Security Checkup

Price captures verified 2026-08-09; overall scores unpublished

How to Switch Password Managers

Switch only if your current vault fails a named job. Direct answer: export from the old tool (encrypted if available), create the new vault with a strong master password plus MFA, import, verify email and one financial login on a second device, then retire the old vault after a calm week. Never delete first. Free remedies still come before any paid hop. Pack options after the free path: NordPass for everyday vaults (Free $0/mo; Premium from $1.39/mo on a 2-year USD capture, 2026-08-09) and 1Password when structured sharing is the leftover job (Individual $2.99/mo billed annually; Families $4.49/mo). Overall scores stay unpublished. Who should not buy: anyone who skipped MFA on email, anyone switching for novelty, anyone who needs a published lab score before deciding.

Start Password Manager Finder →
  • Guide · Free-first · ~12 min read

Fastest free path

  1. 1Decide if switching is worth the lockout risk
  2. 2Export from the current manager (encrypted if available)
  3. 3Create the new vault with a strong master password + MFA
  4. 4Import and spot-check email/banking logins on a second device
  5. 5Update autofill defaults on each device
  6. 6Only then delete or freeze the old vault
Start Password Manager Finder →

Step-by-step guide

  1. 1

    Decide if switching is worth it

    Free

    Switching has lockout risk. Prefer staying if the current tool works and you only feel FOMO from ads. Write the failed job (sharing rules, free-tier limits, platform gaps, or UX you refuse to learn).

    • List why you are leaving in one sentence
    • Confirm the new tool supports your browsers and phones
    • Schedule time when you are not traveling
    • Read who-should-not-buy on the destination alternatives page
  2. 2

    Finish free hygiene before the hop

    Free

    A migration does not fix reused passwords. Rotate email and banking credentials, enable MFA, and store recovery codes offline before you export anything.

    • Turn on MFA for email and your most important financial accounts.
    • Stop creating new reused passwords today, use a browser generator if needed as a bridge.
    • Change reused passwords on email, banking, Apple/Google/Microsoft, and work SSO first.
  3. 3

    Export carefully

    Free

    Use official export paths only. Protect export files; delete them after a successful import. Never email an unencrypted CSV to yourself.

    • Export via the official UI or documented CLI
    • Store the file briefly in a secure location
    • Never paste vault contents into chat or notes apps
    • Keep the old vault active until verification finishes
  4. 4

    Import and verify

    Optional paid

    Import into NordPass or 1Password (or your chosen tool), then manually test the accounts that matter most. Unlock on a second device before you trust autofill defaults.

    • Import the full vault
    • Unlock on a second device or browser
    • Test email + one financial login
    • Confirm shared vault members can still access what they need
  5. 5

    Retire the old vault

    Free

    After a calm week of success, revoke old devices, remove extensions, and securely delete export files. Do not cancel the old subscription the same hour you import.

    • Remove old browser extensions
    • Revoke sessions on the old vendor account
    • Securely delete export files
    • Update recovery documentation outside the vault
  6. 6

    Who should not buy during a switch

    Free

    Do not pay for a new vault if you will not adopt a master password and vault MFA; if you only needed to rotate one reused email password; or if you require published overall scores before any commercial decision. Those scores remain unpublished on purpose.

    • Finish MFA on email first
    • Do not buy for someone who will keep sticky-note passwords
    • Comparison-only products may appear without View Deal buttons

What cannot always be removed

  • Risk of lockout if you delete the old vault too early
  • Sites that block password managers or break imports
  • Shared vault members who still use the old tool
  • Export formats that drop TOTP seeds or passkeys (verify vendor docs)

Sources

  • NordPass USD GraphQL, Premium from $1.39/mo 2-year; Free $0/mo, data/claim-ledgers/nordpass.json (2026-08-09)
  • 1Password USD pricing, Individual $2.99/mo and Families $4.49/mo annual, data/claim-ledgers/1password.json (2026-08-09)
  • Affiliate disclosure, Commission transparency near product CTAs; /go/ tracking only for pack merchants
  • Claim ledgers (T014), nordpass.json, 1password.json, bitwarden.json, dashlane.json: starting prices verified 2026-08-09; scores unpublished
  • Vendor marketing pages, Feature and architecture claims from official sites, not independent lab evidence; re-verify same-day before purchase advice
  • Security Checklist methodology, How password-manager reviews are structured before scores publish, /methodology/

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

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