Dashlane (Premium) review 2027

What problem does Dashlane solve, and who is it for?

Dashlane is the password manager for people who want the extras bundled rather than bought separately. Its tagline calls it "the most automated manager — password changer, dark-web monitoring and a bundled VPN — at the highest price here." The verdict is blunt about the trade: it packs in more than anyone — monitoring, a VPN, a big family plan — and charges accordingly, with good security and good autofill, and the price as the only reason it sits mid-table.

The benefits are concrete. Dark-web monitoring and phishing alerts are included rather than sold as an add-on, Hotspot Shield VPN is bundled, and the Friends & Family plan covers ten people. Autofill succeeded on 95% of our test logins. That combination is why it remains right for large families who will use the VPN and monitoring — the more of those extras a household actually uses, the more the yearly fee buys.

How did Dashlane score 8.5?

Our score is built from five weighted criteria, and Dashlane's points show exactly where it wins and where it does not.

• Security — 31 out of 35. This criterion measures zero-knowledge architecture, encryption, independent audits, breach history, and two-factor and passkey support. Dashlane has no breach on record and publishes security reports.
• Usability — 22 out of 25. Measured by autofill accuracy on our 150 logins across browsers and apps, capture of new logins, and setup time. Dashlane's autofill hit 95%.
• Features — 15 out of 15. A full score, covering sharing, secure notes, passkeys, breach alerts, emergency access, travel mode and item history.
• Platforms — 10 out of 10. Apps and extensions for every OS and browser we use, and how consistent they are.
• Value — 7 out of 15. Price per year for one person and for a family, and what the free tier gives. This is where it lost.

Four strong criteria and one weak one produce 8.5 overall — a high score held back by a single category.

What does Dashlane do better than most?

The measured results back up the feature list. Autofill success came in at 95% in our test, which is the number behind the 22 out of 25 usability score. The latest audit on record is from 2024, and the company publishes security reports rather than keeping them private.

Beyond the vault itself, Dashlane includes dark-web monitoring and phishing alerts, and bundles Hotspot Shield VPN. The Friends & Family plan covers ten people — more seats than the family plans of the rivals we tested. Passkeys are supported for saving and signing in. For a household that wants monitoring and a VPN inside the same subscription as the password vault, that is the pitch.

What are the parts, platforms and plan details?

The specification rows tell the story of a web-first product with a wide but shallow desktop footprint.

• Individual: 59.88 USD/yr
• Family: 89.88 USD/yr
• Free tier: No (trial)
• Open source: No
• Audits: Public security reports
• Passkeys: Yes
• Family plan: Yes, 10 members
• Platforms: Web-first; Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, browsers
• Breach history: None

So: no open-source code, no permanent free tier, public audit reporting, passkey support, ten family seats, and no breach on record. The platform row is the one to read carefully — the browser and web experience is the centre of the product, and the desktop apps are thin.

How does Dashlane compare with 1Password, Bitwarden and Proton Pass?

Against 1Password (9.3, $35.88), Dashlane scores lower overall and costs more per year for one person. 1Password offers a family plan for 5 members at 59.88 USD/yr, no free tier beyond a 14-day trial, multiple public audits per year, passkeys, and no breach on record. Dashlane counters with ten family seats and the bundled VPN and monitoring.

Against Bitwarden (9.2, $10), the gap is price and openness. Bitwarden is open source, audited annually in public by Cure53 and others, has an unlimited free tier, a 6-member family plan at 40 USD/yr, passkeys, CLI support and no breach history. Dashlane is closed source, has no free tier, and charges 59.88 USD/yr for one person.

Against Proton Pass (9.0, $23.88), Dashlane again trails on price and openness. Proton Pass is open source, Swiss, Cure53-audited, has an unlimited free tier, a 6-member family plan at 47.88 USD/yr, passkeys and no breach history, plus built-in email aliases. Dashlane's answer is the VPN, the monitoring and the ten-seat family plan.

Where does Dashlane fall short?

Value is the criterion it lost, and the three test cons explain why. At $59.88 a year it is the most expensive individual plan in this group. The design is web-first, so the desktop apps are thin compared with rivals that ship full clients on every platform. And the free tier was withdrawn — there is only a trial, so there is no way to keep using it indefinitely without paying.

None of that touches security or features, which is why the score stays at 8.5. It is a pricing and platform-depth problem, not a protection problem.

What does Dashlane cost?

The individual plan is $59.88 per year. The family plan is $89.88 per year and covers ten members. There is no free tier, only a trial. On our value criterion — price per year for one person and for a family, and what the free tier gives — Dashlane scored 7 out of 15, the lowest of its five criteria and the reason it sits mid-table despite full marks for features and platforms.

Who should buy Dashlane?

Large families who will use the VPN and monitoring. If ten seats, bundled Hotspot Shield VPN, dark-web monitoring and phishing alerts are things your household will actually use, the $89.88 family plan spreads those extras across more people than any rival family plan here. If you are a single user who wants a free tier or open-source code, the alternatives above cost less and score higher.