Dashlane Review

Password managers help us keep all login information and other private date safe into one place, in order to speed up online navigation when we are repetitively filling out the same forms. Notable names in this category include LastPass, 1Password, Roboform, and PasswordBox.

Dashlane is another app that specializes in securing passwords, and it offers support for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. The keys are protected using a master password with AES-256 advanced encryption. Aside from passwords, the tool is designed for saving notes, financial data, IDs and other types of data.

It is wrapped in an elegant and intuitive interface that permits users to quickly figure out how it works. Even so, it includes help documentation to help them get started. The app features browser extensions to quickly save passwords and automatically fill forms, and it is also capable of synchronizing data across multiple devices.

Installation, sign-up and interface

During installation, Dashlane connects to the supported web browsers and sets up the account and profile. In custom setup mode, it is possible to exclude any of the browsers. The rest of the installation process is carried out without any further assistance and may take a while to finish.

Customize the installer by excluding browsers In order to use the application, it is necessary to sign up for an account (free) with an email address and password. Unlike other services which can send the key in case it was forgotten, Dashlane does not offer this option, so any lost password is beyond recovery (can be later changed into anything else, as well as sent to an email account for safekeeping).

Follow the tutorials to get started As for the interface, the app is attractive and comfortable to work with. The welcome screen shows some useful information about how Dashlane works, and it is followed by some simple steps that users can take to quickly get accustomed to the software tool.

Autofill forms with personal information

After setting up the Dashlane extension in the preferred web browsers, users may write information for an autofill form to be used on any website. Details revolve around the first and last name, title, date of birth and phone number. New entries with personal information can be added via the Dashlane desktop client with names, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, companies and websites. Other kinds of private data that can be added include ID card, passport, driver's license, social security card, and tax numbers.

Showing the autofill options in Dashlane

Showing the personal info area in Dashlane

Manage autofill data and input private information

Manage passwords and notes

For each account, it is possible to modify credential details, enable or disable the master password prompt, and take into consideration the subdomain only for login. Multiple types of accounts can be put together in different categories, and they can be accompanied by notes and even shared with full or limited rights (only view and edit content, cannot share with others) by sending an email to one or more addresses. Items can also be sent to others via the Sharing Center, where it is also possible to plan ahead by creating emergency contacts.

Showing the options for adding passwords in Dashlane

Showing the options for adding notes in Dashlane

Easily add passwords and notes Apart from passwords, users may create notes, group them into separate categories, assign colors to spot them easier, sort them by various criteria, share them with other people, as well as protect them with the master key.

Browser extension

The browser extension facilitates easy access to Dashlane when it comes to stored login and password information. It features a real-time search function and various sorting methods (by category, name, most or last used), along with a random key generator which follows user-defined rules pertaining to length and characters (digits, letters, symbols, pronounceable). As far as website settings are concerned, it is possible to turn off the autofill function for the current webpage or the entire domain.

Manage browser extension settings

Security Dashboard

Based on Dashlane's own recommendations, the app computes a total security score in regard to all passwords recorded in the database, along with separate marks for each website; it advises users to replace them if they are weak or reused. More details can be obtained in order to change passwords or flag keys which are checked, for example.

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Manage a wallet with payments and receipts

Dashlane's functionality does not end at passwords and notes. It also integrates a virtual wallet for keeping safe credit/debit card, PayPal and bank information, along with receipts. Stored details include the card holder name, card alias and number, security code, expiration date, color and billing address, bank account alias and provider, along with routing and account numbers.

Showing the options for adding credit card info in Dashlane

Showing the options for adding receipts in Dashlane

subtext Furthermore, the application automatically saves all receipts in the wallet and lets users add new ones by specifying the currency, price, date and website. They can also assign a previously defined shipping address and payment method, in addition to any personal notes written on the spot. Similar to the payments and passwords section, receipts can be split into multiple categories and sorted by different criteria.

Manage, import and export data

Passwords can be easily imported from Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, LastPass, 1Password, Roboform, PasswordWallet, KeePass and custom CSV files, while the entire database can be exported to Dashlane files (.DASH format) and imported at a later time or on another computer. Categories with secure notes, passwords and receipts can be removed, while new ones can be created. Moreover, the randomly generated passwords can be managed in a separate window, while all the used passwords may be inspected in a history window. A search function is available for the entire database.

Data synchronization and other settings

The software utility regularly synchronizes information across all linked devices, and it can do so at the user's command. In addition, it can become inactive until further notice, and users may reset the website list to default, remove Dashlane from the Windows autorun sequence, disable notifications, change the master password and specify information to verify when doing so (email address, cell phone).

Also, users are able to deactivate the master password for any part of the tool or enable two-factor authentication, schedule automatic logout when the machine becomes inactive, and so on.

The Good

The application has a user-friendly interface and plenty of step-by-step guides and user documentation to help beginners get started. It offers support for multiple languages and worked smoothly on Windows 8.1 Pro during our evaluation, without hanging, crashing or popping up error messages. OS compatibility extends back to Windows XP.

It is cross-platform (Windows, Mac, iOS and Android), includes a web browser extension for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, and it features a random password generator and manager.

The app enables users to keep passwords, auto-fill information, notes, ID card, passport, the driver's license, the social security card, tax numbers, payments and receipts safe into one place, accessible only with a master password. Security scores are given by the app to ensure safety and inform users whether they should modify the keys or not.

Passwords can be imported from IE, Firefox, Chrome, LastPass, 1Password, Roboform, PasswordWallet, KeePass and custom CSV files, and can be synchronized across all supported devices.

The Bad

Most of its powerful features are only available in the Premium edition of Dashlane, namely account backups (to the cloud), synchronization across all devices, unlimited sharing (up to 5 items can be shared in the free edition), and access to passwords from any location via a web browser. A one-year subscription to Dashlane Premium costs $29.99 / €22.35 though, which is pretty reasonable.

The Truth

To sum it up, Dashlane sports a very impressive collection of tools and flexible settings for security passwords and other personal information, while keeping everything interactive and neatly organized. It's probably among the best options for a password manager available today.