LastPass review: Does the original password manager still have what it takes?

LastPass was one of the pioneers of password managers, helping popularize the idea and show what a useful tool they can be for convenience and safety. Now, with so many quality alternatives available, how has the grandmaster stood the test of time?

LastPass was a trailblazer and still has a legion of faithful users across the world. It’s not had an easy time over the past few years though, with high-profile data breaches, alongside the rise of several competitors that have set the standard for a modern-style password manager. So, how does the current version stand up to its impressive legacy?

For alternatives to 1Password take a look at our roundup of the Best password managers. Need some help coming up with a safe and secure password? Read our tips to make your passwords even stronger.

Software & Features

• Auto-fill login details
• Store passwords, payment details and credentials
• Syncs across different devices

If you’ve never used a password manager before, then it can be something of a revelation. The principle is simple: you create a complex master password and then LastPass will remember all of the others that log you into accounts and online sites. When you get prompted for a login, a LastPass box will open up and auto-fill the details so you can quickly gain access to your account. Easy and very convenient. 

Getting set up is a little bit fiddly if you want to import your existing passwords from your browser password manager (say Chrome) or a rival app, although LastPass does provide detailed instructions for the process, so it’s reasonably quick to move everything across safely.  

Once in LastPass, the interface is clean and simple, with the Vault page being home to all your passwords, which you can look at and edit individually. This space is also where you can store additional information, such as payment details so that checkouts are auto-filled when you want to make a purchase, addresses, secure notes, plus important documents like a passport or driving licence. If you have a family member who wants the Netflix password, you can share this securely from LastPass without having to copy and paste it into a text message for the 1,000th time. 

If you want to up the randomness of your passwords, rather than sticking with combinations of birthdays and pet names, then the built-in generator allows you to create complex replacements that have various options – length, upper/lower case letters, symbols and numbers that would satisfy the demands of all sites and apps that can require different things. 

There’s also a security dashboard that shows how decent your current level of online safety is, along with suggestions on how to improve. It’s all standard fare for a password manager, although it lacks some of the customization options laid out by rivals such as 1Password. 

While LastPass does support biometrics (Touch ID and Face ID) for logging into the app, a big omission in the current version (at the time of writing) is support for Passkeys. These are the hot new thing in online security and although LastPass does say support is coming soon, you’ll already find this capability in Dashlane and 1Password. 

Security and Encryption

• AES 256-bit encryption
• Dark Web monitoring
• 2-Factor Authentication

LastPass employs 256-bit AES end-to-end encryption to keep your passwords safe while being used to unlock your accounts. Again, this is pretty standard, as is the 2-factor authentication feature for an extra layer of protection to your data. 

Dark web monitoring is there to let you know whether any of your details have been exposed in data breaches. Sadly, this is necessary, as LastPass has been the victim of a few attacks in recent years that have made the headlines. As you’ll see in our is it safe to use LastPass? article, the company has reported several hacks in the past decade, which does call into question the security of the company. 

While you might argue that such public embarrassment might leave the engineers laser-focused on keeping up the digital drawbridge, the real problem is that LastPass isn’t the only game in town, so why would you choose one with a checkered history over others that have been rock solid?

Price and Availability

There are three tiers on the consumer side of LastPass – Free, Premium, and Families. The Free tier gives you most of the features on the service, albeit only on one type of device (mobile or desktop). For syncing across these platforms and 1GB of secure storage for other documents, you’ll need to sign up to Premium for $36/£31.99 p/a. If you need multiple accounts, then you can get six on the Families plan for $48/£40.80 p/a. 

LastPass is available on macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android, and browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox and Opera. 

Should you buy LastPass? 

LastPass is a solid and reliable password manager that will serve many people well. That being said, it lacks some of the more advanced features you’ll find on rivals, and the security problems over the last few years does make it harder to recommend.