Password Manager Review: Avira Password Manager

Do you carry all of your keys without a key ring, or have the phone numbers of your friends and family jotted down on dozens of slips of paper? Probably not, because it makes life more difficult. The same holds true for digital data, such as passwords. Thankfully, a wide selection of password managers is available to help you organize your online information, including both free and premium solutions. In this review, we'll take a look at one of these, Avira Password Manager.

Avira Password Manager is a password manager offered by the well-known German antivirus software developer, which allows you to generate, store, and manage your logins. The software includes a web dashboard, browser extension, and mobile apps for Android and iOS.

All components can be used completely free of charge and synchronized with one another. Our review reveals what limitations Avira has, what the Pro version offers, and how Avira Password Manager stacks up against its competitors.

Since a free version of Avira Password Manager is offered, registering is fairly uncomplicated. You'll only need to enter your email address and set a master password, which you'll use to access your saved data. When doing this, be extra careful since Avira neither provides recovery options nor does it store your master password anywhere.

After you've set your master password, you'll be taken to Avira's web dashboard. Here, you can start configuring the software to your preferences. For example, Avira will prompt you to install its browser extension, which is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. The service lacks a dedicated desktop application: Instead, Windows and macOS users will need to do everything through their Internet browser.

Should this not be your first experience with a password manager, you can import data sets made with other programs into Avira. In order to ensure that usernames, passwords, and URLs are saved in the correct field, you can freely arrange the columns.

Avira did well with our imported LastPass CSV file. The only downside was that our categories weren't transferred. You can tag entries in order to categorize them, however, oddly enough, Avira doesn't allow for these tags to be transformed into categories.

Usage: Everything in the Browser

On the desktop, Avira is divided between a web dashboard and browser extension. This makes sense, however, some users might prefer a dedicated desktop app, so they won't have to jump between additional tabs when surfing.

Web Dashboard

Avira Password Manager's browser dashboard is where all of the magic happens, that is, where you manage your logins and passwords. The interface is divided into two columns: On the left, you can toggle between different features, while entries are edited in the middle. You'll find all of your logins in the "Passwords" area, and you can sort these on the basis of the aforementioned user-defined tags. New data sets can be added here directly by clicking on the plus sign.

Once you've set your password, you'll be able to assess how secure it is - that is, the estimated amount of time it would take hackers to crack it. Beyond that, you can tag entries and attach notes to them. Pro subscribers can also attach files or images. User-defined fields cannot be created.

Thanks to the somewhat limited number of features on offer, manually administering your passwords is intuitive and easy.

With Avira Password Manager, it's only possible to label data sets as passwords or secure notes. For that reason, anything that isn't a password needs to be saved as a note., which, over time, can become difficult to keep tabs on. The service does allow for notes to be sorted with tags and colors, however, we felt that this was a bit rudimentary for a password manager.

Browser Extension

You won't have to manually save new logins: Should you have installed the browser extension, fields for usernames and passwords are automatically identified and, if desired, the information you input into them will be saved. For new registrations, you can also make use of the password generator and create a secure password directly in the browser by clicking on the Avira symbol.

Apart from that, the browser extension works like a mini version of the web dashboard. You can view your logins and notes, copy usernames and passwords, and adjust a few settings. Should you want to edit data sets, you'll be redirected to the dashboard.

It is unfortunate that the password generator cannot be opened via the browser extension. Since the extension automatically identifies whenever you're on a website for which it has a relevant data set stored, it's surprising that the entries aren't automatically moved to the top of the list when you open the extension.

In sum, Avira Password Manager is intuitive thanks to its focus on the essentials. The absence of a desktop version is something of a disappointment, especially since the web and browser apps are far from perfect. They limit user-friendliness, only offer a small number of categories, and, in general, lack features, but more on that in the next section.

Score: 3.7 / 5

Avira Password Manager is all about simplicity, however, this comes at the cost of functionality. Below, we've taken a look at which features Avira Password Manager offers and which it lacks.

Password Generator

No password manager can do without a generator for secure passwords, with Avira putting the ability to automatically create unbreakable combinations at its users' fingertips. Unfortunately, the generator is not available as a standalone tool, and can only be opened in the dashboard when creating an entry, or in input fields in your browser.

Compounding this, your options when creating passwords are limited compared to what is offered by other password managers: You can determine the length and choose whether to use numbers or special characters, but there aren't any options for upper/lower case letters or readability. The generator also cannot create passphrases.

Security Test

The only significant paywall materializes when you attempt to enter the software's security section, as the information it contains is available solely to Pro version subscribers. Avira treats security as a bonus for paying customers, whereas its competitors, like LastPass, make these important features available to all users.

Autofill

A considerable amount of time can be saved by using Avira Password Manager's browser extension. In particular, its autofill makes sure that login data is automatically input whenever pertinent data sets are present.

