Face it, if you're not using a password manager your passwords are a disaster waiting to happen.
Memorizing one strong password and using it everywhere is no good; one breach exposes all your accounts.
And no non-mutant human can remember a long, random, unique password for every website.
But adding a password manager to your arsenal need not cut into your budget.
You can use Avira Password Manager at no charge, and you can even sync it across all your devices.
It doesn't offer much in the way advanced features like password sharing and digital inheritance, however, nor can it fill in web forms, but it does offer free basic password management.
Honest, Objective Reviews
Daxdi.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
Like LastPass, LogMeOnce, and 1U Password Manager, Avira works on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Since it installs as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, in theory you could use it on any operating system that supports one of those browsers.
Some password managers offer a free edition with a big limitation.
You can use Sticky Password or Dashlane for free, but only on a single device, for example.
Others put a limit on the number of passwords you can store, typically 10 or 15.
Avira has no such limitations.
Avira does offer a Pro edition, but the main thing you get with Pro is added security such as breach reporting and security analysis of your password data.
Getting Started
To get started, you visit the Avira website and register for an account, at no cost.
This immediately opens your (empty) password collection in the browser.
If you're running Chrome, Firefox, or Opera, you get a prompt to install the browser extension.
That's important, as Avira needs that extension to capture and replay passwords.
Do you use more than one browser? Make sure to install the extension on all those you use.
Note that Avira doesn't support Internet Explorer on Windows or Safari on the Mac.
Switching to Avira from another password manager is fairly easy.
EnPass can import passwords exported by 25 competing products, and KeePass supports 39 competitors.
Rather than support CSV (comma-separated values) files exported by specific competitors (and risk failure if the competitor changes the format), Avira imports from any CSV file that includes columns for the website, username, and password (plus optional name) for each entry.
Once you load the file, Avira displays its data and invites you to select the identity of each column.
After that, it shows the data ready for import, flagging any problem lines.
I had a little trouble with importing data exported by Dashlane, but I've seen this happen before, because Dashlane's CSV format isn't entirely consistent.
Bringing in data from Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault(Get 40% Off Keeper Unlimited and Keeper Family! at Keeper Security) went without a hitch, on the other hand.
Avira does not support importing passwords stored insecurely in your browsers.
LastPass, LogMeOnce, MyKi, and KeePass are among the products that can import browser passwords.
LastPass and 1U will even delete those passwords from your browser once they're safe in encrypted storage.
Password Capture and Replay
Consumers don't enjoy managing passwords; they do it out of necessity.
Hence, the process needs to be as simple and seamless as possible.
Avira handles that task, capturing credentials as you log into websites and replaying them when you revisit the site.
Like Keeper, Avira fills credentials only after you click in the entry field.
This avoids chicanery that fools some products into filling precious passwords into hidden forms.
If you've saved multiple sets of credentials for the site, Avira offers a small menu.
LastPass and LogMeOnce let you apply a friendly name at capture time, and put the new entry in a folder.
Avira doesn't support organizing entries into folders, and you need to edit the captured data to apply a friendly name.
From the editor, you can identify the entry with one or more searchable tags.
Replay proved reliable in testing; capture, less so.
For some sites, Avira offered to capture credentials before I entered them; for others it didn't offer at all.
At first, I thought it couldn't handle two-page logins, because it didn't capture Gmail or EventBrite, but then it correctly captured Amazon's two-page login.
Most sites did come through OK, and you can always add a site manually if necessary.
Some login pages are just weird, eschewing the normal conventions.
LastPass is one of the few free password managers with the ability to simply capture all fields on demand.
Keeper, Sticky Password Premium, and RoboForm are among the commercial products that exhibit this ability.
It's not a feature in Avira.
Clicking Avira's browser toolbar button gets you a list of all your logins, with a handy search box that narrows the last as you type.
You can launch any of your saved sites, but for security (as noted) you need to click in the data entry box before Avira fills in your data.
Password Generator
When you're signing up for a new secure account, Avira offers two password generation options.
You can choose Generate Password, which uses current settings, or Generate and Customize Password.
The latter option lets you set password length from 4 (not recommended) to 30 characters, and choose whether to include numbers and punctuation.
Avira's passwords always include uppercase and lowercase letters.
By default, Avira creates 12-character passwords.
Since you don't have to remember them, do yourself a favor and crank that up to at least 16, for added security.
