Dashlane alternatives: where to go and how to take your vault with you
Six destinations, one per reason for leaving, and an eight-step migration plan.
The short answer: Bitwarden if you want a free plan with no device limit or Premium for $19.80 a year. Proton Pass if you want a Swiss company and email aliases. 1Password if you still want to pay, but for the most polished app. Keeper if you never want a plain-text file on your disk. KeePassXC if you're done with the cloud. Apple Passwords if your whole household is on iPhone and Mac. Two things to know first. Dashlane exports a .zip of several CSV files, and every tool reads it differently. And your passkeys aren't in any of those files. We compared these six destinations and how each one imports a Dashlane vault in 2026.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why so many users are leaving Dashlane
Fair is fair: Dashlane isn't a bad password manager. Its security gets good marks, Premium bundles a VPN, and Friends & Family covers ten people, more than Bitwarden or Proton Pass (six) and 1Password (five). People leave for other reasons. These six come up again and again.
The free plan is gone
In 2025, Dashlane ended its free tier, which was capped at 25 passwords on one device. Free accounts were moved to a Premium trial, then to export-only mode: you can't add, edit, copy or even view a password. You can export, or you can pay. The deadline to choose passed in 2026.
It costs more than the obvious rivals
On the US App Store, Dashlane sells Premium for $64.99 a year and the family plan for $97.90. Bitwarden Premium is $19.80 a year, and 1Password Individual lists at $3.99 a month. One reviewer says they went from about $10 a year to over $40. Price is the first thing former free users bring up.
Renewals that catch people off guard
Reviews describe renewals charged after a cancellation made a month ahead, and a price increase announced without a clear amount. If you leave, turn auto-renew off and keep the confirmation.
Autofill that works on some sites, not others
It's the most common complaint in negative reviews. One user says autofill works on about one site in twenty. Add support that the same customers call slow, and patience runs out.
No Windows app anymore
Dashlane dropped its Windows and macOS desktop apps for a web app and a browser extension, a shift announced in 2021. A Mac app has since come back, but on a Windows PC everything runs through the browser. If your work laptop blocks extensions, Dashlane is out.
Closed code and limited sharing
Apart from parts of the mobile apps, Dashlane's code isn't public. Competitors also point to no email aliases and sharing that only works with other Dashlane users. None of that is a security hole. But if you want auditable code or to share outside the app, others do better.
You're leaving because… go with…
The right Dashlane alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually one line fits. Each card jumps to the full profile below.
Free, unlimited devices and passwords, imports the Dashlane CSV.
You want a Swiss company and email aliasesProton Pass10 aliases on the free plan, imports the .zip as is.
You'll pay, but for the smoothest app1PasswordIndividual at $3.99 a month, built-in Dashlane import.
You won't create a plain-text fileKeeperThe only one that imports Dashlane's encrypted .dash export.
You're done with the cloudKeePassXCAn encrypted file on your own disk, free and open source.
Everyone at home is on iPhone and MacApple PasswordsAlready installed, free, CSV import on a Mac.
Dashlane alternatives, one by one
For each tool: why move to it, who it's for, its catch, how to import your Dashlane vault, and what it costs. Prices are the ones each company lists in 2026. Scores come from our password manager ranking.
Bitwarden: the most complete free plan, and a rock-bottom Premium
Best pick for most peopleWhy move to Bitwarden. It's the most direct answer to Dashlane killing its free plan. Bitwarden Free has no cap on devices or passwords, where Dashlane Free stopped at 25 passwords on one device. You can share with one other person too. Premium is $1.65 a month, billed $19.80 a year: less than a third of Dashlane Premium on the App Store. The code is public, and if you're technical you can self-host it with Vaultwarden.
Who it's for. Anyone who wants a real manager on Windows, Android, Linux and every browser for little or nothing. Families too: Families is $3.99 a month ($47.88 a year) for six people. Want your vault in your automations? See Bitwarden with n8n and Bitwarden with Make.
Who it's not for. The big family that filled all ten Friends & Family seats: Bitwarden stops at six. And if you used the VPN bundled with Dashlane Premium, you'll need a separate one.
The catch. The interface is plainer, and the import takes some patience. On the Bitwarden forum, users describe a Dashlane CSV that got rejected until they compared it column by column with what Bitwarden expects, and very long passwords that made the whole import fail.
How to migrate. In the web vault: Tools, Import data, format "Dashlane". Dashlane's .zip holds several CSVs (logins, IDs, payments, notes), and Bitwarden wants one import per file. It doesn't check for duplicates, so a second run doubles everything: empty the vault before you retry. Attachments go back in by hand. Passkeys can come over through Credential Exchange from an iPhone or Mac, not from Android. Torn between the two finalists? Read what people miss after leaving Bitwarden.
