For most people, getting started means installing a password manager's desktop and mobile apps, as well as an extension for your preferred browser. When you log in to a secure site, the password manager captures the username and password and saves them to your vault. The best password managers capture your credentials during account creation and, when you change your password online, offer to update the stored password for that site.

When you revisit a site, most password managers can automatically fill in the saved data. If you have more than one set of credentials, you can choose which to use. Another handy (and common) feature of most of these browser extensions is that clicking an entry sends you directly to the site and logs you in.

Many of us are just as likely to log into a secure site from a mobile device as from a desktop computer, so finding a password manager that syncs your credentials between all your devices is vital. Most password managers utilize encrypted cloud storage to synchronize data across devices. Some keep your data local, syncing between databases on different devices without keeping anything in the cloud. The real benefit of having your password manager on your phone is that you can autofill credentials for any mobile apps you use.

One great thing about free password managers is that you can try several and find out which one you like best. If you're considering doing such a survey, look for products that can import from other password managers. Otherwise, you have to go through the password capture process again for each candidate.