“Norton Password Manager is included in Norton antivirus subscriptions, but also makes a great, free a standalone solution that works on all your devices.”
Pros
- It’s free and unlimited
- Easy access to logins
- Quick, reliable auto-fill
- Stores cards, addresses, and notes
Cons
- No sharing options
- No file storage
Norton develops some of the best antivirus software and cybersecurity services on the market. While malware protection helps, Norton Password Manager can safeguard your online accounts with a cross-platform solution that makes autofill simple.
I recently reviewed Norton 360 Deluxe and came away impressed with the full-featured antivirus that includes account security. Still, Norton’s password manager deserves a closer look as a standalone service that’s available as a desktop browser extension and as an app for iOS and Android.
Specs
| Norton Password Manager | |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Devices | Unlimited |
| Support | 24/7 live chat |
| Free version? | Yes |
Tiers and pricing
Norton Password Manager is included with all Norton antivirus subscriptions. Plans start at $40 annually for five devices, an affordable way to protect computers, phones, and tablets. For $10 more, Norton 360 Deluxe adds a premium VPN, 50 GB of cloud backup, and dark web monitoring.
More expensive plans are available that include up to 500 GB of cloud storage, financial monitoring, stolen fund reimbursement, and more. Norton 360 with LifeLock starts at $100 annually for 10 devices and goes as high as $300, protecting an unlimited number of devices.
Strong antivirus and additional security measures are worthwhile, but beware of big price increases when it comes time to renew. Norton subscriptions often double in price in the second year of service.
Fortunately, Norton Password Manager is free, and you can install it on all your devices to sync account logins everywhere. The best free password managers work well, have minimal restrictions, maintain privacy, and lack obtrusive ads.
Design
Norton Password Manager is easy to install, and setup was simple, since the extension works on all major browsers. I used Microsoft Edge, but Norton also supports Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari (macOS).
I followed the on-screen instructions to import my browser passwords to quickly sync account logins across devices. It’s also possible to add credentials manually or collect logins one website at a time as I sign in. By importing, the process takes seconds instead of weeks.
The design is clean and functional, reminding me somewhat of Dashlane. Tabs along the top provide quick access to favorite accounts, all logins, cards, addresses, and notes. The menu at the top left contains account details, settings, and buttons to trigger synchronization, import logins, generate a new password, get help, and lock my vault.
I installed the mobile app on my iPhone and logged in to find my complete list of passwords synced from my Windows PC, as expected. The app showed me how to enable autofill in iOS Settings. The mobile app layout is quite similar to the desktop browser extension, so it was easy to find my way around.
Features
One of the most important jobs of a password manager is simplifying account logins. I like that I can use Norton Password Manager as a quick launcher to access my favorite websites and sign in without typing.
The browser extension opens with a list of logins. Launch buttons appear when I hover over an item. A single click opens the website, and my credentials auto-fill, speeding up my daily routine.
Norton Password Manager also has hover buttons to copy logins, card details, addresses, and notes. Each item has a menu with more options, like viewing and editing a note.
Getting the basics right is critical, but Norton Password Manager lacks the advanced features of 1Password that let me share a link with friends and coworkers while limiting how it’s used.
While I can store encrypted notes in Norton Password Manager, Keeper and other top password managers let me add files or photos, making notes more useful.
To be fair, 1Password and Keeper are paid subscriptions. Norton Password Manager is free, looks good, and is easy to use.
It works across devices, and I can unlock my vault with a master password or phone biometrics. Password managers require strong master passwords that aren’t easy to remember, so I appreciate being able to use Face ID on my iPhone to unlock the desktop extension.
Support
I opened Norton Password Manager’s menu and chose the help option to go to the support center. I can browse and search for answers, but I wanted to test live chat.
I scrolled to the bottom of the page and selected Contact, then drilled down through the options to get technical support. I had to fill in my contact information, including name, email, and phone number, but I finally got a chat button.
An AI greeted me and tried to help but misunderstood my question about duplicate entries. The AI asked if I needed more help and connected me to a live agent within seconds.
As usual, live support with a human was much more helpful. I quickly learned that there’s no quick way to remove duplicates. I can either remove them individually or ignore them.
Privacy and security
Norton is a leading cybersecurity company, but you shouldn’t blindly trust any corporation with personal information. I checked Norton’s privacy policy to see how it handles customer data.
Norton Password Manager has your account username and password, and collects your IP address, network traffic, and browser information to provide its security services. Like other security companies, Norton complies with legal requests for user information, allowing access to law enforcement and government agencies when required.
While some Norton products collect user data for interest-based marketing, Norton Password Manager does not. I haven’t received any spam after installing and using the app. However, security is another issue.
In December 2022, Norton experienced a data breach that exposed customer names, phone numbers, and mailing addresses. Nearly a million accounts were impacted. However, Norton wasn’t hacked. Hackers used automated password-stuffing, brute force attacks to access user accounts. It has been more than two years since that worrisome event, with no further incidents.
Is Norton Password Manager right for you?
The best password managers include features that Norton Password Manager lacks. While the basics of auto-fill, cross-platform syncing, and encrypted notes work well, I can’t attach files or share logins.
Still, the 24/7 live chat support and unlimited cross-platform device syncing make Norton Password Manager a great way to simplify logins while keeping accounts safe.