---
url: 'https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkeys-vs-password-managers'
title: 'Will Passkeys Kill Password Managers?'
description: 'Passkeys vs. Password Managers: Developers, learn the advantages of passkey implementation for secure, user-friendly authentication.'
lang: 'en'
author: 'Niclas'
date: '2023-06-01T00:00:00.000Z'
lastModified: '2026-03-25T10:42:34.294Z'
keywords: 'password manager'
category: 'Passkeys Strategy'
---

# Will Passkeys Kill Password Managers?

As we march towards a passwordless future, an important question arises: What becomes of
password managers? In this article we probe the relationship between password managers and
the emerging technology of passkeys. This exploration takes us through the rationale
behind integrating passkeys into password managers, the synergies within this combination
and some actual plans of leading passkey managers.

## Key Facts

- Passkey logins average **\~15 seconds**, roughly twice as fast as password logins at
  \~30 seconds, giving passkeys a measurable UX advantage.
- **Password manager adoption** barely exceeds one-third of users, so websites cannot rely
  on them as a universal credential solution.
- Password managers store passkey private keys in their own vaults instead of the device
  **TPM or Secure Enclave**, enabling sync outside Apple or Google ecosystems.
- LastPass and NordPass plan to replace their **master passwords** with passkeys, while
  1Password (920.1m USD raised) and Dashlane (210.9m USD raised) are building full passkey
  support.

## 1. From Passwords to Passkeys

With the emergence of passwords, the need for password managers became evident.
Subsequently, new authentication methods were introduced to enhance security and
convenience, such as
[two-factor authentication](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkeys-vs-2fa-security)([2FA](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkeys-vs-2fa-security)),
[social login](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/social-login), email magic links or one-time passwords (OTP).

Now, with the advent of passkeys, authentication is progressing further. But as the
digital landscape boldly strides towards a passwordless future, the role of password
managers comes into question. How do they fit into this paradigm shift? Let's delve into
the relationship between password managers and passkeys and explore how they're shaping
the future of digital security.

## 2. The Difference between Password Managers and Passkeys

Password managers are secure digital lockboxes designed to store and manage your online
credentials. Acting as a personal security assistant, they auto- fill login details,
manage unique passwords for all your accounts, and eliminate the need for you to come up
and remember any passwords.

Meanwhile, passkeys represent a revolution in user authentication, offering secure
authentication via simple biometric methods like fingerprints or facial recognition. With
passkeys, forgetting your password is a problem of the past; you can't misplace your
fingerprints or forget your face! Moreover, all password-related attacks, like
[phishing](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/phishing) or [credential stuffing](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/credential-stuffing),
can be prevented due to passkeys underlying architecture.

## 3. Why Password Managers are integrating Passkeys

Now, while password managers and passkeys might seem like strange bedfellows at first,
many password managers have plans to integrate passkeys into their products. This
integration looks like that they take care of the private key management of a passkey.
Instead of storing the private key in the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) or
[Secure Enclave](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/secure-enclave) of a device, its stored in the password
manager. Consequently, the passkey synchronization via a devices cloud account, e.g. via
[Google Password Manager](https://www.corbado.com/blog/how-to-use-google-password-manager) or Apple
[iCloud Keychain](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/icloud-keychain), doesnt necessarily take place. Instead, the
passkeys are synced via the password managers synchronization feature.

But why are password managers even doing this step, which requires major engineering
effort and breaks with a lot of common concepts? The following compelling reasons give you
a better understanding:

### 3.1 Embracing the Inevitable

Passkeys are rapidly becoming the successor to traditional passwords. They offer a
seamless user experience, reduce
[password resets](https://www.corbado.com/faq/passkeys-reduce-password-resets-otp-costs), enhance productivity,
and provide improved security.

According to recent statistics, a [passkey login](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-login-best-practices)
takes approximately 15 seconds, which is around twice as fast as a password login, that
typically takes about 30 seconds. In Google's blog article "The beginning of the end of
the password," they introduce passkeys as "the easiest and most secure way to sign into
apps and websites" and a significant step towards a "passwordless future." To remain
relevant and effective in the advancing landscape of digital security, password managers
simply have to integrate passkeys into their offerings.

### 3.2 Transition Period

The leap from a world reliant on passwords to a passwordless one won't happen over night.
There will be an intermediary period during which both forms of authentication will
coexist. Password managers are bridging this gap by offering passkey support besides
support for other authentication methods.

