Which Password Manager is the Best for Compatibility?

When it comes to password management for large companies, one of the most important aspects to consider, prior to investment, is the compatibility of each potential solution with all of the devices and operating systems on your network.

Three of the most popular password management solutions are Bitwarden, LastPass and Dashlane. Picking the correct one for your company will depend on your specific requirements. Most of these solutions have been developed to be compatible with a broad range of operating systems and devices and can be used on practically every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device. 

In addition to this, a password management solution needs to work on the web browsers that are being used by your company, which for most will mean Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge (previously Internet Explorer), and Opera. While the three aforementioned solutions are, again, compatible with these browsers there can be some variance in compatibility when it comes to the subscription level that you opt for. Here we take a look at all three to see how they compare.

Bitwarden is available as a web application, desktop solution, and a browser version for the most commonly used web browsers. Every one of these options is user friendly and allows you to create the process for how you manage your passwords. From our perspective the web application comes with the highest level of functionality. There is simple access to the password vault online regardless of whether or not you have chosen to download Bitwarden locally. There are also 2FA and auditing reports available.

The free level of subscription on Bitwarden comes with multi-device syncing and unlimited online vault storage. Bitwarden is also available for Docker, CLI managers for Windows, Linux, macOS, Unix, Chocolatey, Homebrew and Snap.

Dashlane supports a huge range of devices and web applications including Mac and Windows PC operating systems, and the Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge browsers. It comes up short, when compared to Bitwarden, as it does not have compatibility with Linux, Chromebooks, and Brave’s standalone mode. To use these you will need to download a browser extension. The same goes for Opera, which is not officially supported; however, browser extensions can be used to achieve general compatibility. There is currently no support provided for Blackberry, Windows Phone or Windows RT.

Finally, LastPass provides wide-ranging compatibility. It is available to use on practically every well known browser and operating system. This means that it is a very straightforward project to configure LastPass wherever your workforce might require it. The only shortcoming in this solution is that it does not support Blackberry use. It can, however, be used on Dolphin, Windows Phone, and Windows RT.

Conclusion

Bitwarden clearly holds an advantage with the level of compatibility it offers, though all three solutions represent a solid choice for an enterprise password manager. However, when it comes to the free level of subscription, Bitwarden is streets ahead of the competition.

 

Author: Maria Perez