- Free
- unlimited devices, share with 1
- Paid
- Premium $19.80/yr, Families $47.88/yr
- Score
- 4.5/5
- Catch
- 6 people max on Families, no VPN
Proton Pass: Swiss, open source, with email aliases
Easiest importWhy move to Proton Pass. It answers two Dashlane complaints at once: closed code and no aliases. Proton Pass is open source, Proton is based in Switzerland, and the free plan already includes 10 email aliases, throwaway addresses that forward to your real inbox. Free also keeps logins, notes, cards and unlimited devices, with no credit card asked.
Who it's for. Anyone who wants a European company, and anyone already on Proton Mail. Pass Plus is $2.99 a month ($35.88 a year), Pass Family $4.99 a month ($59.88 a year) for six people. Proton Unlimited at $9.99 a month adds Mail and Drive, worth it only if you want the whole suite.
Who it's not for. Heavy organizers: the free plan stops at two vaults. And, as with Bitwarden, families of more than six.
The catch. Users who've tried both say Proton Pass feels nicer than Dashlane day to day, while Bitwarden still has more options.
How to migrate. The simplest import here. In the extension: Settings, Import, then "Dashlane (zip)". Hand it the exported .zip as is, no unzipping. One import instead of one per file. Then check your cards and IDs, and delete the .zip.
- Free
- 10 aliases, 2 vaults
- Paid
- Pass Plus $35.88/yr, Family $59.88/yr
- Score
- 4.2/5
- Catch
- 2 vaults on Free
1Password: still paid, but the most polished
Most comfortableWhy move to 1Password. If you're leaving Dashlane over flaky autofill rather than price, this is where to go. It's the most polished app in the list, and it has an import built for Dashlane. You stay on a paid service with the support and finish you were paying for.
Who it's for. People happy to pay for comfort: Individual lists at $3.99 a month, Families at $5.99 a month for five people. That still comes in under Dashlane's App Store prices. A 14-day trial gives you time to check the import.
Who it's not for. Anyone who wants free: there's no free plan. And the family that used all ten Dashlane seats: 1Password stops at five.
The catch. 1Password raised its prices in 2026 too. If price is what's driving you off Dashlane, read why some subscribers are leaving 1Password before you sign up.
How to migrate. On 1Password.com: click your name, then Import, then Dashlane. It brings over passwords, payment cards and addresses, not passkeys. Two tips from its help pages and forum. Pause your backup software before exporting, so no copy of the plain-text file ends up in the cloud. And if the import says "No importable items were found", open the CSV: a first line holding your account email, or extra columns, is enough to block it.
- Free
- none, 14-day trial
- Paid
- Individual $3.99/mo, Families $5.99/mo
- Score
- 4.4/5
- Catch
- 5 people max on Families
Keeper: the only one that reads Dashlane's encrypted export
Safest migrationWhy move to Keeper. One specific reason: it's the only password manager that imports the ".dash" file, Dashlane's password-protected encrypted export. Every other tool needs a CSV, which means a plain-text file sitting on your disk for at least a few minutes. With Keeper, your passwords are never readable outside a vault.
Who it's for. Anyone who won't take chances during the move, especially on a shared computer or one synced to the cloud. The family plan includes 10 GB of file storage, handy if you kept attachments in Dashlane. The 30-day trial is longer than the others'.
Who it's not for. Anyone who wants a free plan. Check the price on Keeper's own page before the trial ends.
The catch. Keeper has the same score as Dashlane in our ranking (3.9/5). You switch for a cleaner migration, not a jump in quality. Its code isn't public either.
How to migrate. In Dashlane, choose the ".dash" export and set an export password. In Keeper: Settings, Import, then Dashlane. Give it the file and the password you just set. Keeper shows you the column mapping, then the folders it created: review them before confirming. CSV works too if you prefer.
- Import
- encrypted .dash or CSV
- Trial
- 30 days
- Score
- 3.9/5
- Catch
- no free plan
KeePassXC: your vault on your own disk, no subscription
No cloudWhy move to KeePassXC. Because no company can ever pull your free plan again. KeePassXC is free, open source, and keeps your vault in an encrypted file on your computer. No account, no server, no subscription.
Who it's for. People who want full control, and work machines where browser extensions are blocked: KeePassXC is a real desktop app on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Who it's not for. Anyone who wants effortless sync between laptop and phone. You copy or sync the file yourself and pick a compatible mobile app.
The catch. The import takes work. Only current passwords come across: history, shares, attachments and breach alerts stay behind. Cards and IDs arrive flattened into text. Check your one-time codes (TOTP) one by one.
