NordPass Review 2023: How Good Is the Password Manager?

VPNs and password managers might serve different purposes, but they do go hand-in-hand. Both help users to navigate the digital world more securely, so it shouldn't come as a big surprise that sometimes, they're produced by the same development teams or companies.

Perhaps after noticing this, the developers of NordVPN (our overall winner among VPNs), released a dedicated password manager in 2019. Below, we'll let you know whether NordPass lived up to our expectations, or if the sequel thrives on reputation alone.

NordPass ⇱ is a password manager for Windows, macOS, and Linux developed by the producers of NordVPN. It is also available as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Edge as well as a mobile version for Android and iOS. We tested NordPass on Windows and Android.

During our last check-in with NordPass, all password administration took place in the browser. In the interim, a desktop application has been added which can be downloaded from the NordPass website. It is possible to continue without registering, however, if you want to sync your passwords across devices and create a master password, you'll need a Nord account.

If all goes according to plan, this master password will be the last one you'll ever need to remember. As a result, you should select it carefully. Should you forget it, the only thing that can help is the recovery code, which you can request after setting a master password. A NordPass master password needs to contain at least nine characters, one of which should be a special character.

Should you be switching to NordPass from another password manager or already have saved data sets in your browser, you'll likely want to begin by importing this data. To do this, go to Settings > Import and Export. Several browsers and programs are supported, including LastPass, 1Password, Bitwarden, and Roboform.

In the next step, you can select which logins, notes, and credit cards you want to import. During testing, we imported a LastPass CSV file and were pleasantly surprised with the results: No mistakes! With most of the other password managers we evaluated, it was necessary to manually correct a few records after importing them.

NordPass is quickly set up, and its import capabilities are second to none.

Nord Quality Apps

As is the case with most password managers, NordPass's user interface is comprised of two main components. The desktop version serves as your management center, while the browser extension acts as a mini version of the app, handling autofill.

Desktop App

Getting the hang of NordPass doesn't take much time. To the left of the main menu, you can switch between data set categories like passwords, credit cards, or secure notes and folders. In the main field, data sets for the selected categories are displayed. After clicking on a data set, a detailed view will open, from which you can take the username, password, and email address.

Also included is full-text search and the ability to add data sets.

Under Settings, in addition to the import and export features, you'll also find multi-factor authentication. Here, it's also possible to change your master password, generate a new recovery code, or set NordPass to automatically log out after a specific amount of time.

Overall, NordPass's desktop version is solid, which doesn't surprise us all that much considering our past experiences with Nord products.

Browser Extension

The browser extension serves as a mini version of the desktop app, containing the same categories. The program should be able to identify which website you're on and automatically supply the correct data set, however, this didn't work flawlessly during testing. Full-text search is integrated so that you can find the correct entry. We preferred how LastPass handled this since it displayed relevant entries.

Clicking on the settings icon takes you to the password generator, which we discuss in greater detail below in the following section. By clicking on Password Health or Data Breach Scanner, you'll be taken back to the desktop app. The desktop app is also the only place where you can add new data sets.

NordPass focuses on the most important components desired in a password manager, with the result being a nicely arranged and easy-to-understand interface. We took issue with a few minor things here and there, however, the changes that NordPass has made to its desktop app are overwhelmingly positive.

NordPass comes with all the features a password manager needs, that is to say, it has everything for managing logins and other records. Thanks to its integrated password generator, it's possible to create highly secure passwords, freely choosing their length and content. You can also create passphrases, but only if you open the password generator in the desktop app.

Reliable Autofill

Password creation is made easier with NordPass's automatic recognition feature. Whenever you visit a site, the program identifies the password form. If you click on this, an automatically-generated password will be shown which you can insert by clicking again. As soon as registration is complete, another window will open where you can save your login data to NordPass.

Broadly speaking, NordPass's autofill didn't disappoint: For pop-up or multi-step logins the small NordPass symbol appeared, supplying the correct login information to the right form. We were also able to automatically input payment information without issue.

Password Sharing

After clicking on the three-point menu in the upper right of the detailed view, a button with Share written on it should appear, which you can use to share selected data sets with other NordPass users. The person whose email address you enter will be given complete access, allowing them to view and edit any elements that you share with them, or partial rights, which only allows them to use usernames and passwords, but not edit or view them.

