Avira Password Manager is free, syncs your credentials across your devices, and includes password hygiene alerts. Avira performed smoothly in testing, but the paid app doesn't include many additional features, and the free version lacks standard functions we expect to see, such as email masking, emergency access, file storage, or ways to share credentials with friends and family. Our Editors' Choice award winners for password management are NordPass and Proton Pass. Proton Pass offers easy-to-use, free password management and affordable premium subscriptions, while NordPass is an excellent option for business owners due to its customization options.

How Much Does Avira Password Manager Cost?

As noted, Avira Password Manager is a free and capable browser extension, mobile app, and web vault. The paid version of the app, Avira Password Manager Pro, costs $2.99 per month or $31.99 for an annual plan. In addition to the free features, the paid version includes breach monitoring for email addresses, passwords, and URLs stored in your vault, as well as access to customer support via email and phone.

Getting Started With Avira Password Manager

Avira Password Manager is available as an Android and iOS app, as well as an extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera browsers. You can sign up by visiting the website, entering your email address, and creating a strong account password and master password. Remember that you're the only one who will ever know your master password, and Avira cannot help you get into your vault if you lose it.

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Once inside your web-based vault, follow the on-screen instructions to install your preferred browser extensions and mobile apps. If you need help with your setup, click Get Started in the sidebar to access video tutorials.

After setting up your vault, it's time to import the passwords you've been storing in your old password manager or browser. Unlike other password manager apps we've tested, Avira Password Manager only supports credential lists saved as CSV files. Some password managers, such as 1Password and LastPass, can also import the specific file types used by their competitors.

Avira Password Manager Data Privacy

Before we review and test a password manager, we pass along a list of questions to each app's development team about the company's privacy and security practices. We want to give you the most information we can about the companies handling your data. Avira's answers are in italics below.

Has your company ever had a security breach?

Avira Password Manager has never been breached.

What unencrypted information does the password manager store in user vaults?

We do save some metadata such as timestamps and unique IDs tied to the Avira Account (not the Password Manager account) that are saved in a different Data Store outside the VAULT. This metadata is non-sensitive data and it’s unencrypted.

What is the company's policy regarding selling or sharing customer data with third parties?

Gen does not sell its customers’ data. We may share certain personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business as described in our Privacy Policy.   

How does your company respond to requests for user information from governments and law enforcement?

We respond to legal process requests received from law enforcement and/or government agencies to the extent we are legally required to respond and have responsive information. However, due to the encryption methods and zero-knowledge architecture of the password manager product, stored credentials are not visible to Avira and therefore cannot be shared with third parties.

This is an important distinction for the Password Manager product specifically. While Avira may be required by law to respond to government requests, the zero-knowledge encryption architecture means they cannot actually provide the encrypted passwords themselves, even if compelled.

I think the practice of keeping unencrypted data in customer vaults is risky, especially in the wake of the LastPass hack, where intruders got away with customers' encrypted vault data. The stolen information included unencrypted URLs associated with vault credentials, which could be used by criminals to identify vulnerable accounts.

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In the case of Avira, the unencrypted data stored in vaults is limited to timestamps and unique IDs, so the issue doesn't appear to be as severe as with LastPass, but we think it's something you should know. It's also worth noting that many other password managers do not keep unencrypted data in customer vaults.

I recommend always reading app privacy policies and scanning data collection notices to find out what kinds of information apps are collecting from you, how the company uses the data, and what other companies may be processing your information. Avira sent me a link to the company's privacy policy, and after reviewing it, I concluded that the types of data collected or processed by the company don't appear to be out of the norm for the services provided.

Authentication and Security Features

To set up your multi-factor authentication method with Avira, visit your account's Settings menu and choose Two-Factor Authentication. Unfortunately, Avira only accepts authentication via SMS for password manager customers.

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It's an unusual choice. Competing apps allow customers to verify their identity via many different methods. For example, paying LastPass customers can use hardware security keys or biometrics to prove who they are, while free users can use an authenticator app. Avira Password Manager's mobile app even includes an MFA code generator.

Avira's Security Status section helps you identify and change reused or weak vault credentials. Within the Security Status section is an option to turn on data breach monitoring. Like NordPass, Avira's breach alerts are just for paying customers. You can check to see if your email addresses and passwords have appeared in a data breach reported by haveibeenpwned.com.

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Avira accurately identified breached email addresses and passwords and also provided information about when each breach occurred. A link to find out more about the incident allows you to search the haveibeenpwned database. Competitors, such as Proton Pass, include details of each breach in the app and information about all types of data (credit card information, emails, physical addresses, phone numbers) that may have been exposed.

Visit the Settings menu to see what devices are connected to your account. You can remove Avira access for devices you don't recognize or from computers and phones you no longer use.

Hands On With Avira Password Manager

I tested Avira Password Manager's functionality using the Android app and the Avira Password Manager browser extension for Google Chrome.

Credential Capture and Replay

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After installing the browser extension, I was prompted to disable Chrome's built-in password manager so that it doesn't compete with Avira's while saving credentials. In testing, I was able to successfully capture or generate new credentials and replay stored usernames and passwords.

Password Generator

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Avira's web-based password generator creates 12-character passwords by default, which is not ideal. We recommend setting the password character default length to at least 20 characters and checking the options to include capital and lowercase letters, digits, and symbols. Notably, the iOS version of the app creates passwords that are 20 characters by default.

Notes and Wallet

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Pro plan customers can store up to 1GB of data in the Notes section of their Avira vault. A recent update allows customers to attach files and photos to passwords, notes, and wallet items, which is helpful. If you need to fill in web forms quickly and easily, Avira won't help you. Unlike competitors such as NordPass and RoboForm, Avira customers can only fill payment card information in their vaults. Most password managers allow customers to store and fill web forms with addresses, email account information, and other personal information.

Mobile Apps

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The Android edition of Avira Password Manager disables in-app screenshots by default, which is nice. You can turn this off in the Settings menu. There's also an option to auto-clear the clipboard on your device after 30 seconds, a setting I haven't noticed in other password managers. The app has all of the browser extension's features, including a password generator and the Security Status section. I didn't have any problems capturing new passwords or replaying old ones. As mentioned above, the mobile app can generate MFA codes, though you can't use it for your Avira account.

Customer Support

People who are using the free version of Avira Password Managers can help themselves by troubleshooting any issues using Avira's support website. If you have a paid subscription, you can log into the support site and request either email support or help via phone, which is ideal.

Is Deleting Your Avira Password Manager Account Easy?

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If you have a free subscription and want to switch to a new password manager, you can download your credential list by visiting the Settings menu and choosing Export. You can also delete your data from the password manager by staying in the Settings menu and choosing Delete.

I like that it is easy to cancel your subscription renewals, and you can also request a refund via the Support page. To delete your Avira account completely, visit your account page and visit the Data and Settings section. Remember to also uninstall the browser extension and mobile app, if applicable.