How to migrate. Database, Import, CSV. Map each column: name to Title, url, username and password to their fields, note to Notes, category to Group. Users who hit errors on Linux fixed them by putting the columns back in the expected order. Start with the logins file alone.
- Price
- free, open source
- Storage
- encrypted local file
- Import
- CSV, map the columns
- Catch
- attachments and history lost
Apple Passwords: free and already on your iPhone
Simplest on AppleWhy move to Apple Passwords. You already have it. On iPhone, iPad and Mac, the Passwords app stores logins, one-time codes and passkeys, synced through iCloud, at no cost. For a lot of former Dashlane Free users, it's the obvious replacement.
Who it's for. Households where everyone has an iPhone and a Mac and just wants passwords to fill themselves.
Who it's not for. Anyone with a Windows PC or an Android phone in the family, or anyone who kept secure notes, documents and cards in Dashlane. On a PC, Chrome also imports a CSV (chrome://settings/passwords) if you'd rather go with Google.
The catch. File import only works on a Mac, not on iPhone. And Dashlane's CSV is often rejected with a "missing column labels" error.
How to migrate. On the Mac, open Passwords, File, Import. If the file is rejected, open it in a spreadsheet and add a first row with the column names (title, url, username, password, notes, otp). Users warn that may not be the only issue, so compare the item count afterward.
- Price
- free, built in
- Devices
- iPhone, iPad, Mac
- Import
- CSV, Mac only
- Catch
- column headers to add
Dashlane and 6 alternatives side by side
Our default call: Bitwarden if you want to stop paying, Proton Pass if a European company matters, 1Password if you'll pay for comfort. Per year, roughly: Bitwarden Premium $19.80, Proton Pass Plus $35.88, Dashlane Premium $64.99 on the App Store, KeePassXC and Apple Passwords nothing at all. The table shows what matters when you leave: the free plan, and how each tool takes in your Dashlane vault.
| Free plan | Import from Dashlane | |
|---|---|---|
| DashlaneWhere you start | None, 14-day trial | Exports a .zip of CSVs or an encrypted .dash |
| BitwardenMost complete | Unlimited devices, share with 1 | One import per CSV in the .zip |
| Proton PassSwiss | 10 aliases, 2 vaults | The .zip as is, one import |
| 1PasswordMost comfortable | None, 14-day trial | Built-in Dashlane import, no passkeys |
| KeeperEncrypted move | None, 30-day trial | .dash file or CSV |
| KeePassXCNo cloud | Free, open source | CSV, map the columns |
| Apple PasswordsApple households | Free, built in | CSV on Mac, add headers |
Prices listed by each company in 2026, in US dollars. Dashlane's price is its App Store price. Always check the vendor's page before you pay.
Move off Dashlane in eight steps
Order matters. Each step protects something: your logins, your two-factor codes, your passkeys, and the plain-text file you're about to create. Plan an evening for a vault of a few hundred items.
Export before you cancel anything
UrgentAs long as your Dashlane account is open, export works. That's all that matters at the start. On a former free account in export-only mode, you can't view anything but you can still get everything out. Do it now.
If you pay, don't cancel first. Keep Dashlane until the move is done: it's your safety net.
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Risk if skipped
- locked-out vault
List what won't make the trip
Write down how many items you have per category: logins, secure notes, cards, IDs. You'll use that number to check the import. Then flag three things: your passkeys, which aren't in any standard export; attachments on secure notes, which don't go into the CSV; and accounts whose one-time code lives in Dashlane.
Delete dead accounts while you're at it. Fewer items, fewer checks later.
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Write down
- item count per category
Prep your computer before exporting
The CSV will be plain text. Pause cloud backup (OneDrive, iCloud Drive, Dropbox) for the duration so no copy lands on a server. Pick a local folder outside anything that syncs.
Turn off other password extensions too. One user's export kept failing silently, blocked by a pop-up from another extension.
- Time
- 10 minutes
- Pause
- cloud backup, other extensions
Export to CSV, and keep a .dash as backup
In the Dashlane web app: Settings, Export data, CSV. You get a .zip with several files: logins (credentials.csv), IDs (ids.csv), payments, notes. Don't unzip it if you're heading to Proton Pass, which reads it as is.
Also make a ".dash" export, encrypted with a password you choose. Only Dashlane and Keeper can open it, but it's a safe copy of your vault to keep during the move.
- Format
- .zip of CSVs + encrypted .dash
- Where
- web app, Settings
Move passkeys from an iPhone or Mac
TrapPasskeys aren't in the CSV or the .dash. The only way out is Credential Exchange, in the Dashlane app on iPhone, iPad or Mac running iOS or macOS 26 or later. Bitwarden accepts them this way, but not from Android.
Without a recent Apple device, you'll recreate each passkey on its site after the move. List them during the inventory and keep your other sign-in methods handy.
