The best password manager is one that you will actually use. If you get annoyed or are baffled by a password manager, you may abandon it and go back to using sticky notes to store and share passwords or, worse, use the same password for everything. If you're tired of your current password manager, consider our guide on switching to a new one.

A company like LastPass, with a well-established name in the password management space, has a much longer history than a relative newcomer like Proton Pass. That means there are more chances for reputational damage due to security incidents. That's why, each year, we ask every company to tell us how they secure your data and to describe any security incidents that have affected customers, as well as how they remedied the issue. Read this section of the review carefully, as it provides an opportunity to learn more about the company's history and its response to past data breaches and security incidents.

While making recommendations, we also ask our readers to consider the "how" of it all. How are you planning to use your password management app? Some password management companies are rolling out features that make these apps into "everything managers," capable of performing a wide range of tasks, from generating credentials to scanning data breach databases for your information. Many go further and offer encrypted cloud storage for storing and protecting all of your most private data. Editors' Choice award winners NordPass and Proton Pass allow you to store files in your password vault, along with crypto keys, medical records, passport numbers, and even pet details.

Below are our recommendations for password managers that are best for specific use cases:

Many families and friend groups share credentials for financial apps or streaming services. Editors' Choice winner NordPass's sharing options make it easier to give and revoke access to credentials. Keeper also has a stellar password-sharing system that allows you to choose how to share the credentials and how long the recipient can access them.

Business owners may appreciate Dashlane's extensive reporting tools for administrators. Understanding employee password hygiene is one of the first steps toward securing a workplace against external threats. Keeper and NordPass also offer helpful business features.

1Password offers stellar apps for Android and iOS. It's incredibly easy to sort your logins into different categories and vaults using the minimal user interface. Another mobile app highlight comes from Proton Pass, which features clean, well-designed app interfaces for both Android and iOS.

Enpass offers a completely free desktop app, making it an easy choice for individuals who primarily log in to their accounts using a Mac or Windows PC. You can also sync up to 25 passwords to a mobile device for free. With ongoing data breach threats, it's wise to monitor who is holding onto your data and how they're securing it. We appreciate that Enpass requires users to store their data locally on their devices or via a personal third-party cloud storage account.

Most people use a password manager primarily to manage website credentials. In practice, when you log in to a secure site, the password manager asks if you want it to save your username and password. When you return to that site, the password manager asks if you'd like it to fill in those credentials. If you have multiple logins for the same site, the password manager lists all the options, allowing you to select the correct one and log in. Most password managers also feature a browser toolbar menu of saved logins, allowing you to access a saved site and log in automatically.

When you create a new account or update a weak password, don't strain your brain trying to come up with a different password that is both strong and unique. Let your password manager handle it. Ensure your generated passwords are at least 20 characters long and include all the major character types: uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.