Password Manager Review: Kaspersky Password Manager

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

Kaspersky Password Manager was created by Kaspersky Lab, a Russian software company, and is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. The software helps users to conveniently organize and protect sensitive data such as usernames and passwords, as well as credit card info.

Typically, setting up a password manager begins with the creation of a master password, but, as a Kaspersky newbie, you'll need to create another password first, namely, for your Kaspersky account. Should you already have a Kaspersky account, simply log in. Once you have a Kaspersky account, you can create your master password.

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

If desired, you can install Kaspersky Password Manager's browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Yandex along with the service's desktop application. As such, you won't have to install individual components one-by-one later on, which is convenient.

We noticed the first cracks in Kaspersky Password Manager's facade when trying to import data. Ostensibly, Kaspersky Password Manager supports a wide variety of import sources, however, after lots of trying, not a single one of them worked for us. In fact, the issues we encountered were so significant that we had to contact support. When all was said and done, we had to manually re-enter existing data sets, which took time and tested our patience. With other password managers, data imports can also be tricky and require a bit of tweaking, but nowhere near as much as in Kaspersky Password Manager.

Of course, we're not unwilling to admit that perhaps we were just unlucky and ours was an isolated case (we couldn't find other users reporting similar issues), however, we definitely need to deduct some points from the service's score owing to its poor performance.

Score: 3 / 5

As with most other programs of this type, Kaspersky Password Manager revolves around its desktop app and browser extension. There is also a web version, which is accessible through the desktop application, but this offers the same functionality as the desktop app.

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 different types of entries, in the middle, individual data sets, and on the right, you can evaluate detailed information about the data sets you've selected.

It's possible to add webpages, apps, and other data sets directly to the program. Whenever you log in to a webpage through your browser, you'll be given the option to automatically save that data in Kaspersky Password Manager.

Overall, the desktop app is intuitive and easy to use. Unfortunately, we had to restart the program every now and then during operation since it would freeze unexpectedly and become non-responsive.

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.

Summing up, Kaspersky Password Manager could easily be one of the best solutions we reviewed in terms of its interface and ease of use if only it didn't crash or freeze so often. The interface is user-friendly, clearly lists all of the service's features, and doesn't do much wrong.

Score: 4 / 5

Kaspersky Password Manager is but one of the many programs in Kaspersky Lab'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

During the password check, the program lists your compromised passwords, in order of their weakness, making it clear that any vulnerabilities detected should be immediately rectified. 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. Using this, it's possible to integrate the service's autofill functions into any desktop programs which might require logins (such as Steam).

The two noteworthy absences from Kaspersky Password Manager are a password changer, similar to that available in Dashlane, and the ability to share passwords, notes, or other data sets. With that said, Kaspersky still delivers an effective package that works.

Score: 4.3 / 5

Like all password managers we reviewed, Kaspersky Password Manager relies on AES 256, handling your master password according to the Zero-Knowledge principle, that is to say, not having anything to do with it at all.

Unfortunately, Kaspersky seems to have lapsed somewhat inexplicably by failing to integrate 2-factor authentication into its platform. Compounding this is the inability to create a backup of your data.

Had Kaspersky Password Manager's developers integrated 2FA, the program would be neck-and-neck with its competitors in terms of security, unfortunately, its slip-up here means that it actually falls to the rear of the pack.

Score: 3 / 5

Kaspersky Password Manager's mobile app automatically synchronizes with the service's desktop application. Like most other mobile versions of password managers, the app relies on a dedicated browser to open selected webpages. Autofill worked nearly flawlessly during testing, and the app features an integrated password generator.

As a nice touch, if desired, the mobile app can be unlocked with a fingerprint scan.

When testing in Chrome (rather than the dedicated in-app browser), the performance was less impressive.

Kaspersky has done a really excellent job with its mobile Password Manager app, leaving little to be desired. It's fast, well-structured, and does everything that it should.

Score: 5 / 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, whereby you must first specify the product you're using, your operating system, and other parameters. During testing, we received an answer to our request after 4 hours, which is a very good response time.

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 can discuss all kinds of topics and issues.

All in all, Kaspersky's support is decent, even if we always prefer the presence of live support chat.

Score: 3.7 / 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 like LastPass, 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, at slightly more than $1 per month (paid yearly). This is valid for one user account but can be used on unlimited devices. As of the time of writing, no special plans for businesses or organizations are offered.

Kaspersky Password Manager does a lot of things right and would be one of the leading services if only it didn't suffer from a few (major) issues. Frequent crashes or freezes definitely dimmed our view of the software, and the lack of 2FA is incomprehensible, especially coming from a software company focused on security.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed managing passwords with Kaspersky. The program's user interface is pleasant, everything worked wonderfully apart from the issues highlighted above, and some functions - such as the desktop app autofill feature, were extremely nifty and something that other password managers might think about integrating into their packages.

A number of programs performed slightly better than Kaspersky Password Manager in our evaluations. Should you be looking for a similarly priced password manager with 2FA, we recommend checking out RoboForm or the feature-rich free version of LastPass.

Kaspersky Password Manager's desktop app was tested on a Lenovo laptop running Windows 10, its browser extensions were evaluated in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, and the mobile application was assessed on an Android device (8.1.0 version).