- Path
- iPhone, iPad or Mac app (26+)
- Otherwise
- recreate site by site
Import, and fix the CSV if needed
Follow your destination's path (see its profile above). If the import is rejected, open the CSV in a spreadsheet and look for three things: a first line with your account email instead of column names (delete it), missing headers (add them), and unusually long passwords that can break the whole run.
For Bitwarden, import each CSV from the .zip separately, logins first.
- Time
- 15 to 45 minutes
- Order
- logins first
Count, then spot-check ten items
Compare the imported count with your inventory. Then open ten random items: username, password and one-time code should all be there. Pay special attention to TOTP codes: sign in to two or three protected accounts to be sure.
Finally, re-attach files by hand from Dashlane while it's still open.
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Check
- TOTP codes, attachments
Delete the plain-text file, then cancel cleanly
Delete the .zip and the CSVs, then empty the trash. Turn cloud backup back on. Keep the .dash until everything checks out, then delete it too.
On billing, turn off auto-renew and save the confirmation: some customers report renewals charged after cancelling. On Friends & Family, each member has their own private vault, so each one exports before the plan ends.
- Time
- 10 minutes
- Keep
- cancellation confirmation
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What breaks a move off Dashlane
The same mistakes show up on the Bitwarden, 1Password and Apple forums. None of them is technical. They're oversights, and each one costs you logins or hours of cleanup.
Waiting for the account to close
An export-only account lets you do one thing. Putting it off is betting that door stays open. Export first, decide later.
Feeding the .zip to the wrong tool
Proton Pass wants the whole .zip. Bitwarden wants each CSV on its own. KeePassXC and Apple want one clean CSV. The wrong file gives you an empty or partial import with no clear error.
Forgetting passkeys
A forgotten passkey means an account you can only get back through recovery. List them, move them from an iPhone or Mac, or keep Dashlane until you've recreated them.
Re-running the import on a full vault
Bitwarden doesn't catch duplicates. A failed import run twice leaves two copies of everything. Empty the destination vault before each retry.
Leaving the CSV lying around
A CSV forgotten in Downloads and synced to the cloud is every password you own in plain text. If that risk bothers you, go through Keeper and the .dash file.
Choosing on today's price alone
Dashlane closed its free plan, and Bitwarden and 1Password both raised prices in 2026. Choose on what you need. For a team, NordPass also documents a Dashlane CSV import: compare business options in our business password manager ranking.
- CSV export done before cancelling
- Encrypted .dash export kept as backup
- Item count per category written down
- Passkeys listed and moved
- TOTP codes checked on ten items
- Attachments re-added by hand
- CSV deleted, trash emptied
- Auto-renew off and confirmed
Dashlane alternatives: common questions
Is Dashlane still free?
No. Dashlane ended its free plan in 2025. There's a 14-day trial, then you pay for Premium or Friends & Family, billed yearly. For a lasting free option, Bitwarden, Proton Pass, KeePassXC and Apple Passwords all have one with no device limit.
What happens to my passwords if I don't pay?
A former free account goes export-only: you can't add, edit, copy or view anything. You can only export. Do it while the account is reachable, in CSV and in encrypted .dash, then import elsewhere.
What's the best free Dashlane alternative?
Bitwarden for most people: unlimited passwords and devices, passkeys, sharing with one person. Proton Pass Free if you want email aliases (10 included), with a two-vault limit. Apple Passwords if you only use Apple devices.
Bitwarden or Dashlane: which should I pick?
Bitwarden if price matters: a full free plan, and Premium at $19.80 a year versus $64.99 for Dashlane Premium on the App Store. Dashlane keeps two edges: the bundled VPN and a ten-person family plan, against six at Bitwarden. In our ranking, Bitwarden scores 4.5/5 and Dashlane 3.9/5.
Can I import my .dash file into another password manager?
Only into Keeper. The .dash file is encrypted with a password only Dashlane and Keeper can read. Bitwarden, Proton Pass and KeePassXC need the CSV.
Are my passkeys included in the Dashlane export?
No, neither in the CSV nor in the .dash. They leave only through Credential Exchange in the Dashlane app on iPhone, iPad or Mac (iOS or macOS 26 and later). Otherwise, recreate them on each site after moving.
Does Dashlane still have a desktop app?
Not on Windows: there, Dashlane runs in the browser through its web app and extension. A Mac app has come back. If your work PC blocks browser extensions, KeePassXC, a real desktop app, is the practical way around it.
How do I move a Friends & Family plan?
Each member has their own private vault, so each exports their own and imports it into the new tool. Pick a destination that fits your household: six people on Bitwarden Families ($47.88 a year) and Proton Pass Family ($59.88 a year), five on 1Password Families ($5.99 a month).
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