Avira's own password-rating system says that change raises the time to crack your password from 3,000 years to 32 million years.
Myki Password Manager & Authenticator defaults to 30-character passwords, longer than the other free password managers and longer than almost all of the commercial crowd.
According to Avira's password rating system, anything from 20 characters on up would take longer than the age of the universe to crack.
Two-Factor Authentication
The problem with a master password is that anybody who knows it can use it.
It's a single point of failure.
Two-factor authentication vastly improves your security.
That hacker thousands of miles away can no longer access your account using the master, because he doesn't also have your smartphone, or other second factor.
Smartphone authentication is the authentication method Avira offers.
When you enable two-factor authentication, you give it your phone number.
Thereafter, login requires both your master password and a six-digit code texted to that number.
LastPass offers several choices for two-factor authentication, as do a few other free password managers.
LogMeOnce offers text-based authentication, but you pay a tiny amount for each use.
oneID relies entirely on factors other than a master password.
MyKi itself can serve as an authenticator for websites that use Google Authenticator for two-factor login.
Limited Security Status Report
Clicking the Security Status item in the left-rail menu brings up a page with an overall security percentage.
Looking at the page, you can see headings for all accounts, accounts that need improvement, breached accounts, unsafe websites, weak passwords, and duplicate passwords.
However, if you try to view any of those lists, you'll find they're not available.
Even the list of all accounts is mostly blurred out.
If you want the full security status analysis, you'll have to spring for the Pro edition.
LastPass and LogMeOnce Password Management Suite Premium offer fully detailed security reports even in their free editions, and they go beyond merely reporting.
For a selected set of popular sites, these products can automate the process of updating to a new password.
Mobile and macOS Support
Because it installs as a browser extension, Avira on the Mac behaves precisely as it does under Windows.
For Android and iOS, though, it uses a mobile app.
Both apps let you log in using your fingerprint, which is convenient.
On Android, Avira needs Accessibility and Usage Data access, as is common.
On iOS, you must enable auto-fill and the keyboard extension.
The mobile edition looks a lot like the desktop editions, minus the left-side menu.
You can't add, edit, or search for tags in mobile.
And there's a subtle difference in how it displays saved sites.
On all platforms, it uses the site's own icon, when available.
Sites without their own icon just get a globe icon in Android.
On Windows and macOS, Avira uses the first initial of the name on a gray background.
And iOS punches things up by using multiple colors for the background.
It's only because the product is so similar across platforms that such a tiny difference is noticeable.
With Avira running under Windows, macOS, or iOS, you can get a list of all devices associated with your account.
If you've lost or traded in one of the devices, you can remove it from the list.
Strangely, the Android edition lacks this capability.
What's Not Here
As noted earlier, Avira's Security Status report is reserved as a perk for the Pro edition.
Other advanced features don't appear in either edition.
Symantec Norton Identity Safe can use saved personal data to fill web forms, as can LastPass and LogMeOnce.
While Avira can store and sync secure notes, it doesn't include the ability fill web forms.
Enpass Password Manager, LastPass, LogMeOnce, MyKi, and 1U all include some provision for securely sharing login credentials with other users.
Most of them let you share a login so that the recipient can use it but can't see the password.
LastPass and LogMeOnce take the concept further.
They let you define a digital heir for your account, so that your accounts aren't tied up in the event of your death.
A waiting period between a request for access and granting that access gives you a chance to head off a too-eager heir's untimely request.
A Decent Utility
Avira Password Manager is a solid cross-platform password management utility, and it does a very good job of keeping the experience consistent across platforms.
It does offer two-factor authentication, but lacks most of the advanced features found in high-end competitors, even some of the free ones.
And if you want help filling web forms, you won't get it from Avira.
It's a good product, but not a great one.
In the realm of free password managers, LastPass is our Editors' Choice.
It packs in advanced features found generally in the top commercial products, it supports multiple types of two-factor authentication, and it can even handle some password change tasks automatically.
You have nothing to lose by trying Avira; after all, it's free! But try LastPass, too, before you make a final choice.
Pros
Syncs passwords across all your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices.
Two-factor authentication.
Free.
Cons
Doesn't fill web forms.
Lacks secure sharing, digital inheritance.
Security status details require upgrade to paid edition.
The Bottom Line
Avira Password Manager performs the basics of password management on all your devices, but it doesn't offer form-filling, secure sharing, and other advanced features in the best competitors.
