Password Manager Review: Avira Password Manager

Do you carry all of your keys in your pocket without a key ring, or have 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 products. In this review, we'll take a look at one of these, Avira Password Manager.

Avira Password Manager is a password manager from 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 compares with its competitors.

Since Avira's Password Manager is just one of the developer's many programs, the first thing you'll need to get the software is an Avira account. Once you've logged in, you can begin configuring the password manager. Like most password managers, you'll need to create a master password.

Avira does not provide users with strict templates, instead assessing the security of the password the user has created. As always, it's important to remember your master password since Avira does not save it, making recovery in the event of loss impossible.

Once 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, you'll need to do everything through your Internet browser.

Should this not be your first password managing rodeo, you can import backups of other programs into Avira via the settings. Importing external data is hit or miss, as revealed during our test with a Dashlane .csv that generated unusable entries.

Getting started with Avira Password Manager is quick and painless. We were only disappointed with the import function, which other services have integrated more seamlessly and effectively into their solutions.

Score: 4 / 5

If using Avira Password Manager on your desktop, the service 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 all your logins and passwords. The interface is divided into two columns: On the left, you can toggle between different menu functions, while you can edit records in the middle. You'll find all of your logins in the "Passwords" area, which you can sort on the basis of user-defined tags. You can directly add new records here by clicking on the plus sign.

Once you've set your password, you'll be able to see how secure it is - that is, the estimated amount of time it would take hackers to crack it. You can also assign tags to entries and attach notes to them. Manual management is intuitive and straightforward, thanks, at least in part to the somewhat limited features.

In Avira's Password Manager, it's only possible to save passwords and secure notes; Other categories for identities or payment methods are not available. Such information must, therefore, be stored as "Notes", however, over time, this will become unwieldy. The service allows for notes to be sorted with tags and colors, however, we felt that this was a bit rudimentary for a password manager, especially when compared to what some of Avira's competitors offer.

Browser Extension

It isn't necessary to manually save new logins: Should you have installed the browser extension, fields for logins and passwords are automatically identified and, if desired, saved. For new registrations, you can make use of the password generator by clicking on the Avira icon, which creates a secure password directly in the browser.

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 records, you'll be redirected to the dashboard.

The Avira Password Manager is user-friendly and intuitive owing to its focus on the essentials.

Score: 4.7 / 5

Avira's 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 doesn't.

Password Generator

No password manager can do without a generator for secure passwords, and Avira also allows puts 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 a new record, or in the browser fields. In addition, your options when creating passwords are limited compared to 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.

Security Test

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

Other functions are missing altogether, even from Avira Password Manager Pro. Secure password sharing, for example, which comes standard with most password managers, is unfortunately not available. The same is true for one-time sending of data records, emergency access, a travel mode, or the ability to create a digital will/last testament.

Instead, Avira Password Manager concentrates on user experience, ignoring as many bells and whistles along the way as possible. Some of these, such as those mentioned above, have become standard, and their omission is less a sign of quality than cutting corners.

We didn't look too kindly upon the limitation of security features to paying customers, especially since other password managers make these available to all users.

Score: 3.7 / 5

Like most password managers, Avira Password Manager embraces the Zero Knowledge Proof: Only you know your passwords, and Avira maintains 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.

The optional 2-factor authentication, which can be activated by non-paying users, provides even more security. Just enter your phone number, and a code will be sent to you during login to confirm your identity.

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

Score: 5 / 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 of your data is transferred between your desktop and mobile device(s).

When first using the mobile app, you'll have to grant the program the necessary permissions to open in your browser and other applications. Unfortunately, the autofill function did not work as consistently on the smartphone we tested it on as it did on the desktop. Occasionally we had to copy login data manually because the Avira window did not pop up or the website did not connect to previously-saved entries, instead wanting to create a new entry. For the most part, however, the app cut a fine figure.

Score: 4.3 / 5

Unfortunately, Avira does not provide a support chat, meaning that you can only get human help via the contact form. This is available in a variety of languages, but the English "Fast Lane" support promises a quicker response time. During testing, we received an answer to our questions after about 28 hours.

There doesn't seem to be a dedicated support center or FAQs strictly for Avira Password Manager, however, in Avira's help section, you can search for existing topics and previously asked questions. More structure would have definitely been preferable.

Score: 4 / 5

Pro subscriptions to Avira Password Manager can be booked either on a monthly or yearly basis, whereby you'll save a bit if opting for the latter. The Pro version grants complete access to the program's security features. If you can do without this, you can also use the free version of the program, which doesn't include any record limits or throttle desktop/mobile app synchronization.

As of the time of writing, Avira Password Manager does not offer a business subscription or plan.

A table of current prices can be found below:

Avira has carved out a respectable position for itself in the highly competitive password manager market. Its applications are intuitive, provide access to most important functions, and don't limit or throttle records or cross-platform synchronization. Autofill worked well in both versions we tested and the browser extension was reliable when automatically saving login information.

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

We tested Avira Password Manager's browser extension on Google Chrome and the mobile application on an Android device (version 8.1.0).