Freeware Friday: Dashlane Manages Password Overload

Written by Sandy Berger

Sandy Berger reviews our Freeware Friday app pick Dashlane, a simple security program that helps maintain all the passwords you use on the Internet.

aNewDomain.net — Everybody needs a unique, strong and memorable password for all the websites they visit. But managing all of these disparate login passwords can be a challenge.

Dashlane is a simple program that can help you and/or your employees keep track of passwords. Its new Security Dashboard program assesses your passwords and tells you which passwords should be stronger. It will also generate new passwords and keep track of them for you. On top of everything else, it will provide suggestions on how you can make your various passwords even more secure.

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Simple and Secure

I am a long-time user of Roboform and have also tried many other password programs including KeePass and LastPass. I can honestly say that this new version of Dashlane (2.0), makes capturing and changing passwords a cinch. And I especially appreciate its wonderful auto login that senses the webpage and fills it in without any toolbars, buttons or extra clicking. Dashlane’s “in-line” user interaction happens right on the homepage within the browser, right next to each form field.

In addition to the simplicity of the program, Dashlane is also secure. If you choose the individual option, all the passwords are kept on your hard drive with AES-256 encryption. However, if you want to sync your passwords between devices, there is a $20 a year option for a premium version that supports multiple devices. Dashlane is free for use on one device and your download comes with a 30-day trial of the premium version.

Dashlane can use the Google Authenticator for a two-factor authentication. All you have to do is enter your master password. If you add the two-factor authentication, you will also have to enter a code that Dashlane will send to your phone.

Supported Systems and Browsers

Dashlane is available for PC and Mac. It works in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Firefox. It can also import passwords from rival programs. With the paid version you can use a version available for Apple and Android mobile devices. These can be synced in the cloud or kept locally, depending on your preference.

Internet Explorer users should be aware that Dashlane lacks a very useful drop-down box that is present in other browsers. When you click on Dashlane’s blue Impala logo on the top toolbar, a drop-down appears giving you easy access to all of Dashlane’s functionality. I am told that this will, hopefully, be added to Internet Explorer when it finishes the complex coding needed for the IE plug-in.

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Form Filling

Dashlane handles form filling better than its competitors. It’s great for online shopping — it not only keeps your credit card information encrypted, but it displays pictures of your credit cards to make choosing one easier. When you click on the card you want to use, Dashlane fills in all of the information. It will even keep a receipt of the transaction along with a screenshot of the website you use.

Dashlane saves you time and energy over the other password programs. Some, like LastPass, may be slightly more powerful, but Dashlane is easier to use and has several more useful features.

4 Comments

  • From one of my Google Plus followers:

    Charlie Hoover

    8/25/2013 8:36 PM

    I use LastPass exclusively… Steve Gibson tore it apart and if he trusts it so do I… I pay them the $12 per year for mobile access mostly to keep them in business… I occasionally download my database and stick it into a TrueCrypt container just in case but to be honest I’ve never once had a problem… Both services do the job, just differently…

  • I forgot about Google Authenticator.

    From a Google Plus follower of mine:

    Paul Baker

    8/26/2013 3:15 AM

    Lastpass with google authenticator here , I make sure I download the database into a secure flash drive every now and again.

    They did have one security issue a long time ago , but admitted the issue had happened and fixed it really quickly.