Face it, if you're not using a password manager your passwords are a disaster waiting to happen.
Memorizing one strong password and using it everywhere is no good; one breach exposes all your accounts.
And no non-mutant human can remember a long, random, unique password for every website.
But adding a password manager to your arsenal need not cut into your budget.
You can use Avira Password Manager at no charge, and you can even sync it across all your devices.
It doesn't offer much in the way advanced features like password sharing and digital inheritance, however, nor can it fill in web forms, but it does offer free basic password management.
Honest, Objective Reviews
Daxdi.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
Like LastPass, LogMeOnce, and 1U Password Manager, Avira works on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Since it installs as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, in theory you could use it on any operating system that supports one of those browsers.
Some password managers offer a free edition with a big limitation.
You can use Sticky Password or Dashlane for free, but only on a single device, for example.
Others put a limit on the number of passwords you can store, typically 10 or 15.
Avira has no such limitations.
Avira does offer a Pro edition, but the main thing you get with Pro is added security such as breach reporting and security analysis of your password data.
Getting Started
To get started, you visit the Avira website and register for an account, at no cost.
This immediately opens your (empty) password collection in the browser.
If you're running Chrome, Firefox, or Opera, you get a prompt to install the browser extension.
That's important, as Avira needs that extension to capture and replay passwords.
Do you use more than one browser? Make sure to install the extension on all those you use.
Note that Avira doesn't support Internet Explorer on Windows or Safari on the Mac.
Switching to Avira from another password manager is fairly easy.
EnPass can import passwords exported by 25 competing products, and KeePass supports 39 competitors.
Rather than support CSV (comma-separated values) files exported by specific competitors (and risk failure if the competitor changes the format), Avira imports from any CSV file that includes columns for the website, username, and password (plus optional name) for each entry.
Once you load the file, Avira displays its data and invites you to select the identity of each column.
After that, it shows the data ready for import, flagging any problem lines.
I had a little trouble with importing data exported by Dashlane, but I've seen this happen before, because Dashlane's CSV format isn't entirely consistent.
Bringing in data from Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault(Get 40% Off Keeper Unlimited and Keeper Family! at Keeper Security) went without a hitch, on the other hand.
Avira does not support importing passwords stored insecurely in your browsers.
LastPass, LogMeOnce, MyKi, and KeePass are among the products that can import browser passwords.
LastPass and 1U will even delete those passwords from your browser once they're safe in encrypted storage.
Password Capture and Replay
Consumers don't enjoy managing passwords; they do it out of necessity.
Hence, the process needs to be as simple and seamless as possible.
Avira handles that task, capturing credentials as you log into websites and replaying them when you revisit the site.
Like Keeper, Avira fills credentials only after you click in the entry field.
This avoids chicanery that fools some products into filling precious passwords into hidden forms.
If you've saved multiple sets of credentials for the site, Avira offers a small menu.
LastPass and LogMeOnce let you apply a friendly name at capture time, and put the new entry in a folder.
Avira doesn't support organizing entries into folders, and you need to edit the captured data to apply a friendly name.
From the editor, you can identify the entry with one or more searchable tags.
Replay proved reliable in testing; capture, less so.
For some sites, Avira offered to capture credentials before I entered them; for others it didn't offer at all.
At first, I thought it couldn't handle two-page logins, because it didn't capture Gmail or EventBrite, but then it correctly captured Amazon's two-page login.
Most sites did come through OK, and you can always add a site manually if necessary.
Some login pages are just weird, eschewing the normal conventions.
LastPass is one of the few free password managers with the ability to simply capture all fields on demand.
Keeper, Sticky Password Premium, and RoboForm are among the commercial products that exhibit this ability.
It's not a feature in Avira.
Clicking Avira's browser toolbar button gets you a list of all your logins, with a handy search box that narrows the last as you type.
You can launch any of your saved sites, but for security (as noted) you need to click in the data entry box before Avira fills in your data.
Password Generator
When you're signing up for a new secure account, Avira offers two password generation options.
You can choose Generate Password, which uses current settings, or Generate and Customize Password.
The latter option lets you set password length from 4 (not recommended) to 30 characters, and choose whether to include numbers and punctuation.
Avira's passwords always include uppercase and lowercase letters.
By default, Avira creates 12-character passwords.
Since you don't have to remember them, do yourself a favor and crank that up to at least 16, for added security.