### 3.3 Reimagining Master Passwords

In addition to simply supporting the transition towards passkeys, some password managers
are also exploring the use of passkeys as a replacement for their master password. This
approach not only aligns with the passwordless trend but also amplifies the security of
the password manager itself.

## 4. Passkey Providers and Password Managers

But to ensure a smooth transition, password managers and
[passkey providers](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-providers) companies that integrate and manage passkeys
on server-side will need to operate in harmony. Let's see why that is and how this synergy
takes shape:

### 4.1 Client-Server Interaction

Password managers handle the client-side operations. They provide secure storage and
efficient management of credentials to make users login process effortless. Though, every
user has to choose, set up and sync the password manager on his own responsibility. As the
overall password manager adoption, especially among non-technical people, is still quite
low
([hardly more than a third](https://bitwarden.com/resources/world-password-day-global-survey-full-report/)),
its evident that website and app providers cannot rely solely on password managers.

Meanwhile, [passkey providers](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-providers) handle the server-side
implementation, relieving app and website hosts from the tedious task of self-integration.
By working together, these two entities can create a seamless and user-friendly experience
while ensuring a strong security framework.

### 4.2 Novelty of Passkeys

Despite the advantages of passkeys, they are quite a new concept, and many websites and
apps are in the passkey implementation phase. In this stage, in which - next to passkeys -
passwords are still a thing, password managers continue to play an essential role in
maintaining digital security, providing convenience for the use of passwords. \*\*\*\*

### 4.3 Versatility of Login Methods

There is currently an array of login methods such as email magic links, OTPs, or social
logins. Password managers are capable of managing not only passwords and passkeys, but
many of these login methods in a single source of truth.

### 4.4 Passkey Management

Not all users have the necessary devices or password managers with passkey capabilities
yet. Password managers enable those users with non-passkey-ready devices to fill this void
by providing efficient login management for non-
[passkey login](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-login-best-practices) options as well.

### 4.5 Passkey Sharing

Compared to passwords, passkeys currently pose a challenge in terms of shareability,
particularly for companies where multiple individuals need access to the same account.
However, password managers are actively striving to address this limitation and develop
solutions eliminating this downside of passkeys by offering to sync passkeys across
devices and platforms. That means you are not bound to an ecosystems syncing via Google
Password Manager or Apple [iCloud Keychain](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/icloud-keychain) anymore.

## 5. Progress Snapshot: Password Managers' Evolution towards Passkeys

After understanding the synergy between password managers and passkeys, let's now examine
how exactly some of the key players in the password management domain are responding to
the passkey revolution.

![Passkeys vs. Password Manager: LastPass Logo](https://www.corbado.com/website-assets/64784e5ced00ef7debed0881_2560px_Last_Pass_logo_svg_fe371fb7a6.png)

### 5.1 LastPass Passkeys

**Headquarter:** Boston, US

**CEO:** Karim Toubba

**Users:** 33m users and 100k businesses worldwide

**Founding year:** 2008

**Pricing:**

- _For individuals:_ Free to € 3.90 monthly. (Free for unlimited passwords and devices of
  one individual.)
- _For business:_ Free € 3.90 to € 5.70 monthly.
- All plans include passwordless login.

**Funding:** Total of $ 30m

- _Last funding:_ Nov 15, 2018

- _Investors:_ Post-IPO equity

- _Funding stage:_ PE investment (before: Series C)

**Passkeys:** [LastPass](https://www.corbado.com/blog/lastpass-data-breach) is adapting to the era of
passwordless security by incorporating passkeys as a substitute for master passwords. This
strategy is not only innovative but also enhances the user experience by making it
smoother and more intuitive. This feature is already live and available for use.
Additionally, [LastPass](https://www.corbado.com/blog/lastpass-data-breach) plans to introduce other
[FIDO2](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/fido2) compliant elements along with authentication mechanisms that
support biometric face and fingerprint authentication later this year.

![Passkeys vs. Password Manager: BitWarden Logo](https://www.corbado.com/website-assets/64784d6080747009366c132f_Bitwarden_logo_svg_ba12f89699.png)

### 5.2 Bitwarden Passkeys

**Headquarter:** Santa Barbara, US

**CEO:** Michael Crandell

**Users:** 17m users worldwide

**Founding year:** 2016

**Pricing:**

- _For individuals:_ Free to € 3.33 monthly (Free for unlimited passwords and devices.
  Excludes only premium features.)

- _For businesses:_ Free € 3.00 to € 5.00 monthly. (Free for unlimited accounts, passwords
  and devices. Excludes only premium features.)

**Funding:** Total of $ 100m

- _Last funding:_ Sep 6, 2022

- _Investors:_ PE

- _Funding stage:_ PE investment

**Passkeys:** One goal of
[Bitwarden](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-analysis-bitwarden-developer-survey-2024) ist to integrate
passkeys and [passwordless authentication](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/passwordless-authentication) into
existing applications. The acquisition of the open-source
[passkey provider](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-providers) passwordless.dev is a strategic move to
elevate their offerings in the passwordless space. Along with the acquisition,
[Bitwarden](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-analysis-bitwarden-developer-survey-2024) announced a
passwordless.dev beta program for which enterprises and developers can sign up. But while
they're actively working on passkey support, the integration of passwordless.dev into
their core password manager isn't on their immediate agenda.

![Passkeys vs. Password Manager: Keeper Logo](https://www.corbado.com/website-assets/64784edb1fbf5cc29ff17582_Keeper_tag_dc193edfdf.png)

### 5.3 Keeper Security Passkeys

_(Edit: June 20th, 2023)_

**Headquarter:** Chicago

**CEO:** Darren Guccione

**Users:** >1m users worldwide

**Founding year:** 2009

**Pricing:**

- _For individuals:_ Free to € 3.47 to € 7.44 monthly (€ 3.47 for unlimited passwords and
  devices. Excludes only premium features.)

- _For businesses:_ Free € 2.00 to custom monthly (€ 2.00 for up to 10 individuals.)

**Funding:** Total of $ 60.3m

- _Last funding_ : May, 9 2023

- _Investors:_ PE

- _Funding stage:_ PE investment

**Passkeys:**
[Keeper Security](https://www.keepersecurity.com/blog/2022/12/09/the-future-of-passkeys-with-keeper-security/)
recently rolled out passkeys storage capabilities, similar to how they currently manage
passwords. This will expand the password manager's capacity to handle a newer form of
secure data. As of their statement on June 5th, Keeper security now supports use of
passkeys in browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and Safari. Along with
their announcement they published a detailed documentation about passkey technology and
how to utilize them in their tool. In addition to that, they compiled a list of websites
that support [passkey login](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkey-login-best-practices), which will be updated
regularly.

![Passkeys vs. Password Manager: Dashlane Logo](https://www.corbado.com/website-assets/64784f6d8c58e6797b4f41c2_2560px_Dashlane_logo_2020_svg_90f34189a2.png)

### 5.4 Dashlane Passkeys

**Headquarter:** New York, US

**CEO:** John Bennett

**Users:** >18m users and 20k businesses worldwide

**Founding year:** 2009

**Pricing:**

- _For individuals:_ Free to € 2.75 monthly (Free only for one device.)

- _For businesses:_ Free € 2.00 to € 5.00 monthly (€ 2.00 for up to 10 individuals)

**Funding:** Total of $ 210.9m

- _Last funding:_ May, 30 2019

- _Investors:_ FirstMark and Bessemer Venture Partners

- _Funding stage_ : Series D

**Passkeys:**[Dashlane](https://www.corbado.com/blog/dashlane-passkeys) is adopting passkeys by creating a dual
'key' system to secure user connections. To navigate the
[transition to passkeys](https://www.corbado.com/blog/user-transition-passkeys-expert-strategies), they use
[conditional UI](https://www.corbado.com/glossary/conditional-ui). Currently,
[Dashlanes](https://www.corbado.com/blog/dashlane-passkeys) extension supports passkeys on Chrome, Firefox, and
other Chromium-based browsers, enhancing the safety and convenience of browser logins.
[Dashlane](https://www.corbado.com/blog/dashlane-passkeys) aims to take this feature to mobile apps, extending
multi-platform security. See also our [Dashlane passkeys](https://www.corbado.com/blog/dashlane-passkeys)
analysis.

![Passkeys vs. Password Manager: 1Password Logo](https://www.corbado.com/website-assets/64784fb9ad453138d9363e18_1_Password_icon_8dd3a9e839.png)

### 5.5 1Password Passkeys

**Headquarter:** Toronto, CA

**CEO:** Jeff Shine

**Users:** 15m users and 100k businesses worldwide

**Founding year:** 2005

**Pricing:**

- _For individuals:_ € 2.99 to € 4.99 monthly (Free for unlimited passwords and devices of
  one individual.)

- _For businesses:_ € 7.99 monthly

**Funding:** Total of $ 920.1m

- _Last funding:_ Jan 19, 2022

- _Investors:_ McConaughey and Lightspeed Venture Partners

- _Funding stage:_ Series C

**Passkeys:** [1Password's](https://www.corbado.com/blog/1password-passkeys-best-practices-analysis) roadmap is
ambitious. They're planning to generate passkeys, support multiple devices and platforms,
enable cross-platform synchronization, facilitate
[passkey sharing](https://www.corbado.com/blog/passkeys-sharing), and ensure data portability. They've acquired
Passage to assist in this major shift. These features are currently under development and
are set to launch in 2023. See also our
[1Password](https://www.corbado.com/blog/1password-passkeys-best-practices-analysis) passkeys analysis.

![Passkeys vs. Password Manager: NordPass Logo](https://www.corbado.com/website-assets/647850282d56f94ed7251ab7_Nordpass_d18a81ed3a.png)

### 5.6. NordPass (Nord Security) Passkeys

**Headquarter:** Vilnius, Lithuania

**CEO:** Tom Okman

**Users:** 14m users worldwide

**Founding year:** 2019

**Pricing:**

- _For individuals:_ Free to € 1.69 monthly (Free for unlimited accounts, passwords and
  devices. Excludes only premium features.)

- _For business:_ Free € 3.59 to custom monthly (€ 3.59 for up to 250 accounts)

**Funding:** Total of € 100m

- _Last funding:_ Apr 6, 2022

- _Investors:_ Illusian Family Office and Matt Mullenweg

- _Fundings stage:_ Series unknown

**Passkeys:**[NordPass](https://nordpass.com/passwordless/) is formulating a strategy to
store passkeys, intending to maintain a high security and convenience standard for users,
regardless of their chosen authentication methods. They announced the integration of
passwordless multi-factor authentication. Next to that, NordPass plans to integrate
passkeys as the substitute to their master password.

## 6. Password Managers in a passwordless Landscape

To conclude, even in a passwordless future, password managers will maintain a key role (at
least for the hybrid time being). Their capacity to integrate passkeys enables them to
adapt to the evolving digital security landscape. This adaptability will provide users
with a more streamlined and secure online experience.

By managing both traditional passwords (during the hybrid time), they link the past and
the future of online authentication methods. Moreover, by replacing the master password
with passkeys, password managers not only follow the industry trend towards passwordless
authentication but also increase their own security.

_Disclaimer: The status of the analysis is May 2023. Passkey features are subject to
change by companies on an ongoing basis. If functions change in the future, we will update
the article accordingly._

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Will password managers become obsolete once passkeys are widely adopted?

Password managers will remain relevant even in a passwordless future by managing passkeys
alongside passwords, OTPs and magic links as a single source of truth. During the
transition period, both authentication methods will coexist and password managers are
positioned to bridge that gap rather than disappear.

### How do password managers store passkeys differently from built-in device authenticators like iCloud Keychain?

When a password manager manages a passkey, it holds the private key in its own vault
rather than the device's TPM or Secure Enclave. Syncing then happens through the password
manager's own infrastructure instead of Apple iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager,
enabling cross-platform access independent of a single ecosystem.

### Can my team share passkeys through a password manager the way we share passwords today?

Passkeys currently pose a greater shareability challenge than passwords, which is a
problem for teams needing shared account access. Password managers are actively developing
solutions to sync passkeys across devices and platforms, removing the constraint of being
locked into one ecosystem's sharing model.

### Why are password managers investing heavily in passkey support rather than focusing only on password storage?

Passkeys prevent password-specific attacks like phishing and credential stuffing due to
their underlying architecture, making them a compelling security upgrade that password
managers cannot ignore. With adoption of traditional password managers still below
one-third of users, integrating passkeys is also a strategic move to stay relevant as
authentication shifts toward passwordless methods.