Additional features can be found in the Tools area. These include a security center, where weak, old, and re-used passwords are listed. You'll need to manually alter these passwords since NordPass lacks an automatic password changer like that which Dashlane provides.

The Data Breach Scanner checks for leaks and lets you know whether your email addresses or passwords have been compromised.

NordPass does provide its users with access to the most important features, but not anything that other password managers don't have. In some respects, the password manager could offer more: Your options when creating data sets are somewhat limited and it isn't possible to create user-defined fields.

When it comes to categories like identities, this is frustrating since you're limited to basic contact data such as your address. You won't find preset subcategories for passports or IDs, and you won't be able to manually add these either. Other password managers offer more flexibility in this area.

As might be expected, NordPass utilizes AES 256-bit encryption. All logins are encrypted according to the highest security standards, meaning that your data is extremely safe.

Should you want to add further security to your account, you can do so by activating multi-factor authentication connecting it with authenticator apps like Google Authenticator, Duo Mobile, or Authy, or a physical security key.

Two-factor authentication can be accessed through Settings, but to set this up, you'll be forwarded to your Nord account in the browser.

Ultimately, you're responsible for the security of your master password. What sets NordPass apart from other password managers is the emergency recovery code, which offers a lifeline in case you forget your master password. With that said, the recovery code poses a security risk if it falls into someone else's hands. So keep it safe and don't store it in NordPass!

The NordPass smartphone app is as easy to use as its browser counterpart, including categories for your logins, notes, and credit cards, as well as a recycling bin. All data is continuously synchronized between your smartphone and browser, with the sole (and somewhat ironic) exception of "Shared Items", which are only visible in the browser version.

All tools familiar from the desktop version, Password Health, Data Breach Scanner, and the Password Generator, are also available in the mobile app.

By clicking on Settings, you'll also have the option to unlock your password vault via fingerprint scan. This makes mobile usage a bit more practical, though still susceptible to the security gaps typical for this kind of software.

NordPass does not offer a dedicated browser. If you are redirected to a website via an entry in your vault, your smartphone's default browser will be used. We tested Google Chrome on Android and found NordPass's autofill to be extremely reliable, with nearly all of our logins automatically recognized. We only encountered problems when the URL differed slightly from that which was on record.

Taken together, NordPass's smartphone app is decent, reliable, and easy to use. Optically, it's missing the Nord 'sparkle', and has a somewhat generic look.

Since our last review, NordPass's support has noticeably improved. The help center has been enhanced with FAQs and guides and live support is available via live chat or support ticket. Using live chat, it only took a few seconds to get in touch with a friendly staffer who competently answered our questions.

As such, so far as support is concerned, there isn't really much to take NordPass to task with.

As with most other password managers, how much you pay for NordPass depends on the length of your subscription. When we reviewed the service, its 2-year plan was 50% cheaper than the pay-by-month option. A Family rate is also offered which includes up to five users.

Corporate packages are available. Companies with up to 250 users pay a flat rate per user while larger organizations should get in touch with Nord.

NordPass's free version is particularly attractive since you won't have to deal with any data set or synchronization limits, only having to make do without security tools and data set sharing.

A current price list for NordPass can be found below:

It's possible to pay for NordVPN by credit card, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, or cryptocurrency. All subscriptions come with a 30-day, money-back guarantee, however, if you want to try the service without inputting any credit card or payment information, a seven-day trial of the full version is also offered.

NordPass is easy to recognize as part of the 'Nord' family, sharing many of the same characteristics which made NordVPN so successful. The password manager is well-designed, easy to use, and quickly integrated into any browser. Data importing worked without issue, making the process of switching from another service particularly convenient.

In terms of features, NordPass has all of the bases covered, but could offer more flexibility, for example, in terms of creating and customizing data sets. Similarly, you won't find any of the extravagant features you get with services like Dashlane.

Beyond that, NordPass is a solid choice for a password manager, impressing owing to its powerful free version with which you can create as many entries as you'd like and easily sync between your desktop and smartphone.

Bitwarden offers an equally powerful free version, likewise without data set or device sync limits.

Should you be after more features, you might want to consider Dashlane. The top performer from our comparison series provides excellent security, is intuitive to use, and comes loaded with features, such as an automatic password changer.

The best alternatives to NordPass can be found below: