Dashlane review 2026: security, features and prices

Dashlane is a capable password manager that bundles extras many competitors sell separately, and it is now paid-only. If you want passwords, passkeys, a VPN and dark web monitoring in one subscription, it is a reasonable choice. If you want a strong free option or a documented EU data region, look at other products first. This is an editorial assessment based on vendor documentation, published certifications, feature lists and prices as of October 2026, not a laboratory test.

Quick verdict

Criterion	Assessment
Encryption	AES-256 (CBC-HMAC), Argon2d key derivation, zero-knowledge
Independent audits	SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, yearly third-party penetration tests (per Dashlane), bug bounty
Passkeys	Supported on paid plans; not part of CSV export
Server location	No documented regional choice for personal accounts
Recovery	Account recovery options exist, the vault stays encrypted with your own key
Export	CSV (no passkeys or attachments)
Platforms	Browser extensions, web app, Android, iOS
Price	Paid only; roughly 50 to 60 USD per year for one person, Friends and Family higher

Security

Dashlane says that vault contents are encrypted and decrypted locally on your device using AES-256 in CBC-HMAC mode, with Argon2d (3 iterations, 32 MB memory, 2 threads) as the key derivation function. Argon2d is a memory-hard function that resists GPU cracking. The company also uses AWS Nitro Enclaves, which isolate key-management operations in the cloud from the host system. That goes beyond the minimum, but it also adds components you have to trust.

On independent assurance, Dashlane lists SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification, annual third-party penetration testing and a bug bounty programme. It says it has never suffered a breach, which is a statement we cannot verify and which is not a guarantee for the future. We did not review the underlying reports. Compared with Bitwarden, which publishes many audit reports from named firms, and Proton Pass, whose code is open source, Dashlane is more of a trust-the-vendor offer.

Your master password remains the weak point in any zero-knowledge system. Use a long passphrase and add a second factor. Our guides to password manager basics and two-factor authentication cover the setup.

Features

• Passwords and passkeys. Unlimited passwords, autofill and a password generator, plus passkey storage and passwordless login. See passkeys explained for background.
• Dark web monitoring. Alerts for up to five email addresses on the paid plans, according to reviews.
• VPN. A built-in VPN powered by Hotspot Shield. On the family plan only the plan manager gets the VPN.
• Secure notes and storage. Notes with 1 GB of encrypted document storage on the personal plan.
• AI-powered scam protection. A newer addition that Dashlane advertises on its pricing page. We did not evaluate it.
• Platforms. Dashlane concentrates on browser extensions, a web app and mobile apps. Check whether your operating system is covered in the way you expect.

Sharing, emergency access and breach alerts work well in day-to-day use. What is missing is self-hosting and open source code, which Bitwarden offers.

Pricing (as of October 2026)

Dashlane no longer has a free plan. The Premium plan for one person is quoted at roughly 4 to 5 USD per month when billed annually, which is about 50 to 60 USD per year. Friends and Family covers up to 10 people and is quoted at roughly 7.50 to 8.10 USD per month on annual billing. Prices are billed annually only, and a 30-day money-back guarantee applies. We could not confirm the exact euro prices for your country, so open the pricing page for your market before you decide. Price differences between sources reflect promotions and regions.

Privacy and data location

Dashlane has French roots and is headquartered in the United States, which means US jurisdiction applies to the company. We found no documented option for personal users to choose an EU data region. If data residency matters to you, our list of European password managers compares providers with clearer answers. For households, see password managers for families.

Export is possible as CSV, but without passkeys or attachments, so test the export before you commit to a switch later.

Who Dashlane suits

Dashlane suits people who would otherwise buy a password manager, a VPN and a monitoring service separately and who prefer a single subscription and a single app. The Friends and Family plan, with room for ten people, works for larger households or small circles of friends. It is a weaker fit if you want a free plan, a lower price, or the option to inspect and self-host the server code. People who rely on a native desktop application on Linux should check current platform support before they commit.

Getting started safely

1. Pick a long master password that you have not used elsewhere. Because Dashlane cannot reset it for you, memorise it and keep a written copy offline.
2. Set up the recovery option that Dashlane offers for your device and test that you understand how it works before you need it.
3. Enable a second factor for the Dashlane account and, if you own one, register a hardware security key.
4. Import existing passwords, then remove them from browsers and old tools.
5. Make a test export and note what is missing, such as passkeys and attachments, so that you know what a future move would require.

What we could not verify

We relied on Dashlane’s own security pages and on price comparison sites. We did not read the SOC 2 or ISO 27001 reports, we could not confirm any user-selectable data region, and we cannot independently confirm the statement that the company has never been breached. Prices were quoted in USD on most sources and vary with promotions, so treat our figures as orientation and check the checkout page for your country.

Alternatives

• Bitwarden: free tier, open source, EU region and much lower prices.
• 1Password: similar polish with the Secret Key as an extra safeguard.
• NordPass: lower multi-year prices, simpler feature set.
• The full field is in our best password managers comparison.

Conclusion

Dashlane is a well-built, security-conscious manager with useful extras and passkey support. It suits people who like a bundled package and are happy to pay for it. It is harder to recommend for price-sensitive users, for anyone who wants a free plan, and for those who need a documented EU data region or open source code. In those cases Bitwarden or Proton Pass is the better starting point.