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Technology · head to head

Dashlane vs Vault

Dashlane logo

Dashlane

Technology

Password management made easy for businesses

From
$4.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vault logo

Vault

Cloud

Manage Secrets and Protect Sensitive Data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Vault has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Dashlane highest pricing among major password managers at $60/year with no monthly subscription option; Vault vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • They diverge on capability: Dashlane covers Password manager, Vault covers Secrets management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dashlane and Vault actually diverge.

Attributes where Dashlane and Vault differ
AttributeDashlaneVault
Starting price$4.99/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser ExtensionsLinux, Windows, Mac, Cloud
CategoryTechnologyCloud
Founded20092015

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

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 Dashlane

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

Only in Vault

  • Secrets management
  • Encryption
  • Authentication
  • Authorization
  • Audit logging
  • API access
  • High availability
  • Replication

What people use each for

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

Dashlane

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

Vault

  • Centrally storing and rotating secrets, API keys and database credentialsnot Dashlane
  • Issuing short-lived dynamic credentials to applications instead of static passwordsnot Dashlane
  • Encryption as a service and PKI certificate issuancenot Dashlane

Where each one falls short

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

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

Vault

  • Vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Vault to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Vault
  • Each version only converts to MPL 2.0 four years after that version is published, and the Change Date is tracked per version
  • Replication, HSM support, namespaces, performance standby nodes, FIPS builds, control group authorisation, multi-factor authentication, secrets sync and lease count quotas all require a Vault Enterprise licence
  • A Vault Enterprise licence must be applied to the cluster before any Enterprise feature can be used

Pricing, plan by plan

Dashlane

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

Vault

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Secrets management
    • Encryption as a service
    • Identity management
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced features
    • Premium support
    • Dedicated updates

Which should you pick?

Choose Dashlane if

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

Choose Vault if

  • You need secrets management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
  • You also want encryption.
Vault review

Questions people ask

Is Dashlane or Vault better?
Neither clearly leads. Dashlane starts at $4.99/month and Vault at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dashlane or Vault?
Vault has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4.99/month for Dashlane and Free for Vault.
Does Dashlane or Vault run on more platforms?
Dashlane runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser Extensions. Vault runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
Can I use Vault for free?
Yes. Vault has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Dashlane starts at $4.99/month.
What is Dashlane best used for?
Dashlane is most often used for password management, identity protection, secure credential sharing, compliance requirements. Of those, password management and identity protection are not what Vault is typically brought in for.
What can Dashlane do that Vault cannot?
Dashlane covers Password manager, Digital wallet, Dark web monitoring, VPN for WiFi protection. Vault covers Secrets management, Encryption, Authentication, Authorization.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Vault: Is HashiCorp Vault free to use?

Yes, Vault is available as a free, open-source project. The community version includes secrets management, certificate generation and rotation, encryption services, and credential management. Vault Enterprise is a commercial offering with additional features.

Source
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
Vault: What are the differences between open-source Vault and Vault Enterprise?

Open-source Vault is free and self-hosted. Vault Enterprise includes additional features and commercial support. HashiCorp also offers Vault Dedicated on the HashiCorp Cloud Platform as a fully managed cloud option.

Source
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
Vault: Can I try HashiCorp Cloud Platform Vault without payment?

Yes, HashiCorp offers a free trial option for HCP Vault Dedicated. New users also receive a $500 credit to use across HashiCorp Cloud Platform services.

Source
Vault: What does Vault manage and protect?

Vault provides identity-based secrets management for users, machines, services, and AI agents. It automates authentication and authorization for access to secrets, passwords, certificates, encryption keys, and other sensitive data across your infrastructure.

Source
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