Avira's own password-rating system says that change raises the time to crack your password from 3,000 years to 32 million years.
Myki Password Manager & Authenticator defaults to 30-character passwords, longer than the other free password managers and longer than almost all of the commercial crowd.
According to Avira's password rating system, anything from 20 characters on up would take longer than the age of the universe to crack.
Two-Factor Authentication
The problem with a master password is that anybody who knows it can use it.
It's a single point of failure.
Two-factor authentication vastly improves your security.
That hacker thousands of miles away can no longer access your account using the master, because he doesn't also have your smartphone, or other second factor.
Smartphone authentication is the authentication method Avira offers.
When you enable two-factor authentication, you give it your phone number.
Thereafter, login requires both your master password and a six-digit code texted to that number.
LastPass offers several choices for two-factor authentication, as do a few other free password managers.
LogMeOnce offers text-based authentication, but you pay a tiny amount for each use.
oneID relies entirely on factors other than a master password.
MyKi itself can serve as an authenticator for websites that use Google Authenticator for two-factor login.
Limited Security Status Report
Clicking the Security Status item in the left-rail menu brings up a page with an overall security percentage.
Looking at the page, you can see headings for all accounts, accounts that need improvement, breached accounts, unsafe websites, weak passwords, and duplicate passwords.
However, if you try to view any of those lists, you'll find they're not available.
Even the list of all accounts is mostly blurred out.
If you want the full security status analysis, you'll have to spring for the Pro edition.
LastPass and LogMeOnce Password Management Suite Premium offer fully detailed security reports even in their free editions, and they go beyond merely reporting.
For a selected set of popular sites, these products can automate the process of updating to a new password.
Mobile and macOS Support
Because it installs as a browser extension, Avira on the Mac behaves precisely as it does under Windows.
For Android and iOS, though, it uses a mobile app.
Both apps let you log in using your fingerprint, which is convenient.
On Android, Avira needs Accessibility and Usage Data access, as is common.
On iOS, you must enable auto-fill and the keyboard extension.
The mobile edition looks a lot like the desktop editions, minus the left-side menu.
You can't add, edit, or search for tags in mobile.
And there's a subtle difference in how it displays saved sites.
On all platforms, it uses the site's own icon, when available.
Sites without their own icon just get a globe icon in Android.
On Windows and macOS, Avira uses the first initial of the name on a gray background.
And iOS punches things up by using multiple colors for the background.
It's only because the product is so similar across platforms that such a tiny difference is noticeable.
With Avira running under Windows, macOS, or iOS, you can get a list of all devices associated with your account.
If you've lost or traded in one of the devices, you can remove it from the list.
Strangely, the Android edition lacks this capability.
What's Not Here
As noted earlier, Avira's Security Status report is reserved as a perk for the Pro edition.
Other advanced features don't appear in either edition.
Symantec Norton Identity Safe can use saved personal data to fill web forms, as can LastPass and LogMeOnce.
While Avira can store and sync secure notes, it doesn't include the ability fill web forms.
Enpass Password Manager, LastPass, LogMeOnce, MyKi, and 1U all include some provision for securely sharing login credentials with other users.
Most of them let you share a login so that the recipient can use it but can't see the password.
LastPass and LogMeOnce take the concept further.
They let you define a digital heir for your account, so that your accounts aren't tied up in the event of your death.
A waiting period between a request for access and granting that access gives you a chance to head off a too-eager heir's untimely request.
A Decent Utility
Avira Password Manager is a solid cross-platform password management utility, and it does a very good job of keeping the experience consistent across platforms.
It does offer two-factor authentication, but lacks most of the advanced features found in high-end competitors, even some of the free ones.
And if you want help filling web forms, you won't get it from Avira.
It's a good product, but not a great one.
In the realm of free password managers, LastPass is our Editors' Choice.
It packs in advanced features found generally in the top commercial products, it supports multiple types of two-factor authentication, and it can even handle some password change tasks automatically.
You have nothing to lose by trying Avira; after all, it's free! But try LastPass, too, before you make a final choice.
Pros
Syncs passwords across all your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices.
Two-factor authentication.
Free.
Cons
Doesn't fill web forms.
Lacks secure sharing, digital inheritance.
Security status details require upgrade to paid edition.
The Bottom Line
Avira Password Manager performs the basics of password management on all your devices, but it doesn't offer form-filling, secure sharing, and other advanced features in the best competitors.
