NordPass vs. LastPass 2024: Which One Is Better?

Manual Thomas
Updated on: September 24, 2024 Writer

NordPass and LastPass consistently rank among our best password managers in 2024. They’re both reliable choices that offer essential features like:

• Password generation.
• Auto-save and auto-fill capabilities.
• Multiple 2FA options.
• Data breach alerts.
• Password vault auditing.
• Secure password sharing.

However, there are some noteworthy differences between NordPass and LastPass.

For example, NordPass provides more cloud storage space and uses a more “future-proof” encryption algorithm than LastPass. Conversely, LastPass provides a broader range of extra features and better account recovery options than NordPass.

I spent several weeks testing both NordPass and LastPass in terms of security, features, plans and pricing, ease of use, and customer support. I was eventually able to determine a winner — but it wasn’t easy. Both password managers are really good and have their own unique strengths and advantages.

Ultimately, I lean towards NordPass, but I strongly recommend going through the entire article to decide which password manager best suits your needs.

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NordPass vs. LastPass — Quick Overview

Security & Data Privacy — NordPass Has Never Been Breached

NordPass and LastPass are both secure password managers that share several key security features:

• Strong encryption methods — XChaCha20 for NordPass and 256-bit AES for LastPass.
• Zero-knowledge architecture — ensuring that neither NordPass nor LastPass employees can access your password vault.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) — providing an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of identification when you login.

I like that NordPass uses the XChaCha20 encryption algorithm, which is considered more “future-proof” than the 256-bit AES encryption used by LastPass. Although both encryption methods are highly secure and virtually unbreakable, I appreciate NordPass’s commitment to the latest encryption technology.

Both password managers also offer multiple account recovery options. However, LastPass provides more options than NordPass — including SMS and one-time recovery password. While NordPass only offers recovery codes, it’s important to note that many password managers don’t provide account recovery at all. Both NordPass and LastPass further offer passwordless login options or biometric authentication using Windows Hello or Touch ID on Mac.

NordPass and LastPass have both undergone independent audits, too. That said, unlike LastPass, NordPass has a clean record and has never been breached.

LastPass has had a few data breaches over the past few years, including a major data breach in 2022 and a credential stuffing attack in 2021. While no customer data was exposed, I’d like to see LastPass take more steps to prevent such problems in the future.

Basic Features — Both Include Excellent Password Management

Both NordPass and LastPass provide users with essential password management features such as:

• Unlimited password storage.
• Multi-device synchronization.
• Password generator.
• Auto-save and auto-fill.
• Identity and payment information storage.
• Password sharing.

NordPass’s auto-fill feature is handy. After installing the browser extension you can fill in login credentials at the click of the NordPass logo, and it works seamlessly across all sites. It also generates secure passwords for new accounts and offers to store them in your vault. However, NordPass stumbles a bit when auto-filling other personal details like addresses and credit card numbers, especially when fields are split (such as area code and phone number).

On the flip side, LastPass also does a good job with its auto-save and auto-fill functions, always ready to save credentials for new accounts and suggest secure passwords. What sets it apart is its more consistent performance when filling in personal information — providing a smoother experience compared to NordPass.

Both NordPass and LastPass also have excellent password sharing. That said, LastPass is slightly better because it allows free users to share passwords with one other person — NordPass requires a premium account for sharing.

NordPass has a really good password generator — it allows you to create passwords of up to 60 characters (or 3-10 words for passphrases), complete with capital letters, digits, and symbols. The only thing I didn’t like was that while I could generate passphrases and passwords via the desktop app, the browser extension only creates passwords.

That said, I found the password history feature handy. It allowed me to view up to 10 previous passwords saved for a particular account. This functionality is helpful if you unintentionally overwrite a valid password or are interested in monitoring how long it’s been since you last updated your password.

