A high-quality password manager
By Darcy French , Jonas P. DeMuro published 8 days ago
(Image: © RoboForm)
Once thought of as a “Nice to have,” these days, password managers are becoming more critical as businesses increasingly conduct their activities online. The potential consequences of a poor password management solution are significant, with the potential for crucial data lost or stolen. Of course, there is also the benefit of convenience with increased productivity of not having to search for and type in passwords (and the Post-It’s saved that were put all around the monitor bezel).
Fortunately, RoboForm is a highly secure, feature-rich platform that has been purposefully designed for businesses. It works across almost all platforms and provides networked features that enable businesses to collaborate more effectively.
In our RoboForm review, we consider which types of businesses should consider this platform and ask whether RoboForm is, potentially, their best choice of password manager available.
Features and utilities
RoboForm’s features make it one of the top-performing password managers available for businesses. Among many others, RoboForm includes features such as a password generator for creating strong and unique passwords of sufficient length and complexity, one-click login, cross-platform password syncing, and offline access. It can also auto-fill data fields for time savings on sites that need long web forms completed.
We also love RoboForm’s integration of folders, enabling users to organize passwords in whatever way is most useful to them. For example, businesses can easily create separate folders for work-related passwords and personal passwords. This is ideal for businesses that want to enable seamless password management for their organization.
Password sharing is another powerful feature of RoboForm. This feature enables users to securely share encrypted passwords or credentials with other RoboForm users within your organization. Password sharing significantly reduces the risk of sensitive information or passwords being exposed, while balancing the need to access these protected resources among multiple users.
A final feature that we think is important for businesses is the emergency access feature. In the unfortunate situation that one of your employees loses access to their account or becomes incapacitated, RoboForm will grant a trusted contact access to their RoboForm data.
Setup
RoboForm offers an array of software options, meaning business leaders can ensure compatibility across their organization.
In addition to applications for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android, RoboForm also offers software options for Linux users. Web extensions for all major browsers platforms also mean you can integrate Roboform right into your web experience.
Users can easily access the applications via their device’s app store or the Roboform website. Both apps are highly rated on their respective stores, with the iOS app getting 4.7 out of 5 stars, and the Android version almost as high at 4.5 out of 5 stars. Once downloaded, the app is easy to get up and running, but users must create an account before accessing any of the app’s features. The app, and the passwords it contains is also protected via a choice of methods, that include a PIN, master password, or biometrically through a fingerprint via Touch ID, or Face ID.
Interface and performance
The RoboForm app isn’t the most glamorous password manager application, but it performs strongly, and the interface is easy to use. Overall, it has a clean interface, has options such as to generate a password or to save all cleanly displayed and accessible, and integrates well with the mobile smartphone apps.
We tested the RoboForm app on Windows, iOS, and Android, and were impressed by the speed of syncing. Although we had to conduct a manual sync, it took less than three seconds for data uploaded on the mobile app to appear on our desktop device. Automatic syncing is also available.
Another strength of RoboForm is the high degree of account control. When using the desktop or mobile app, users can make a high number of customizations to security protocols and account settings. These advanced controls are one of the reasons RoboForm is one of our favorite password management solutions for businesses.
Security
As with any password management solution, a top-notch security framework is integral. Luckily, RoboForm doesn’t disappoint. As a standard, all data stored on RoboForm’s platform is encrypted end-to-end with AES256 bit encryption. Two-factor authentication is also available for all businesses, and further enhances data security.
RoboForm also provides advanced administrator controls such as enforced minimum master password standards and periodic password changes.
Businesses can also make use of public-private key cryptography, which allows business administrators to share encrypted passwords and credentials with employees without them ever having to see the actual password. This feature alone makes RoboForm one of the best password management solutions for businesses.
Support
There is free support available to all via the Help Center and Manual. Here, topics get organized into categories such as Security, Web Access, and Emergency Access, and each has a list of articles to guide users through the issue.
RoboForm provides superior customer support for its subscribers and business customers. IT administrators or employees can contact the RoboForm team either via their online support system or by phone during business hours, 9AM to 5 PM EST. There are also several online learning and training resources available.
Plans and pricing
RoboForm’s pricing model for businesses changes depending on how many users require access. All subscriptions provide access to the same features and software. The price per user is $39.95 per year, currently on a 35% off promotion, although the discount is currently the same when purchasing for one, three or five years.
There is also a free tier for individuals, or a better Everywhere plan with additional features including a secured shared folder, priority 24/7 support, and 2FA, and cloud backup. This Everywhere individual plan costs $23.88 annually, currently on sale for the same 35% discount which comes to $15.50 per year which includes all the devices for the individual, such as their PC’s and mobile devices. There is also the Everywhere family plan, that covers up to 5 users, that goes for $47.75, and is also on sale currently for $31.00 for the year.
The competition
Although RoboForm is close to best in class, it still faces competition from some of its competitors. LastPass, often considered the top provider, offers advanced administrator controls and centralized account management comparable to RoboForm’s platform.
RoboForm is also one of the most expensive password management platforms. Small and medium-sized businesses might therefore want to consider less expensive options such as RememBear, Sticky Password, NordPass or Dashlane.
Final verdict
RoboForm is a business-oriented password manager that all businesses would do well to consider for their organization. RoboForm, although more expensive than many of its rivals, offers advanced features that make it arguably one of the best password managers available.
Centralized administrator control, password sharing, and emergency access all make RoboForm particularly well suited to businesses and ensure a seamless experience across your organization. RoboForm’s security framework is also close to best-in-class, so businesses can be confident that their passwords and credentials are secure and inaccessible, even to RoboForm. We recommend RoboForm highly to individuals and businesses looking for a password management solution.