This is only convenient if the extension is reliable and capable of correctly identifying input fields. During our review, this was the case (at least with login data), and even with more complicated login pop-up windows, such as those of Reddit or Amazon.

We were less thrilled with autofill for account data: Credit card information saved to Amazon or Argos cannot be automatically added since the Avira symbol didn't appear in the input field. The browser extension makes the manual copying and pasting of this data straightforward, however, other solutions are more convenient.

When logging in for the first time with a service or website, Avira Password Manager automatically creates a new entry. The software also helps when creating new passwords.

Other functions are missing altogether, even from Avira Password Manager Pro. Secure password sharing, which, for example, comes standard with most password managers, is one of these absences. The same is true for one-time sending of data sets, emergency access, a travel mode, or the ability to create a digital will/last testament.

Instead, Avira Password Manager concentrates on user experience, shunning as many bells and whistles along the way as possible. Some of these, such as sharing or more variety when categorizing data sets, have become standard, which we didn't like having to do without.

We also didn't look too kindly upon the limitation of security features to paying customers, especially since other password managers make these available to everyone. The only plus side is that Avira doesn't set limits on how many devices you can sync or the number of data sets that can be saved.

Score: 3 / 5

Like most password managers, Avira's solution embraces the zero-knowledge proof: Only you know your passwords, with Avira maintaining no copies or backups of them. Your data is encrypted using highly secure AES 256, and your master password is encrypted and stored on Avira's servers, meaning that it should be out of harm's way.

2-factor authentication, which can be activated by non-paying users, provides even more security. Simply enter your phone number, and a code will be sent to you when logging in with which you can confirm your identity. Authenticator apps or other methods of authentication aren't supported.

Since Avira Password Manager lacks recovery methods and emergency access, there are no security gaps. As such, the solution upholds the company's long-standing reputation as a security specialist.

Score: 4.7 / 5

Avira offers a free password manager app for Andoid and iOS devices. Like the desktop version, the mobile app is also all about simplicity. Since there are only two categories in the app, you'll be able to immediately keep track of all logins and notes you've created. Automatic synchronization ensures that all data sets are shared between your desktop and mobile device(s).

When first using the mobile app, you'll have to grant it the necessary permissions to open in your browser and other applications. The app also doesn't come with its own browser, unlike a number of its competitors.

Unfortunately, autofill did not perform as consistently on the smartphone we tested it on as it did on the desktop. We had to occasionally copy login data manually since the Avira window did not appear or only opened briefly. Sometimes, we had to start typing multiple times in an input field before the Avira symbol showed up. For the most part, however, the app cut a fine figure.

Score: 3.7 / 5

Since the password manager is only one of the programs in Avira's portfolio, the tool doesn't have a dedicated help center. You'll still find a sub-area for the password manager which includes guides, video tutorials, and full-text search.

Users of the free version can only pose questions in the forum since direct contact is exclusively for paying subscribers. Premium users can request help either over the phone or through support tickets. For this review, we had to wait 28 hours for a response, which is slightly longer than we're used to.

We were satisfied with Avira's support, however, a more personalized experience and extra resources would be good. A live chat would also be an excellent addition.

Score: 3.7 / 5

Pro subscriptions to Avira Password Manager can be booked either monthly or yearly, whereby you'll save a bit if opting for the latter. There's also a smartphone-only subscription.

The Pro version grants complete access to the program's security features. If you can make do without this, the free version of the program might be enough, since it doesn't impose any limits on data sets or throttle desktop/mobile app synchronization.

As of the time of writing, Avira Password Manager does not offer any business subscriptions.

An overview of current prices can be found below:

Avira offers annual subscribers a 30-day, money-back guarantee, while those going in for a monthly plan have 14 days to try out the service.

Avira has carved out a respectable position for itself in the highly competitive password manager market. Its applications are intuitive, provide access to the most important features, and don't limit data sets or cross-platform synchronization. Autofill worked well in both versions we tested, however, it did have some occasional lapses.

Should you want more than just the basics, you could quickly come up against the software's limits. Many features, such as password sharing, are nowhere to be found, and the security center is off-limits to all but paying subscribers. Nevertheless, anyone who can do without the missing features and who values simplicity will be very happy with Avira Password Manager as it stands.

Reviews often represent little more than a snapshot, particularly since support response times, for example, can vary from day-to-day. For that reason, it's a good idea to look at what users or customers have to say about the service on verified and reputable review portals. We've gathered a number of these for you below, collating them into a numerical score:

Avira doesn't offer the only free password manager out there. We liked the free versions of NordPass and Bitwarden more since neither limits the number of data sets or devices you can sync with.

The top-performing service from our evaluation, Dashlane, excelled thanks to its large number of features, high security, and ease of use, offering the best overall package out there.

For more of the best alternatives to Avira Password Manager, be sure to check out the services below: