Password Manager Review: Kaspersky Password Manager

Kaspersky is one of the most recognizable names in the field of cybersecurity, enjoying a strong reputation thanks to its eponymous antivirus program. However, Kaspersky has more to offer than just protection against malware, having launched a password manager as well, which we look at in greater detail below.

Kaspersky Password Manager was created by Kaspersky, a Russian software company, and is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The password manager helps users to conveniently organize and protect sensitive data, with its emphasis remaining squarely on security.

Typically, setting up a password manager starts with the creation of a master password, but, as a Kaspersky newbie, you'll need to create another password first, for your Kaspersky user account. This allows you to synchronize your passwords across all devices. Once you've configured your Kaspersky user account, you'll be able to set up your master password.

The need to have a Kaspersky account means that getting started with this particular password manager takes a bit longer than the other solutions we've evaluated, however, the delay isn't all that significant.

If desired, Kaspersky Password Manager's browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Yandex can also be installed along with the service's desktop client. This means that you won't have to manually install individual components later on, which is convenient.

Should you be switching to Kaspersky Password Manager from another service, or have saved data sets elsewhere, you'll likely want to use the import feature, which can be accessed by clicking on the three dots in the lower left, and following Advanced > Settings > Import/Export.

During our last assessment, Kaspersky Password Manager didn't do all that well with importing, however, on this occasion, it was able to come to terms with our LastPass data without issue. We were also easily able to do the same with 1Password, Dashlane, Keepass, and Norton Identity Safe, as well as Chrome and Internet Explorer.

While we were satisfied with the results of our imports, the data didn't always wind up in the right place, but usernames and passwords were usually correctly identified. Data imports are often tricky for password managers, with most requiring some manual editing to get exactly right.

Easy to Use, Difficult to Customize

As with most other programs of this type, Kaspersky Password Manager is centered on its desktop app and browser extension. There is also a web version, which is accessible through the desktop client, however, this doesn't offer any additional functionality over the latter.

Desktop App

Kaspersky Password Manager's desktop app is easy to use. As is common to password managers, the interface is segmented into three columns. On the left, you'll find the main menu, through which you can select the type of entry; in the middle, individual data sets; and on the right, detailed information about the data sets you've selected.

It's possible to add webpages, apps, and other data sets directly to the program or automatically save them in your browser when creating a new account somewhere.

Generally speaking, the desktop app is highly intuitive, however, it doesn't offer much of a free hand when it comes to arranging or personalizing your entries. Only six categories are available and it isn't possible to add new ones or create user-defined fields within the entries. You can create folders, however, these are only visible in the All Entries section. Favorites can likewise be marked, but entries cannot be tagged.

Kaspersky could optimize navigation and provide users with more freedom when it comes to creating and arranging entries.

Browser Extension

In the browser extension, you'll find websites, payment info, and addresses you've saved, as well as a password generator. For everything else, the extension directs you to the desktop app. Overall, the browser extension has decent functionality, including the all-important autofill.

When attempting to access a website or service that you have logins saved for, a green key will appear in the login form. After clicking on this, relevant information from the vault will be supplied. Should you register somewhere for the first time, the browser extension can generate a secure password for you, which it will then automatically save to your vault.

Summing up, Kaspersky Password Manager is one of the most easy-to-use solutions we reviewed in terms of its interface, overcoming the stability issues we took issue with during our last assessment. The interface is user-friendly, clearly lists all of the service's features, and doesn't do much wrong. At the same time, Kaspersky doesn't offer its users much freedom when arranging or organizing their data sets, and could optimize navigation.

Score: 4 / 5

Kaspersky Password Manager is but one of the many programs in Kaspersky's portfolio. As such, it provides a solid range of features without attempting to mimic competitors like Dashlane or 1Password who lead the market in this area. With that said, nearly everything that we look for in a password manager was present.

Password Check

When using password check, the program lists your compromised passwords, in order of their weakness, making it clear that any vulnerabilities detected should be rectified immediately. Using data from Have I Been Pwned?, the program even reveals how many accounts with the same password have already been hacked.

Password Storage for Applications

One outstanding feature offered by Kaspersky Password Manager is the ability to create data sets for applications. In this way, it's possible to integrate the service's autofill functions into any programs on the desktop which might require logins. Unfortunately, this doesn't work as well with the apps themselves as we had hoped and we were unable to add most applications. Even when we succeeded and the data sets were saved, the login data had to be copied manually to the appropriate fields.

No Password Sharing

Regrettably, you won't find much beyond the basics with Kaspersky Password Manager. One feature that would be useful would be an automatic password changer, such as in Dashlane, as uncommon as this might be. More frustrating is that there's no sharing functionality for passwords, notes, or other data sets. The ability to save login data for applications also needs some work.

As mentioned earlier, we missed the ability to customize how our data sets were organized. Other password managers allow users to add their own fields or configure settings, such as the need to re-enter the master password when accessing certain data sets. With Kaspersky, you're limited to the default settings.

Extra security features, like the ability to encrypt data on your computer with a mouseclick, are also nowhere to be found.

Overall, Kaspersky Password Manager scored thanks to its reliable autofill (at least with websites), however, this is what we expect from a password manager. The basics are all provided for, but the software would profit from greater wealth in terms of features.

Score: 3 / 5

Like all password managers we assessed, Kaspersky Password Manager relies on AES 256, not saving your master password in plaintext, but generating a cryptographic key via PBKDF2, thereby conforming to the zero-knowledge principle. This means that Kaspersky never saves your password anywhere and that you alone know it.

You're likely to notice one major absence from the desktop version, namely, that of 2-factor authentication. This option is available for your Kaspersky user account. In the event that someone gains access to your device and master password, however, the service's 2FA won't provide any protection.

Additional security features, such as a virtual keyboard to protect against keylogging, aren't offered.

Weak Passwords

For years, Kaspersky's password generator suffered from a major security shortcoming, namely, its password generator. According to Ledger Donjon, a Bitcoin security firm's research team, passwords generated by Kaspersky's tool can be easily cracked by using a random number generator in combination with the system's time.

What's worse, Kaspersky was informed about this weakness as early as 2019, but reacted slowly, taking four months to rectify the issue, and only releasing a patch to users 16 months later which encouraged them to change their passwords. This means that most users unknowingly used weak passwords for nearly 2 years.

Even though the weaknesses have been dealt with und Kaspersky's password generator now creates secure passwords, we expect more transparency and finesse from a company specializing in cybersecurity.

Score: 2 / 5

Kaspersky Password Manager's mobile app automatically synchronizes with the service's desktop app. The developer doesn't use its own browser for this, instead relying on the smartphone's default browser (in our case, this was Google Chrome).

To enable autofill, you'll need to activate it in the system settings. During testing, autofill performed very well, however, it did require some patience with the necessary button not always appearing immediately. Beyond that, for some reason, usernames and passwords aren't input together but need to be selected separately. Even though Chrome handled itself very well, we would have liked to be able to use a Kaspersky browser.

The mobile version also comes with security check and a password generator. You can unlock the vault via fingerprint, which makes the app more convenient, but is a no-go for security purists.

Kaspersky Password Manager's mobile app is decent, even if some of its aspects are slightly frustrating, and autofill doesn't react as quickly or reliably as in other programs.

Score: 3.7 / 5

Since Kaspersky Lab offers a wide range of products, support doesn't focus exclusively on the needs of Password Manager customers. As a result, it might take a while to find the right answers in the FAQs.

You can request direct support via email, live chat, or hotline, 24/7, whereby you must first specify the product you're using, your operating system, and other parameters. The live chat and hotline are somewhat hidden, indicating that Kaspersky likely wants to reduce the number of support requests it receives.

During testing, we received an answer to our email query after 4 hours, and an immediate response in the live chat.

Assuming that you aren't in a hurry, as an alternative, you can post your question in the password manager sub-forum, where Kaspersky users discuss all kinds of topics and issues.

Kaspersky offers excellent support, even if it took us a while to find the live chat and hotline. Beyond that, the only issue was the fact that support is for all Kaspersky products, and not strictly the password manager.

Score: 4.7 / 5

Kaspersky Password Manager is available in both free and premium versions. The former should really be called a trial rather than a fully usable program, since it is limited to 15 entries in total, meaning that you can only save 15 data sets at a time. As such, this free version is barely usable for longer than a day or two.

On the upside, the paid version of Kaspersky Password Manager is extremely affordable. As of the time of writing, no special rates for businesses or organizations are offered.

A current price list can be found below:

Kaspersky Password Manager does a lot of things right and has improved upon the deficits which we noticed the last time we checked it out. Gone are the frequent crashes or freezes, and 2FA has been, at least partially, integrated into the program. You'll be afforded access to the most important features expected from a password manager, and have solid autofill whether on desktop or mobile.

Still, Kaspersky Password Manager doesn't do much to set itself apart from other, similar programs and lacks certain capabilities that would be highly useful, such as integrated password/data set sharing. Autofill didn't work all that well during testing on the desktop, and the software's free version, limited to 15 entries, is a trial version in every sense of the term.

More seriously, we were greatly disappointed that such a well-established and reputable cybersecurity company as Kaspersky had such major lapses with its password generator. Exploiting these, hackers would have been able to crack ostensibly unbreakable passwords in a matter of seconds. Even though the issue has been dealt with, we remain skeptical.

But what do Kaspersky's customers have to say about the software? To find out, we've compiled reviews from some of the most important portals for you below:

Should you be on the hunt for a password manager with more features, such as data set or password sharing, our top pick, Dashlane impressed with its wide variety of features, high security, and ease of use.

In case you're looking for a powerful free tool that is more generous than Kaspersky, NordPass and Bitwarden are two options worth checking out since the free versions of both don't impose any data set limits.

The best alternatives can be found below: