Mike Wuerthele
Password storage and retrieval tool LastPass is altering its pricing structure again, with the most recent opening up cross-platform password storage to all users with an ad-supported tier.
In a blog post on Tuesday the LastPass developers announced that the multi-device password service allowing users to access passwords from multiple registered devices was no longer bound to users paying a monthly fee. Users on the free tier need not do anything to enable the feature, and can start using it immediately.
A user's content in LastPass, including passwords and data, is protected by one master password, similar to that of the Apple Keychain. Information is encrypted with AES-256 bit encryption with PBKDF2 SHA-256 and salted hashes, with encryption and decryption taking place on the device itself.
LastPass can be used as extensions to Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or Safari browsers for home users, or as a system-wide utility on macOS or iOS.
The $1 per month premium subscription for home users allows for family sharing for up to five users, tech support, encrypted file storage, and removes the ads from all registered devices. Enterprise licensing is available, and pricing varies.
The first version of LastPass launched in 2008 as a series of browser extensions. The system-wide Mac utility for LastPass debuted in 2015.
Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Oliver Haslam
12 Comments
This is absurd. I use my password keeper (not LastPass) about 10-12 times a day. Putting up with the loading of ads each of those times would slow my life to a crawl. If people don't realize by now that the safekeeping of their online passwords are worth $1/month, perhaps they shouldn't be online at all. Wake up, people! LastPass, 1Password, and the like are excellent, simple to use utilities and require you to remember only one password for your entire life.
What chance that a malware ad could pillage your passwords?
Where in their blogpost does it say anything about ads?
I've always steered clear of LastPass, as I never felt good about their software, and heard they had security vulnerabilities before, and now, this decision to go ad-sponsored, has re-inforced my decision to stay the F away from them, and any software that's ad-sponsored, because it demonstrates they don't care about user privacy.
I use SplashID, and also like 1Password, and that's what I will continue recommending going forward to all my friends and coworkers.
I don't see what's wrong with using Keychain. It's free and it works across all my devices. Of course, I guess if you have a mix of Android and iOS, it won't work so well, but it takes no time at all looking up a password.