Enpass review: Password management for a lifetime

Password managers have joined the list of essential software that we need to use every day to stay safe and sane when dealing with all the logins and accounts we have in the modern digital world. Enpass is one that has been around for a good while now, offering cross platform support, plenty of features and some interesting subscription options. We put it through its paces to see how it fares in the ultra-competitive world of password management.

Software & Features

• Unlimited devices and passwords
• Auto-fill login details
• Choose where you store data

Enpass follows the well-trodden path laid by the majority of password managers when it comes to design and features. Once you set up a free account to test out the service, you’ll need to decide where you’ll store the password vault, as Enpass doesn’t keep this on its own servers.

There are the normal cloud storage options – iCould, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc., plus you can store everything locally on your phone or laptop if you prefer. The vault is secured with a master password you create, to prevent hackers from stealing the information, but you can use biometrics (Face ID and Touch ID) to quickly access your vault without needing to enter the password each time.

With that done, you can import your existing passwords from other passwords managers by downloading a .CSV file and placing it in your vault. Your account login details are listed alphabetically in the Enpass app, and you can quickly search for items by typing in their names. The free tier you start with limits the number login items to only 25, so it’s really only useful as a trial run unless you log into very few sites. Upgrading to the premium tier (which is very affordable) grants you unlimited items across all your devices.

There’s a handy auto-fill feature that you can trigger by tapping the Passwords option that pops up on your iPhone when logging into sites, this then takes you briefly to the Enpass app and retrieves the account details which it then uses to auto-populate the fields. It’s not quite as seamless as with some other password managers on the market, but it works well and was consistent – which is the most important thing.  

It’s not only passwords you can store in Enpass, as there are also sections for payment cards, ID, passkeys, secure notes, licences as well as travel tickets and a few other options.

Enpass is available on iOS, macOS, Apple Watch, Android and Windows, so no matter which combination of devices you or your family has, it should be covered.

Security & Encryption

• 256-bit AES encryption
• Passkey support
• Zero knowledge security

The security protocols in place with Enpass are again ones we see across most password managers these days. The service uses 256-bit AES end-to-end encryption, so your data will be locked up tight even when stored on cloud servers.

As mentioned earlier, you get to choose where you keep your data, plus there’s the safety that the encryption key is partly derived from your master password, which Enpass doesn’t know, so no one at the company will be able to open your vault.

Of course, this also means that if you forget your password then you’re a bit stuck, as customer support can’t unlock your vault either. That’s why it’s essential you use something you’ll remember, but not just an easy combination of pet names and previous addresses. This may sound daunting, but as you’ll only have to remember one password from now on, it’s a little easier to get it in your head.

Enpass also features a security audit, which analyses the strength of your password security and warns of any breaches that have been reported from other sites, plus which passwords you need to change. As you’d expect, there’s a password generator built-into Enpass that can be used to create new ones instantly, with settings for length, alpha-numeric characters as well as symbols that can be combined in accordance with the demands of the site or account.

Price & Availability

The free tier of Enpass is quite limited with its restriction of 25 login items, but upgrading to the unlimited Premium tier isn’t onerous, as it costs only $23.99/£19.49 per year, although at the time of writing the service was offering the first year for only $9.59/£7.79 which is an excellent price.

If you prefer to ditch yearly subscriptions, then there’s a lifetime option available that gives you access to the Premium subscription for as long as you or Enpass last. This costs $99.99/£92.99 as a one-off payment, but the deal that was running at the time of writing lowers this to $89.99/£83.69.

Should you buy Enpass?

If you want the basics of password management covered, then Enpass has everything you need, and if the special offer holds then it’s at a price that is very competitive. The option to store your vault where you want, is a good option for those who prefer to control the location of their data, while the range of features available make Enpass a solid tool for managing your accounts and beefing up their security.