Norton Password Manager is a browser-based free password management app that offers unlimited password storage with passwordless access. It's easy to set up and delivers smooth cross-platform syncing. However, it lacks important features seen in other free password managers, such as secure credential sharing and support for common forms of multi-factor authentication. Bitwarden offers excellent free password management with many features, so it remains our Editors' Choice for free password managers.
Getting Started With Norton Password Manager
Norton Password Manager is free. It's also available as part of Norton's antivirus and security suites. It offers browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. Mobile apps for Android and iPhone round out this limited selection. Bitwarden supports more browsers: Brave, Opera, Tor, and Vivaldi.
What Is a Password Manager, and Why Do I Need One?
You start by downloading the appropriate browser extension and creating or signing into your Norton account. After signing in, Norton offers you a PDF containing the recovery key for your account, requests permission to set Norton as your default password manager, and provides instructions for pinning the password manager to the Chrome bar. Norton's instructions are easy for users to follow.
Confession: We used the same password for our Norton test account and vault. We applaud Norton Password Manager for asking us to change the passwords after logging in. Norton uses a similar alert to let users know when their account password or master password shows up in a breach.
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When we test password management apps, we enter fake credentials and fictional data into the form fields, so this is a "do as we say, not as we do" moment. Please don't use the same password to secure your account or password vault.
What Are Norton Password Manager's Authentication Options?
After changing the master password, Norton sends another prompt to your browser sidebar, encouraging passwordless login adoption for the account. Passwordless vault entry requires biometric authentication (using a fingerprint or a face scan) using your mobile device. The login process is quick and easy. 1Password and Keeper also allow users to log into their vaults using passwordless authentication.
Beyond the passwordless login capability, Norton's standalone password manager does not accept other forms of multi-factor authentication, such as hardware security keys or mobile authenticator apps. Bitwarden allows free users to authenticate their identities using email or an authenticator app, and paid subscribers get additional MFA options, including authentication via a Yubikey or any FIDO U2F-compatible security key.
Norton on Data Privacy and Security
Before we review and test a password manager, we send a questionnaire to the password management company inquiring about its privacy and security practices. In a previous version of this review, Norton initially failed to answer the questions about a security breach or company policies, so we provided that information for their customers. After the review was published, the company responded with answers to the data breach queries and links to its corporate policy pages as responses to our questions about how the company protects customer data. Where needed, we gleaned the answers to our questions from the links Norton provided.
We've included Norton's responses to our questions in italics below:
Have you ever had a security breach?
In December 2022, a credential stuffing attack targeting some Norton user accounts was identified by the Norton Security Team. The Norton systems were not compromised in this attack.
What was exposed in the breach?
For accounts that we believe were accessed based on our investigation, some personally identifiable information was available to the bad actors.
What information does the password manager store in unencrypted form?
Our password manager is designed to meet the highest security standards and ensures that all sensitive user data is fully encrypted. Only non-sensitive metadata, like modification dates, country code for address formatting, favorite markings, and password hints, are stored unencrypted for necessary functional purposes. Our security model ensures that only the user has access to their data in an unencrypted format, not even Norton, solidifying our commitment to user privacy as well as data confidentiality and security.
What is the company policy regarding master passwords?
In alignment with our dedication to robust security, we have a stringent policy for vault passwords. The vault password must meet the following requirements:
Min. 12 characters
Uppercase letters (e.g., ABC)
Lowercase letters (e.g., abc)
Digits (e.g., 345)
Differs from other accounts
To further ensure its uniqueness and security, our system conducts a thorough verification of the vault password. This includes checking against known compromised data or its presence on the dark web. We additionally ensure the vault password is distinct from the user's Norton account password. If the user employs a Single Sign-On (SSO) account, such as Apple or Google, to sign into their Norton account, we also check to confirm that the vault password differs from the SSO account credentials. Moreover, we mandate that users select an inherently strong vault password.
What is the company policy regarding user data collection and data sales?
Norton's data collection policy regarding its password manager is on the company's website. We like that Norton specifies how long inactive account data is stored. As written, the data collection policy looks similar to other password management companies.
We also recommend taking a look at Norton's Global Privacy Statement. The company collects user data such as browser information, IP addresses, sender and recipient email addresses, and the addresses of websites you visit.
How does your company protect user data?
This question is typically an opportunity for companies to explain how they protect user data better than their competitors. Norton's global privacy statement claims the company uses organizational safeguards to protect data, such as security awareness training for Norton employees. Physical data protection methods include a clean desk policy, locked doors, and filing cabinets.
