Dashlane, the subscription-based password management service, is introducing a feature today that ought to become standard in every product like it: the ability to change all your passwords with a single click, including accounts with two-factor authentication enabled. The feature will work with about 75 major websites at launch, including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, PayPal, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Unique Passwords, Generated Automatically
Password Changer, as the feature is called, is made possible by Dashlane’s acquisition of PassOmatic, a New York startup that developed the core technology. For now, it works on desktop versions of Dashlane for PC and Mac, though the company is working on a mobile version. Dashlane now includes a big green "change all passwords" button; click it, and it will replace your existing passwords with ones that are unique and randomly generated. If you have two-factor authentication enabled, a pop-up will ask you for a code or for the answer to a security question.
Eventually, Dashlane plans to let you set certain passwords to change themselves at regular intervals. "This is the future Heartbleed killer," says Alexis Fogel, Dashlane’s co-founder and head of product. He’s referring to the critical vulnerability in the OpenSSL security protocol that this year affected tens of millions of servers. "If you’re regularly changing your passwords," he says, "you’re really limiting your exposure."
Based in New York and Paris, Dashlane is less well known in the United States than other password managers, notably 1Password. Still, it has 3 million users, and is growing sufficiently quickly that investors have put $30 million into the company. You can use Dashlane for free on a single device, but syncing between devices will cost you $39.99 a year. (LastPass costs $12 a year. 1Password is a one-time charge of $50 for the Mac and Windows and client; the iOS app is free and full-featured, though additional features are available through a one-time in-app purchase.)
Based in New York and Paris, Dashlane is less well known in the United States than other password managers, notably 1Password. Still, it has 3 million users, and is growing sufficiently quickly that investors have put $30 million into the company. You can use Dashlane for free on a single device, but syncing between devices will cost you $39.99 a year. (LastPass costs $12 a year. 1Password is a one-time charge of $50 for the Mac and Windows and client; the iOS app is free and full-featured, though additional features are available through a one-time in-app purchase.)
Dashlane is more expensive than its rivals. But its apps are polished and effective, and its subscription-based business model could help it be more sustainable in the long run than a password manager based on a one-time purchase. If you already have a password manager you’re happy with, Password Changer alone likely won’t be enough to get you to switch. But if you still don’t have a way of generating and storing unique passwords across your devices, you’ll definitely want to give Dashlane a look. And all its competitors better get to work copying it.
You can sign up for the beta here.
You can sign up for the beta here.
