Comparing Password Managers for Small Businesses

Small businesses face an ever-growing challenge of managing and securing their online accounts. With cyber threats on the rise, it's crucial to implement robust password management practices. This article explores some of the best password managers available for small businesses in 2025, helping you make an informed decision to protect your digital assets.

The Password Manager Landscape

We've evaluated seven popular password managers: Bitwarden, LastPass, 1Password, NordPass, Dashlane, Keeper, and Zoho Vault. While there are other options available, we've focused on these seven due to their popularity and feature sets tailored for small businesses.

It's worth noting that while browser-based password managers are convenient, they lack the advanced features and security measures offered by dedicated password management solutions. Similarly, operating system built-in password managers, while useful for personal use, may not provide the collaborative features and admin controls necessary for business environments.

Key Considerations for Small Businesses

When choosing a password manager for your small business, consider the following factors:

1. Ease of onboarding: How quickly can we start using it?

2. Team sharing: Can we organize passwords by role or project?

3. Admin oversight: Does it log who does what? Can we set and enforce policies? 

4. Budget: Consider per-user/month pricing versus annual pricing or even one-time licenses.

5. Security: Look for end-to-end encryption, zero-knowledge architecture, and breach alerts

Common Features Across Password Managers

All seven password managers we evaluated share essential features:

• Password Generation: They all create, store, and fill passwords for you, and support passkeys, a secure passwordless sign-in option.

• Secure Password Sharing: All now allow some form of sharing passwords without revealing them. (Note that tech savvy users may still be able to get to those passwords, for example through browser developer tools. While sometimes it seems unavoidable to share accounts, wherever possible, each person should have their own accounts so logs can attribute actions to the correct person.)

• Secure Notes: All managers allow for secure note storage.

• Individual and Shared Vaults: They provide options for both private and shared password storage.

• Cross-Device Synchronization: They offer syncing across various platforms and devices.

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Support for two-factor authentication is standard, with some offering advanced options like YubiKey and biometric authentication.

• Password Health Checks: All offer weak, reused, or exposed password warnings.

• Scalability: They provide scalable solutions with different tiers for growing businesses.

• Compliance: While specific compliances vary, most support GDPR, and some support HIPAA.

• Import/Export Options: All support importing from other password managers and exporting data (though exports should be handled with extreme caution).

• User Management Integrations: They support automatic account creation, single sign-on, and policy enforcement.

• Activity Logging: All provide logs for security monitoring and auditing purposes.

• Emergency Access: They offer ways to regain access or allow authorized users access in emergencies.

Unique Features

While the core functionalities are similar, there are a few differences:

• Ease of Use: 1Password, Dashlane, and NordPass are often rated as the most user-friendly options. 1Password is known for its excellent onboarding tutorial and intuitive interface. Dashlane is praised for its easy-to-use features, while NordPass offers a seamless autofill experience. Bitwarden, while feature-rich, may be more suitable for technically inclined users.

• Free Family Accounts: Bitwarden and Dashlane offer free options for families on certain tiers.

• Travel Mode: 1Password's travel mode allows you to remove vaults from devices when traveling internationally to protect your accounts from being accessed during security checks.

• VPN, Phishing Warnings: Dashlane offers VPN and phishing warnings with their product.

• Security Track Record: This is the elephant in the room, sometimes. It's worth noting that all password managers continually work to improve their security measures and respond quickly to any reported vulnerabilities. (LastPass experienced a severe breach in 2022 that compromised source code and user information. 1Password reported a security incident in 2023, but no user data was compromised. Other password managers have had vulnerabilities reported but weren't directly compromised.)

Pricing

Pricing varies across the different password managers:

• Bitwarden offers a free tier, and even the premium account is only $10/year.

• LastPass starts at $3.00/month (less with promotions)

• 1Password begins at $2.99/month

• NordPass offers plans starting at $1.49/month

• Dashlane's plans are slightly higher at $4.99/month, but include additional features such as phishing alerts and VPN

• Keeper starts at $2.00/month

• Zoho Vault offers a free version with paid tiers available starting at $0.90/mo

Making Your Decision

Choosing the right password manager for your small business depends on your specific needs, budget, and technical requirements. We’ve used several of these and you really can’t go wrong; it just depends what you specifically need for your business. Here are some final thoughts on each option:

• Bitwarden: Excellent value with its free tier and open-source nature, appealing to more technical users.

• LastPass: Despite past security issues, it offers a comprehensive feature set and easy-to-use interface.

• 1Password: Known for its robust business solutions and user-friendly design.

• NordPass: Offers a seamless user experience with strong security features.

• Dashlane: Stands out with its VPN and real-time dark web monitoring.

• Keeper: Excels in customization options and advanced MFA features.

• Zoho Vault: Provides a free tier and integrates well with other Zoho products.

In most cases, for most small businesses, we’d go with 1Password or NordPass. The most important thing to do is to just get started with one of them rather than delay because you are worried about picking the “perfect” one. If you need to change later, you can. 

By carefully considering your needs and the features offered by each solution, you can choose a password manager that not only enhances your security but also improves productivity through easier password management and sharing. Remember, the best password manager is one that your team will actually use consistently, so ease of use and integration with your existing workflows should be key factors in your decision.

Questions? Let us know. Email [email protected].