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Technology · head to head

Safari vs Dashlane

Safari logo

Safari

Technology

Apple's WebKit browser, available only on Apple operating systems and updated only with them.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dashlane logo

Dashlane

Technology

Password management made easy for businesses

From
$4.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Safari has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Safari it runs only on Apple operating systems; there has been no Windows build since 2012 and none for Linux or Android, so any team that must verify Safari behaviour has to buy Mac hardware or rent it from a device cloud, which is a line item Chrome and Firefox do not create.; Dashlane highest pricing among major password managers at $60/year with no monthly subscription option
  • They diverge on capability: Safari covers WebKit engine, Dashlane covers Password manager.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Safari and Dashlane actually diverge.

Attributes where Safari and Dashlane differ
AttributeSafariDashlane
Starting priceFree$4.99/month
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser Extensions
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Safari

  • WebKit engine
  • Intelligent Tracking Prevention
  • Energy optimisation
  • iCloud Private Relay
  • Passkeys in iCloud Keychain
  • Handoff and tab sync
  • Profiles and Tab Groups
  • Web Inspector

Only in Dashlane

  • Password manager
  • Digital wallet
  • Dark web monitoring
  • VPN for WiFi protection
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Password generator
  • Secure sharing
  • Security dashboard

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Safari

  • Getting the longest battery life out of a MacBook, where the difference against Chromium browsers is hours rather than minutesnot Dashlane
  • Debugging a site on a real iPhone or iPad, which requires Safari's Web Inspector connected over USB from a Macnot Dashlane
  • An all-Apple household or team that wants tabs, passwords and passkeys to follow them across devices without a third-party accountnot Dashlane
  • Privacy-conscious users on iCloud+ who want tracking protection and Private Relay working by default rather than through extensionsnot Dashlane

Dashlane

  • Password managementnot Safari
  • Identity protectionnot Safari
  • Secure credential sharingnot Safari
  • Compliance requirementsnot Safari
  • VPN protectionnot Safari

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Safari

  • It runs only on Apple operating systems; there has been no Windows build since 2012 and none for Linux or Android, so any team that must verify Safari behaviour has to buy Mac hardware or rent it from a device cloud, which is a line item Chrome and Firefox do not create.
  • Safari's version is bound to the operating system's version, so a Mac that has fallen off the supported macOS list stops receiving Safari updates altogether; the browser's security life is the machine's OS life, roughly three years of updates after the last major release it can run.
  • Distributing an extension means packaging it inside a signed macOS application and shipping it through the App Store with a paid Apple Developer Program membership, which makes a small internal or single-team extension impractical.
  • Automated testing uses safaridriver, which runs on macOS only, has no headless mode and permits one session per machine, so Safari coverage in CI means real Macs in the pipeline rather than containers, and it does not parallelise the way Chromium does.
  • Web platform features generally land in WebKit later than in Blink and Gecko, so Safari's current support is in practice the compatibility floor for any project, and a feature you can use everywhere else may be a year away here.
  • Enterprise management is thin: configuration profiles cover a modest set of settings with nothing comparable to the several hundred administrative policies Chrome and Edge expose, so a managed fleet cannot control Safari to the same degree.

Dashlane

  • Highest pricing among major password managers at $60/year with no monthly subscription option
  • Restricted free tier with only 25 passwords on single device compared to Bitwarden's unlimited free tier
  • No traditional desktop application, users must rely on browser extension or mobile apps
  • Closed-source code prevents independent security verification unlike open-source competitors
  • Limited 2FA options supporting only authenticator apps, not biometric or SMS authentication

Pricing, plan by plan

Safari

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Safari review.

Dashlane

$4.99/month
  • Premium$4.99/month
    • Secure vault
    • Password generation

Which should you pick?

Choose Safari if

  • You need webkit engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want intelligent tracking prevention.
Safari review

Choose Dashlane if

  • You need password manager.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser Extensions.
  • You also want digital wallet.
Dashlane review

Questions people ask

Is Safari or Dashlane better?
Neither clearly leads. Safari starts at Free and Dashlane at $4.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Safari or Dashlane?
Safari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Safari and $4.99/month for Dashlane.
Does Safari or Dashlane run on more platforms?
Safari runs on Web. Dashlane runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser Extensions.
Can I use Safari for free?
Yes. Safari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Dashlane starts at $4.99/month.
What is Safari best used for?
Safari is most often used for getting the longest battery life out of a macbook, where the difference against chromium browsers is hours rather than minutes, debugging a site on a real iphone or ipad, which requires safari's web inspector connected over usb from a mac, an all-apple household or team that wants tabs, passwords and passkeys to follow them across devices without a third-party account, privacy-conscious users on icloud+ who want tracking protection and private relay working by default rather than through extensions. Of those, getting the longest battery life out of a macbook, where the difference against chromium browsers is hours rather than minutes and debugging a site on a real iphone or ipad, which requires safari's web inspector connected over usb from a mac are not what Dashlane is typically brought in for.
What can Safari do that Dashlane cannot?
Safari covers WebKit engine, Intelligent Tracking Prevention, Energy optimisation, iCloud Private Relay. Dashlane covers Password manager, Digital wallet, Dark web monitoring, VPN for WiFi protection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Safari: Can I run Safari on Windows or Linux?

No. The last Windows version was Safari 5.1.7 in 2012 and it is long unsupported. There has never been a Linux build. Testing Safari requires macOS, either your own or a rented cloud device.

Dashlane: What happened to Dashlane's free plan?

Dashlane discontinued its free plan in September 2025. The entry-level plan now starts at $4.99/month (billed annually) for Premium, or businesses can use a 30-day money-back guarantee to test the service.

Source
Safari: How do I test my site in Safari without a Mac?

Through a cloud device farm such as BrowserStack, Sauce Labs or LambdaTest, which run real macOS and iOS instances. There is no reliable local emulation, because other browsers on Windows and Linux do not use WebKit.

Dashlane: What platforms does Dashlane support?

Dashlane is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chromebook. Browser extensions work with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Brave. However, Dashlane no longer has a traditional desktop application.

Source
Safari: Are other iPhone browsers really different from Safari?

Historically no: Apple required all iOS browsers to use WebKit, so Chrome and Firefox on iPhone were interface shells around Safari's engine. The EU's Digital Markets Act now permits alternative engines, but adoption is limited, so in practice iOS testing still means WebKit.

Dashlane: Does Dashlane support SSO integration?

Yes, Dashlane integrates with SAML 2.0 Identity Providers for SSO, plus SCIM for user provisioning and deprovisioning. However, the Safari browser extension does not support self-hosted SSO due to Apple limitations.

Source
Safari: Why does Safari not get a new version on my old Mac?

Safari ships with the operating system. When a Mac can no longer run a macOS version that Apple still updates, Safari stops updating too, including its security fixes.

Safari: What does it cost?

Nothing. It is included with Apple operating systems. Private Relay requires an iCloud+ subscription, and publishing an extension requires a paid Apple Developer Program membership.

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