LastPass’s password generator offers more customization options — It allows you to generate passwords up to 99 characters long, composed of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. LastPass also allows you to create passwords that are ‘easy to say’ (with no special characters or numbers) or ‘easy to read’ (with no confusing characters, like “I, l, O and 0”). That said, accessing the generator when adding new passwords to the web vault proved slightly bothersome. To use the password generator, you need to navigate to the section labeled Security Dashboard, then to vulnerable passwords, and from there select the link leading to the generator.

Advanced Features — NordPass Has More Advanced Features

Both NordPass and LastPass offer dark web monitoring, but I found NordPass’s to be slightly better. After I’d saved a few accounts to NordPass, I clicked Data Breach Scanner, and it gave me a report on every email I’d saved an account for. However, while it informed me of breaches, it didn’t immediately provide me with the details — instead, it sent them via email to the relevant email address. This is a privacy measure to ensure that only you receive your breach details. I then had the option of going in and fixing the problems or changing the passwords — which is really helpful.

I could access NordPass’s dark web monitoring via the desktop app and mobile app. However, when I tried accessing it via the browser extension, it took me back to the desktop app.

LastPass, on the other hand, offers dark web monitoring through the web-based dashboard and mobile app but not through the desktop app. Unlike with NordPass, I also had to add any additional emails I wanted to monitor. It gave me a report on those emails — but it didn’t provide as much detail.

I also really appreciate LastPass’s country restrictions feature. When you sign up, you can restrict access to the country where you created your account, adding an extra layer of security against hackers from other regions. If you travel internationally or use a VPN, you can create a list of trusted countries where you’ll still be able to log in.

On the other hand, NordPass provides email masking. This allows you to use a randomly generated email mask when signing up for accounts that you don’t want to use your primary email address for. Instead of these accounts having access to your email, NordPass will forward any emails from them to your inbox for added privacy. Unfortunately, LastPass doesn’t offer email masking.

NordPass also provides a more generous cloud storage vault that allows Premium and Family users to store up to 3 GB of files (with an individual file size of 50 MB). This is quite impressive, as most competitors, including LastPass, only offer 1 GB of cloud storage and a 10 MB limit on individual file size.

Apps & Browser Extensions — LastPass Includes an Intuitive Design

NordPass and LastPass both have intuitive and easy-to-use desktop apps that support Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS. However, NordPass also supports Mac and ChromeOS via the web app. Unfortunately, I found LastPass to be somewhat limited in a few areas. For example, I could only add attachments using LastPass’s web app, but NordPass allows you to add attachments using its desktop and iOS apps.

That said, NordPass and LastPass both offer really good mobile applications for Android and iOS. NordPass’s mobile app is very intuitive, closely resembling the desktop app in terms of features. After a simple setup process, you can view, edit, and share data. You can generate passwords, check password health, scan for data breaches, autofill passwords, set up biometric authentication, reset recovery codes, and even attach files up to 50 MB to your vault (iOS only).

NordPass also offers an OCR scanner for uploading new credit cards and notes — a feature not commonly seen in password managers. However, the app’s support for certain iOS features is a bit limited. For example, there’s no iOS emergency access.

LastPass’s mobile app setup is straightforward, with an option to remember the master password (though this is not recommended due to security concerns). The app provides a comprehensive view of the user’s vault contents, including passwords, secure notes, addresses, and payment cards. It also offers a security tab for password generation and emergency access, a security challenge for assessing password security, and a Sharing Center for family users. LastPass’s mobile app is very user-friendly, proving to be highly intuitive and feature-rich.

NordPass and LastPass both offer robust browser extensions, providing a range of features to streamline password management. NordPass’s extensions are compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge, Brave, and Safari. They allow users to access their entire password vault, view items, launch websites, add or edit entries, and access all of NordPass’s tools and the settings menu.

The auto-fill function works excellently for login credentials — however, it sometimes struggles with auto-filling other personal details such as addresses, contact details, and credit card information. Despite this, the NordPass extension makes it easy to find and fill out relevant information, even if it doesn’t always perfectly fill in the fields.

