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Cybersecurity · head to head

LastPass vs Vault

LastPass logo

LastPass

Cybersecurity

Simplify online life with LastPass password manager

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vault logo

Vault

Cloud

Manage Secrets and Protect Sensitive Data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LastPass free plan limited to 1 device type only; 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: LastPass covers Password vault, Vault covers Secrets management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LastPass and Vault actually diverge.

Attributes where LastPass and Vault differ
AttributeLastPassVault
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileLinux, Windows, Mac, Cloud
CategoryCybersecurityCloud
Founded20082015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 LastPass

  • Password vault
  • Password generator
  • Autofill
  • Security dashboard
  • Dark web monitoring
  • Emergency access
  • Secure notes
  • Digital wallet

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.

LastPass

  • Password management and vault storagenot Vault
  • Multi-device access and autofillnot Vault
  • Dark web monitoring and security dashboardnot Vault
  • Team collaboration with shared folders and policiesnot Vault

Vault

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

Where each one falls short

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

LastPass

  • Free plan limited to 1 device type only
  • Premium plan costs ~$3/month annually (30% discount applied)
  • Business Teams plan limited to up to 50 users maximum
  • Teams plan offers only 25 security policies
  • Business plan pricing ~$4/user/month
  • Business Max plan costs ~$7/user/month for advanced features

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

LastPass

Free
  • Free$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited password storage
    • Autofill
    • Dark web monitoring
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Unlimited passwords
    • All devices
    • Password generator
  • Families$undefined/month
    • Premium features
    • Shared folders
    • Family manager dashboard

Vault

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

Which should you pick?

Choose LastPass if

  • You need password vault.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want password generator.
LastPass 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 LastPass or Vault better?
Neither clearly leads. LastPass starts at Free and Vault at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LastPass or Vault?
LastPass starts at Free and Vault at Free.
Does LastPass or Vault run on more platforms?
LastPass runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Vault runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
Can I use LastPass for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LastPass best used for?
LastPass is most often used for password management and vault storage, multi-device access and autofill, dark web monitoring and security dashboard, team collaboration with shared folders and policies. Of those, password management and vault storage and multi-device access and autofill are not what Vault is typically brought in for.
What can LastPass do that Vault cannot?
LastPass covers Password vault, Password generator, Autofill, Security dashboard. Vault covers Secrets management, Encryption, Authentication, Authorization.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LastPass: Does LastPass have a free version?

Yes, LastPass offers a free plan with unlimited password storage, autofill, dark web monitoring, and basic password sharing, but it is limited to 1 device type.

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
LastPass: What devices does the free plan support?

The free plan is limited to 1 device type, meaning you must choose either desktop or mobile, not both.

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
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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