Customers are probably most interested in Norton's technical safeguards on their personal data. Norton's technical safeguard policy description is vague: We implement and use information security standards, protocols, and technologies, including encryption, intrusion detection, and data loss prevention, and we monitor our systems and data centers to comply with our security policies.
How does your company respond to requests for user information from governments and law enforcement?
According to its global privacy statement, Norton complies with requests for personal data to fulfill legal obligations at the request of public authorities or when required by law.
As noted above, we ask the same data privacy and security questions to every company, and we do it so that you can decide which companies to trust with your biggest secrets. Norton's short answers are sufficient, but are they detailed enough for you, a potential customer? In contrast, the Dashlane team answered each question with a level of care reflected in the product's features and functionality.
Norton Password Manager Browser Extension
If you're switching from another password manager, you can import your passwords into Norton Password Manager's vault. Other password managers can import from many competitors. Norton can only import from the following password managers: Dashlane, LastPass, 1Password, McAfee True Key, and other instances of Norton Password Manager. By contrast, Bitwarden can import from over 50 competitors, including LastPass, Dashlane, and RoboForm.
We tested Norton Password Manager's functionality using the Chrome browser extension. Overall, the password manager did not work as expected on social media sites; users cannot create new passwords without opening a new browser window. Norton users also don't get the credential sharing or account inheritance options that Bitwarden offers.
Norton Password Capture and Replay
In testing, capturing credentials with Norton Password Manager's Chrome browser extension was more complicated than we like to see. While trying to create an account on social media sites, we found it necessary to open the browser extension window and click the plus sign. This action opened the web vault in a new tab. Then, it was possible to create a new credential and manually paste the new password into the form.
Capturing passwords should always be a smooth process, as demonstrated by 1Password and Keeper. Both password managers offer browser extensions that serve as mini-vaults, allowing you to update and access your credentials from the browser extension window.
We had no trouble creating credentials and logging into the shopping sites or email login pages we usually test.
Norton's Password Generator
You can use Norton's password generator to create a new record. It would be ideal if the password generator automatically created a new password each time a user-generated a new record. As it stands, Norton users have to generate the password using a web-based password generator, copy the text, paste it into the login field, and then save that credential in their vault. That's several clicks for a process other password managers bypass by integrating a password generator into the browser extension.
The Norton Password Manager password generator creates 20-character passwords by default using all character types (letters, numbers, and symbols). Enpass has a phrase generator, which can create passwords with pronounceable words.
Storage and Form Filling With Norton Password Manager
The web vault also contains a wallet where you can store credit card information, a section for address information, and a section for notes where you can enter as much text as you want. Clicking on the plus sign icon on the far right side of the top navigation menu allows you to create additional addresses, logins, notes, and wallet entries. Norton does not allow for file storage, typical of free password managers. With other password managers, file storage is a premium add-on. Keeper allows paid plan users to add up to 100GB of file storage for $79.99 per year.
Other password managers, such as Roboform and 1Password, offer to enter your information into web form entry fields with a single click. Norton Password Manager only lets you fill in your address and credit card information in the vault.
What Is the Norton Password Manager Mobile App Experience?
The Norton Password Manager app is available for Android and iOS. We tested the app's functionalities using an iPhone 12 mini running iOS 16.
In testing, filling in credentials was easy using the Norton Password Manager mobile app. In both Android and iOS, you turn on Norton Password Manager's AutoFill capabilities in the mobile device's Settings menu. Next, you open the app, tap on the credential entry to navigate to the login page, and then tap on the Norton icon at the bottom of the page to fill in the required fields.
The apps have a drab but well-organized user interface featuring a white menu against a cream background. The apps' functions are identical to those found in the web vault's interface, with the addition of a built-in private web browser.
Sufficient Password Management and Nothing More
Norton Password Manager lets you create unique, complex credentials to log in safely around the web. It also offers a vault for storing your credentials with passwordless, biometric authentication and smooth cross-platform syncing. However, the app lacks robust support for multi-factor authentication, sharing capabilities, password inheritance options, and form filling for diverse data sets. We also found that creating credentials for or logging into social media sites wasn't always a smooth operation. To find the features missing from Norton Password Manager, check out Dashlane, our Editors' Choice winner for paid password managers. And as mentioned above, Bitwarden is our top pick for free password management thanks to its ease of use and many features.
Norton Password Manager is a free app for popular browsers and mobile devices that lacks useful features offered by the competition.
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