have, but you won’t be able to share them securely or get emergency access if you forget your master password. If those features are important to you, I recommend the Premium plan, a bit more expensive than Keeper’s individual plan at $3 a month, but still not breaking the bank by any means. For families, up to six people will be covered for only $4 a month, which is actually cheaper than Keeper’s family plan. So I’d go with LastPass if you’re a family but Keeper if you’re an individual.
Business
When it comes to business, LastPass means business. Their pricing is definitely more expensive than Keeper’s, but you do get more features like:
- Dedicated customer support
- Priority tech support
- Directory integration with IdP
Your choice will really depend on what features you need for your business, so it’s hard to just pare it down to price.
Top Password Manager for Subscriptions
Overall, I prefer Keeper’s subscriptions, as they’re generally more affordable for individuals and businesses. However, if you’re a family, LastPass will be cheaper. Of course, your choice will also be affected by what’s included in each subscription, which I explain in detail in each option’s individual review. Now, we’re tied with only 2 categories left. Let’s move on to the mobile applications!
Apps
When using a password manager, most of your actions will occur within apps, so I want to make sure they’re user-friendly.
The Keeper App
The Keeper app is available for iOS, MacOS, Windows, Androids— if it’s a common device, Keeper has an app for it, excluding Dolphin Browsers. There’s also browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer, but not for Maxthon or Opera. The apps are highly-rated, with a 4.2 on Androids and a 4.9 on iPhones as well as Windows.
The LastPass App
LastPass has apps for everything Keeper does, plus Dolphin browsers along with browser extensions for Opera and Maxthon. While it’s Android app beets Keeper with a 4.6 rating, its iPhone app and Windows app do not, coming in at 4.3 and 3 stars, respectively.
Top Password Manager for App
The numbers don’t lie— Keeper has a better app, unless you’re an Android-user. Keeper is now in the lead with Keeper three, LastPass two! There’s only one category left, so it’ll either be a tie or Keeper will take the cake. Moving on to the next section.
Customer Support
Customer support is one of the more dreaded areas of any business, so I want to make sure it’s as painless as possible.
Keeper Customer Support
If you need help with Keeper, first head on over to the online support center. If that doesn’t work, you can fill out a form on their website or live chat a support member 24/7. There’s no phone line available, which is unfortunately pretty common for password managers, but the live chat was really good, with quick and straightforward answers. But that’s just my personal experience, so I did a bit more research into what other Keeper customers are saying about their support.
Keeper has a 4.1 rating on Amazon, with 70% of reviews about customer support being positive. On Google, Keeper took a bit of a dip with a still-respectable three-star rating, but the sample size was only two reviews so too small to judge. Overall, I’m happy with Keeper’s support and other customers seemed to agree, in general.
LastPass Customer Support
LastPass’ options are even more minimal than Keeper’s, with only an online help center and a form. That means that you definitely won’t get help immediately, which is a bit disappointing.
LastPass has a 3.5 rating on Amazon, but only two reviews mentioned customer support. On Google, LastPass’s parent company LogMeIn has a 4.1 rating, which seems really good overall. Looking closer, however, I noticed that the majority of positive reviews were from happy employees, not customers. Out of the eight reviews mentioning customer support, 100% were negative. It was hard to reach a human and even when you did, LastPass’ support team weren’t super helpful and were even a bit rude to some people. Yikes.
Top Password Manager for Customer Support
There’s no doubt in my mind— Keeper’s customer support is way better than LastPass’. Sorry, LastPass!
Recap
Overall, I’d go with Keeper over LastPass. While LastPass has a stricter data logging policy and some features that Keeper lacks, Keeper won when it came to usability, subscriptions, customer support and the app. However, things aren’t so cut and dry considering the differences between the two, so let me break it down if you’re still unsure.
I’d buy Keeper if you’d like…
- Easier setup: I was able to import my passwords from Chrome to Keeper in just one click.
- More affordable Individual or business plans: You’ll pay as little as either $2.50 a month for one person or $5 a month for up to five people, which comes out to a dollar per person per month.
- Better app for iOS and Windows devices: Keeper’s apps on the Apple and Window stores have almost perfect ratings of 4.9.
To learn more, read my full review of Keeper.
But go with LastPass if you are looking for…
- More affordable family plans: LastPass lets you cover up to six people for only $4 a month, less than a dollar per person!
- More privacy: LastPass doesn’t keep as much data as Keeper, although both are located in the United States.
- Credit monitoring: Only LastPass monitors your credit for free, with premium plans available.
Learn more by reading my full review of LastPass.
For more information or to learn about other options, check out my list of 2020’s best password managers.
FAQs
What is better, Dashlane or LastPass?
Although these are both great options, but overall, I’d choose Dashlane over LastPass. Although it’s more expensive, you’ll get more features, better customer support, and a higher-rated app. Dashlane is also easier to use, which anyone can appreciate.
Which is better, 1Password or LastPass?
While 1Password is better for privacy, customer support, and user experience, LastPass takes the cake for features, subscription options, and the app.
What is the safest password manager?
The safest password manager is Enpass. It’s based in India, a non-member to Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes, meaning the government can’t force companies to hand over customer data. Plus, their data logging policy is very strict, only keeping your support requests, participation in promotions, contests or giveaways, name and email address.