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Three Online Password Managers Reviewed

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In this age of having tens of online accounts for services ranging from emails toPasswords ecommerce, remembering passwords is a hefty task. There are many password managers that let you store passwords securely, and these tools have even migrated to the online world. Many [tag]online password managers[/tag] are now available for you to keep track of passwords. Let me review four of them here.

I’m not gonna go into reviewing their encryption stuff and that, what I’m gonna see is the usability factor.


Passlet Online Password Manager
[tag]Passlet[/tag] is a very light weight password manager. There are no bells and whistles here. It’s just a password manager that uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

It’s very slick, and adding entries is a breeze: just use the box on the left, type in your password, account name and other notes. But an URL field was lacking there whereas all other password managers have it. So you can’t associate an account with a specific website easily.

There’s a trace feature which traces every piece of information sent to the Passlet server.

Clipperz Online Password Manager
[tag] Clipperz[/tag] is a very feature rich online password manager with all the features you would need. Get an account, login and get ready to have a great experience.

Every entry is called a card here, and there are a few card templates to choose from. The ‘Bank Password’ card template has all the fields pre-defined: bank’s name, account number, online ID, etc. You just gotta fill ‘em up. Easy to use.

There’s also a so-called direct login available which lets you sign in to any online account without having to type in your username and password.

You can also download all data into a read-only offline version which is as secure as the online one. In the upcoming version of Clipperz, you’ll be able to share your account details with other people too!!

Overall, Clipperz is a very intuitive password manager with all necessary tools packed in for easier password management ;)

PassPack Online Password Manager
[tag] PassPack [/tag] is another one with a web 2.0-esque stripe-filled design ;) Addition to a UserID and a password, you also have to create packing key. You also get a client code.

For each entry, you can also add tags - so that you can search them easier.

PassPack’s very unique feature is the ‘Anti-Phishing’ welcome screen that protects you from prying eyes. It detects your IP, greets you with a custom welcome message that you can set and also a hand eye training message. You could check the welcome message to know whether you’re on the right place.

Disposable logins are available with one-time use, particularly helpful when you’re traveling. There’s also an in-built password generator that lets you make passwords quick.

An auto-lock feature is available with which you can lock instantly your pack if you go off temporarily away.

Free Password Manager
[tag] Free Password Manager [/tag] is another tool with a very good features that mimic a desktop password manager. You can categorize entries, sort and search them with ease.

There’s also a mini version - which essentially is a browser pop-up that you can carry around while you’re surfing.

It’s perfect for all users with who just need a password manager.

Verdict

In my humble opinion, Clipperz is the best. You’ll prefer it if are an advanced user. Free Password manager will also be useful for advanced users. If you need just a password manager with nothing else, no nifty features - try Passlet. Passpack is intermediate. But the interface of PassPack is lovely.

It’s time to turn to you, readers: Which of these did you find the best? Or do you still you use offline managers? Share your views in the comments.

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 11th, 2007 at 11:36 am and is filed under security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

15 Responses to “Three Online Password Managers Reviewed”

  1. Hi Shankar,

    Interesting review indeed.

    On a related note, I would like to introduce ManageEngine PasswordManager Pro (PMP), a web-based Password Management Software.

    PMP helps enterprises to control the access to shared administrative/privileged passwords of any ‘enterprise resource’ such as servers, databases, network devices, applications et al.

    For more info / free version, professional trial version download, please visit http://www.passwordmanagerpro.com

    Regards,
    Bala

  2. Thanks Bala for the info.

  3. Till now I have not used any password managers, but definitely give it a try.

  4. I think you should, Nirmal - atleast offline ones - if you find difficult remembering your passwords. If this is not the case, there’s no need for a password manager for you :)

  5. Yup, Password software is crucial these day! I have 3 domain names, 10 Email addresses, 3 FTP host, 20+ Social bookmarking Site, etc, etc. And this will make my head explode if I need to remember it all!

    Thanks Shankar! You’ve done a great job reviewing password manager software! :-)

  6. I use the plain old Firefox password manager. :mrgreen:

  7. @Shankar
    Thank you for including PassPack in the review. I found your analysis very objective and well stated. Nice work.

    I do hope that you’ll reevaluate PassPack again in the future. We’re in the process of huge changes.

    The new Beta-5 features are just the tip of the iceberg:
    http://passpack.wordpress.com/2007/06/09/passpack-beta-5-release-coming-soon/

    @Manas
    Make sure you set the master password. ;)

    Cheers to all,
    Tara

  8. Hi Shankar
    - excuse my bad english :-) -
    I use KeePass from first version.
    My kdb file contains three hundreds password. I tryed Clipperz, as you suggest, but :-( it requires to insert the accounts one by one. After I tryed PassPack and I discover import/export capabilities. So I exported a CSV file from KeePass and all my data will be in PassPack in just one minute :-)
    This is a very important facilities, I think.
    A

  9. Ken Xu: Most welcome :)
    Tara: I’ll update my readers when the new version rolls out.
    Alexandro: Thanks for sharing that piece of information. I missed in the article ;)

  10. hey tatz an awesm post man will defintly use dat manager ….. itz a biggg burdn 2 remembr tat burden

  11. Thanks, Luv. Glad you liked it. :)

  12. Hi Shankar,
    I have been using many password managers till now since I have too many passwords(more than 50).Most of them are doing pretty much the same or at least they say they do.
    I did find one that is truly a hot spot in the industry.It’s Web Replay by Deskeperience that has an amazing feature , they call it WEB AUTOMATION.Beyond its password management system that I personally find very secure, the automation feature records any browsing steps I do everyday.For example, you can check your email with one-click.This program takes you directly to your inbox! In my oppinion it’s worth the money entirely for what it does.
    http://www.deskperience.com/webreplay
    Cheers, Phil

  13. [...] Three Online Password Managers Reviewed [...]

  14. Hi Shankar - Would you be interested in testing the Beta5 release of PassPack?

    Here’s the call for testers on the blog:
    http://tinyurl.com/2m4r9q

    Cheers!
    Tara

  15. Hi,

    I have an issue i have forgotten the password of the kdb file and now i am not able to open it . How do i crack it ?

    Can u help me out in that or how i can make an .sth file readable as it is encrypted.

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