LastPass’s browser extension is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Edge. It’s highly intuitive and user-friendly and allows users to search their entire password vault, view stored items, add or edit entries, and even import and export passwords. The extension also includes a built-in password generator and a button for LastPass’s Security Dashboard.

LastPass’s auto-save and auto-fill functions work flawlessly, offering to save credentials upon the first login and automatically filling in the username and password every time the user navigates to a login field. Overall, LastPass’s browser extension stands out for its perfect auto-save and auto-fill functions and the accessibility of its essential features, making it easy for even complete beginners to navigate.

Ease of Use & Setup — NordPass Is Easier to Use

NordPass has an intuitive interface and lightweight design which I prefer over LastPass’s. It’s easy to navigate and use — especially for non-tech-savvy users.

The setup process is quick and straightforward — it only took me a few minutes to download the app, create my account, and set my master password. I also like the “Getting Started” tab, which walked me through the initial steps of using NordPass and made the whole process even easier.

LastPass also offers an easy-to-use app with in-app guidance that I found very helpful, especially for non-technical users. Like with NordPass, installing the app and creating a LastPass account was quick and simple. I also like that LastPass includes a quick in-app tutorial on how to use its features.

Unfortunately, importing passwords with NordPass isn’t as seamless as it should be. Direct importing is only available for Chrome, while for other platforms you need to export passwords into a CSV file and then import the file into NordPass.

LastPass uses the same password import process as NordPass, which is less convenient than the one-click password import provided by some of the best password managers in 2024.

Plans & Pricing — Both Brands Offer Good Plans

NordPass and LastPass both offer good free plans and paid options for individuals and families. NordPass provides a 30-day money-back guarantee on its paid plans, while LastPass doesn’t have a money-back guarantee. Both vendors also provide a 30-day free trial of their premium versions.

NordPass offers three plans for personal use: NordPass Free, NordPass Premium, and NordPass Family. For business use, NordPass has two plans: NordPass Business and NordPass Enterprise. The Free plan is quite generous, providing unlimited password storage, passkey support, password import & export, auto-save & auto-fill, password generator, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and automatic sync across all your devices. That said, you can only use it on 1 device at a time.

NordPass Premium plan costs just $1.24 / month and adds secure sharing, a password health checker, data breach monitoring, emergency access, 3 GB cloud storage, and use on unlimited simultaneous devices.

NordPass Family, priced at $3.69 / month, covers up to 6 unique users, and includes all Premium plan features.

LastPass has Free, Premium, and Families plans for personal use, as well as Teams and Business plans for business users. LastPass Free provides unlimited password storage on either unlimited mobile devices or computers, secure notes storage, one-to-one password sharing, password generator, auto-save & auto-fill, two-factor authentication, and the LastPass Authenticator.

LastPass Premium costs $2.40 / month and adds one-to-many password sharing, security dashboard & dark web monitoring, advanced 2FA options, emergency access, and 1 GB secure cloud storage. Plus you can use it on unlimited mobile and desktop devices.

LastPass Families, priced at $3.20 / month, covers up to 6 users and includes a family management dashboard, unlimited shared folders, and all Premium features.

Customer Support — NordPass’s Support Is More Responsive

NordPass’s customer support options include:

• Online knowledge base.
• Email (sent via a form submission from their Help Center, with auto-response email confirming requests).
• Live chat (available in multiple languages with the help of an in-built translator).

NordPass’s customer support was excellent in my tests. I used the live chat on multiple occasions and was connected to an agent within seconds. Their responses were always helpful, friendly, and informative.

The email support was equally impressive — I received helpful responses within just 2 hours. NordPass’s customer service is all in English by default, but they can respond to both emails and live chat requests in any other language with the help of an in-built translator.

NordPass also has a well-organized knowledge base with articles in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and French.

