Why We Chose Keeper as Our Password Manager
We have been diligently searching for a password manager that meets our requirements, and we believe that search may finally be over. We are currently running a trial of Keeper, and it has genuinely impressed us.
The user interface is exceptionally well designed. Many password managers struggle when layering on additional features, whereas Keeper integrates them cleanly and natively. Based on our experience so far, it strikes a strong balance between usability, security, and functionality.
Disclosure: This review reflects our own experience and is not sponsored by any password manager.
How We Evaluate Password Managers
When evaluating password managers, we focused on several key criteria:
- Overall security posture and transparency
- Ease of use and interface design
- Feature integration and completeness
- Operational overhead and maintenance
- Pricing and value
Our feedback below reflects hands-on use across these dimensions.
A Brief History of Passwords and Password Managers
Passwords have been around for a long time, and unfortunately, they will likely remain with us for the foreseeable future. Early on, simple or easily guessed passwords were often enough to protect an account. As attackers became more capable—often leveraging personal information—stronger passwords became a necessity.
Remembering long, complex passwords is difficult for most people, which led many users to reuse the same password across multiple websites. This risk was amplified during a time when sites commonly stored passwords in plaintext or as a simple MD5 hash, sometimes with a salt. Without a salt, attackers could rely on rainbow tables to recover passwords efficiently.
As awareness of these risks grew, password managers became more widely adopted.
Password Manager Reviews and Comparisons
KeePass Review: Local-Only Password Management
One of the earliest password managers we used—and still one of our favorites—is KeePass. It is an excellent option when you only need to store secrets locally on a single computer. There is no cloud component to target, the encryption is strong, and performance is solid. This category also includes KeePassXC, which we have used as well.
Best for: Single-user, local-only use cases.
LastPass Review: Early Popularity, Mixed Long-Term Experience
The first commercial password manager we tried was LastPass. It worked well for us initially, but over time we personally noticed a decline in our experience. After LogMeIn acquired the company in 2015, we observed changes in stability and usability that made it less appealing for our needs. Like many widely used services, LastPass has faced well-documented security incidents, which prospective users can research independently.
Best for: Users already deeply embedded in the platform.
1Password Review: Strong Usability and Polish
Moving from LastPass to 1Password was a positive change for us. We appreciated the improved user interface and overall stability. The product felt more polished, and it was clear that effort had been put into refining the user experience.
Best for: Users who prioritize polish and usability.
Bitwarden Review: Open-Source and Reliable
Bitwarden did not offer the same level of UI refinement we enjoyed with 1Password, but in our experience it was more stable than LastPass and functionally reliable.
Best for: Cost-conscious users seeking a solid, open-source-based solution.
Vaultwarden Review: Self-Hosted Bitwarden Alternative
Vaultwarden provided us with a self-hosted alternative to Bitwarden, built in Rust. It is fast and secure, but managing password manager infrastructure internally is not something we are currently prepared to undertake.
Best for: Teams comfortable with self-hosting and ongoing maintenance.
Keeper Review: Security, Features, and Usability Combined
As mentioned at the beginning of this post, we have been very impressed with Keeper. It feels like the password manager we had been looking for but had not yet found. The pricing is competitive, and the interface is clean, modern, and intuitive. The platform also demonstrates a strong emphasis on security, which is evident when reviewing the Keeper Trust Center.
Best for: Organizations and teams that want strong security, rich features, and minimal operational overhead.
Final Thoughts: Choosing the Best Password Manager
Our primary takeaway is that modern password managers no longer require a trade-off between security and usability. Keeper, based on our experience so far, delivers strongly on both fronts and feels like a product we would have built ourselves.
If you would like to take it for a test run, send us an email at sales@nerdsec.io and we would be happy to help you get started.