Keeper at a Glance
Keeper has been in the cybersecurity business for more than a decade, and it’s committed to keeping your password-related data safe with its password manager and dark web monitoring. It passes multiple third-party audits to ensure consumer confidence, including Service Organization Control 2 (SOC 2) audit (developed by AICPA) and the Privacy Shield Frameworks, used by U.S. and European businesses for data protection.
Although it isn’t clearly advertised, Keeper offers a free version of its password manager. You can add as many passwords as you’d like, but you’re limited to using it for one mobile device only (no cloud access). For cross-platform use, you’ll have to upgrade to one of its paid plans meant for individuals, families or businesses.
Personal
For $2.92 per month ($34.99 annually), you can use Keeper on an unlimited number of devices, use a password generator for new accounts and use autofill for forms and logins. You can share login info securely with others, and you can gain access to Keeper with biometric authentication. Paid plans also get 24/7 support via a ticket system on Keeper’s website.
If you need encrypted file storage and dark web monitoring to get an alert when your information is shared on the dark web, you’ll have to tack those features on as add-ons. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the bundle for $4.87 per month ($58.47 annually).
Family
The Family plan includes the same features as the individual plan, but they include five vaults so every member of your crew gets their own password vault. The Family plan for families costs $6.25 per month ($74.99 annually).
Business
Small businesses that want to secure their data and employee data can subscribe to a Keeper Business Starter plan that starts at $2 per user, per month ($24 per user, annually) for up to 10 people (minimum five users). You get features needed for businesses, including organization through folders and subfolders, a security audit, activity reports and an encrypted vault for storing passwords (and sharing among users).
Password Management Features
The whole point of using a password manager is to keep your logins and passwords secure, so you can quickly and easily access your accounts without having to remember multiple unique passwords. Keeper offers more features beyond password storage.
- Password generation: Like most password managers, Keeper includes a password generator that automatically creates long, strong and varied passwords as you need them. You can set the password length and apply variables, such as numbers, letters and symbols.
- Autofill forms: Log into your accounts through Keeper’s browser extension. Add your account records and then watch your logins and passwords autofill in forms after just a couple of clicks.
- Record sharing: You can share a record you’ve created within Keeper Password by just adding the email address of someone with whom you want to share your login. The encryption remains, so your data is always secure.
Other Benefits
Keeper offers the basic features of any password manager, as outlined above. For some of the additional features Keeper offers, you may need to pay for an add-on. You’ll see many of these add-ons as you check out, but some are opt-out, so be sure to double-check what you’re getting before you pay.
- File storage: For personal accounts, secure file storage is an add-on ($9.99 annually) and lets you store files such as documents, photos and videos with the same encryption used for passwords. You get up to 10 GB of secure storage on paid plans (free plans let you store up to five files totaling no more than 100 MB).
- Secure messaging: KeeperChat is a messaging feature that encrypts your messages when you send and decrypts when your recipient receives the message. It’s available on personal and business accounts, and it’s free with paid plans for up to 1 GB of storage. Adding on additional storage costs $19.99 annually.
- Emergency access: Zero-knowledge protocols ensure your data is never exposed on servers—so, no one can access your vault except you. The danger here is if anything happens to you, family or loved ones won’t be able to access your accounts. Keeper lets you add up to five people you trust who can request access, and there’s a waiting period to allow anyone emergency access. The caveat is that those you add must also have Keeper accounts.
- Keeper Concierge: For $8.33 per month ($99 annually), you can get 24/7 support and one-on-one training from one of Keeper’s cybersecurity experts.
- Dark web monitoring: BreachWatch monitors the dark web for records with your personally identifiable information, from emails and logins to passwords, and alerts you if anything pops up. Personal accounts can get BreachWatch for $1.67 per month ($19.99 annually).
Fine Print
Keeper offers a lot of value for the cost, so it’s a good password manager for individuals, families or businesses. However, to get the most use out of Keeper’s many features, your costs may add up with all the extras. Plus, it isn’t always clear when a feature add-on is opt-in or opt-out, so there are several user reviews that show frustration at a higher bill than they expected.
Additionally, Keeper’s features don’t always work as expected. The KeeperChat app can be a bit buggy, with users reporting crashes, freezes and simply not launching at times.
It’s also worth noting that if you use the free version of Keeper and don’t log in within 12 months of opening your account, it may be terminated and you won’t have access to your passwords or files. If you have a paid account and you’re not satisfied with the service, you can cancel your account, but Keeper offers no refunds.
How Keeper Stacks Up
Keeper | Dashlane | NordPass | |
---|---|---|---|
Plan Costs (monthly) | Free to $2.92 | Free to $8 | Free to $3.69 |
File Storage | 10 GB | 1 GB | N/A |
Unique Feature | Secure messaging app | Virtual private network | Family plan for six members |
Learn More | |||
Read Reviews | – |
Keeper is relatively expensive, but slightly less so than top competitor Dashlane. Both offer free versions that are limiting. With Keeper, you can use as many passwords as you’d like on your account, but you can only use it on a mobile device; whereas with Dashlane, you can use your free account on any device for up to 50 passwords, but only one device at a time. NordPass’s free plan is less limiting in that you can use as many passwords as you’d like, and you can use it on any one device. The paid plans on NordPass are more affordable, too.
File storage is common among password managers now, but NordPass is an outlier with zero storage. You’ll get ten times more storage with Keeper compared to Dashlane, though.
Unique features on password managers are rare, as most of them are similar to each other. You’ll find most providers offering dark web monitors—some charge extra, some include them with your paid plan. In NordPass’ case, the company upped the family plan from the standard five members you see from other password managers to six, making it more valuable. Dashlane includes a virtual private network (VPN) to help you stay safe when browsing the internet. And Keeper gives you a messaging app to keep texts and files safe as you share them with others.
Is Keeper Right for You?
At its core, Keeper is a secure way for you to store and use multiple passwords across a number of accounts. All the added features make it a robust solution for file storage, login sharing and even sending secure texts and files online. It’s a bit costly compared to some of the more popular password managers, but the value may be worth it to individuals, families and businesses that want ironclad security to prevent damage from data breaches and cybercriminals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Keeper be hacked?
Any business can be vulnerable to hacking, so the potential exists. However, Keeper uses the standard AES-256 encryption system whenever data transfers on its servers. This means your data (even your master password) is never stored in text. This zero-knowledge policy ensures your data stays encrypted, so no hacker or even Keeper employee can access it. Learn what other measures you can take to prevent common cyberthreats.
Which is better: Dashlane or Keeper?
Choosing the better password manager can be subjective—it comes down to what you need and what your budget is. Dashlane and Keeper are similarly priced, but they offer different features and limitations. Read more about the best password managers to pick the best one for you.
Why do we need random password generators?
A random password generator can help you create long strings of random characters that are hard to crack with software. If you create a password yourself, you may be tempted to use something that’s easy to remember, but that puts your accounts at risk—especially if you aren’t using two-factor authentication. There are plenty of steps you can take to protect sensitive accounts, such as your online banking information.
Why do I need a password manager?
A password manager is a helpful tool for keeping your account passwords together, all accessed using a single master password. If you are prone to forgetting your passwords or use the same login details across multiple accounts, you should get password management software.