LastPass’s customer support options include:

• Email (business users only, located through the FAQ page with form submission and case number assignment).
• Help center (including training videos, “How To” guides, FAQs).
• Community forum.
• Live chat (although availability during testing was inconsistent).
• Phone support (paid users only, available via “Call Me” option in the support portal).
• Twitter support (three accounts for different types of support).

The support center is fairly good — it includes training videos, FAQs, “How To” guides, and a community forum. LastPass does provide live chat, but I wasn’t able to connect to it. Every time I attempted to click on the link, nothing appeared, and I was unable to connect with a human assistant. It doesn’t appear to be as good as the live chat offered by NordPass.

LastPass’s phone support is only available for paid users, with email support only available on LastPass Teams and Business — and finding the email support link wasn’t easy. I had to search for answers on the FAQ page before a link to the email support appeared. However, once I found the email support form and submitted my question, I was assigned a case number and received a detailed answer to my question within 5 hours. Phone support was faster — when I selected the “Call Me” option in the support portal, I received a phone call from a helpful agent within 5 minutes.

LastPass also has 3 Twitter accounts for support. Still, finding the right one might take some effort. I sent a question to LastPass’s live support Twitter account and got an answer in about 12 hours.

Overall Winner: NordPass

NordPass is a highly secure password manager that prioritizes user privacy, making it one of our best password managers in 2024. Its use of the “future-proof” XChaCha20 encryption and its unwavering commitment to user security and privacy — evident in its impeccable record of never having been breached — gave me confidence in its ability to protect my data. It’s also very easy to use, and has more accessible support options with faster response times.

LastPass is also a strong contender, offering excellent features and some really good additional security protections — including secure password sharing, multiple account recovery options, and country access restriction. That said, its past security incidents put it at a disadvantage.

Overall, both NordPass and LastPass are really good, and you can’t really go wrong with either one. However, I prefer NordPass for its strong security measures, user-friendly interface, and superior customer support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has better security, NordPass or LastPass?

Both NordPass and LastPass offer strong security. NordPass uses XChaCha20 encryption and LastPass uses 256-bit AES encryption. Both feature zero-knowledge architecture and multi-factor authentication to effectively protect user data.

However, LastPass has experienced a few security incidents in the past (as recently as 2022), even though no user data was exposed. NordPass, on the other hand, has a clean security record and has never been compromised. As a result, some users may feel safer using NordPass, even though LastPass is committed to addressing and preventing future security breaches. Overall, it depends on individual comfort levels with each company’s security history.

Does NordPass offer better customer support than LastPass?

NordPass had more accessible and responsive customer support in my tests. Both NordPass and LastPass offer customer support via email and have extensive help centers filled with useful articles and guides. However, in my tests, NordPass customer support had faster response times. What’s more, NordPass’s live chat connected me with an agent within seconds, who provided me with quick and clear answers to my questions. LastPass’s live chat, on the other hand, repeatedly gave me a chatbot that couldn’t connect me to a human assistant. Overall, though, both brands strive to address customer concerns and provide assistance when needed.

Is NordPass more trustworthy than LastPass?

NordPass’s lack of security breaches instills a higher level of trust. That said, even though LastPass has had some data breaches in the past, it remains a reliable password manager, and I wouldn’t say it’s untrustworthy. These incidents, while concerning, did not expose any customer data, and LastPass’s transparency in addressing them adds to its trustworthiness. However, NordPass, having maintained a flawless security record since its inception, may be seen as a more reliable choice in the eyes of users who prioritize a clean security history.

Can I import my LastPass data to NordPass?

Yes, transitioning from LastPass to NordPass is pretty straightforward. You can easily export your LastPass vault as a CSV file and then import it into NordPass. This simple process ensures a smooth transition between the two password managers, so you don’t lose any of your data. It’s worth mentioning that NordPass provides clear instructions on its website about how to import data from various password managers, including LastPass. This makes the process even more accessible for users who are not tech-savvy.

Read more about the best password managers in 2024