Password Boss Review: A Powerful Password Management App

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Password managers have become indispensable tools in our modern online lives. They not only prevent password forgetting but also act as a secure vault for your most sensitive information. In this Password Boss review, we examine this US security company’s approach to password protection.

What stands out the most in our Password Boss review is its stellar feature set. From secure sharing to emergency access and even a built-in browser, the app has you covered in nearly every use case. It also has one of the best encryption mechanisms we’ve seen in our password manager tests.

However, you’ll have to make do without a web app and there’s no way to know the pricing before you sign up. Is this trade-off worth it? Should you trust Password Boss with your secrets in 2024? Our review has all the answers.

Password Boss Pros And Cons

Before we dive into our in-depth Password Boss review, here’s a quick look at the app’s biggest pros and cons:

What is Password Boss?

If you’re looking for a simple but powerful password manager in 2024, Password Boss could be the tool for you. Founder Steve Wise first thought of the idea when he faced a lot of challenges deciphering account names and passwords after his father-in-law passed away.

He started the Minneapolis-based company to build an app that’d make it easier to manage passwords, create and enforce more secure credentials, and share them with your friends and family members.

Over the years, Password Boss has grown into a full-fledged identity and access management solution for both regular consumers and businesses. In 2022, Password Boss and the privileged access management software, AutoElevate, came together under the CyberFOX umbrella.

In our Password Boss review, we found the tool to be surprisingly powerful, although its online documentation can be a little lacking. It has all the core features you might need, plus a few extras like emergency access, a sharing center, and dark web scanning.

Is Password Boss Safe?

Safety and security are one of our top priorities when testing password managers, so one of the first questions we asked in our review was, ‘Is Password Boss reliable and safe?’ We are happy to report that the app is extremely secure with banking-grade encryption. It enforces several measures to protect your data from the risk of cyber attacks.

Password Boss Encryption

Like most password managers we review (with the exception of NordPass), the app uses 256-bit AES encryption – the same technology banks use to protect your financial data. All encryption and decryption happen on your local device, making sure that data moves only when it’s indecipherable.

On top of the AES Encryption, Password Boss applies a process called Salting. It uses a PBKDF2 function to add a random string (called a Salt) to the encrypted code, making it difficult to hack. Password Boss implements 64,000 rounds of PBKDF2 salt.

Secure Cloud

All modern password managers host data on the cloud because that’s the only way to sync your credentials across multiple devices. Password Boss uses a master key to keep your cloud data (hosted in AWS) secure.

What’s more, you can choose to keep your data in data centers in the U.S., Europe, Asia, South America, or Australia – and move your files anytime you like.

Network Level Security

Password Boss has obtained numerous certifications for its network-level security measures, including PCI DSS Level 1, SOC 1, 2, and 3, and ISO 270001. These are the world’s most stringent, independently audited security standards.

Verification

Password Boss supports both biometrics-based verification and two-factor authentication (2FA). Instead of using the master key, you can access your passwords using your phone’s touch ID and fingerprint scanner. The company also enforces 2FA in its data center locations, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access Password Boss systems.

If you’re still wondering, ‘Is Password Boss safe?’ You can rest easy since the app has a zero-knowledge architecture. This means that even the Password Boss team doesn’t know your master key or what you have stored in your vault, adding another layer of protection.

Key Password Boss Features – What Can It Do?

This was the standout aspect of our Password Boss review and tests. It offers a vast selection of tools and features to make your online life simpler and more secure. Check out our hands-on experience and findings when using its top features:

1. Master Password

A password management staple, we were happy to see that the Password Boss app uses a master key to secure everything you store in the vault. Thanks to the solution’s zero-knowledge architecture, not even Password Boss knows your master key (which means they also can’t help you restore it).

You might think that using a master password will only introduce a ‘single point of failure’ into the system – if someone gets hold of it, you’re a goner. In reality, we found that this isn’t the case. A single, complex, and unique key is easy to remember but virtually impossible for anyone else to guess.

2. Password Import/Export

Another password management staple, Password Boss, makes it easy to import and export your passwords from the system. As soon as you sign up, it’ll prompt you to conduct a password scan – i.e., and the app will scan all the installed browsers on your system to check if there are any password databases it can import.

You can export your data away from Password Boss just as easily. You could create a secure file, which is useful if you’re sharing data with another Password Boss user or switching accounts. You can also create a TXT, PDF, or JSON file. Note that it doesn’t generate CSV files, like most other password managers.

3. Phishing Protection

This is one of Password Boss’s unique selling points. Not many tools offer it, but we soon found ourselves getting used to the anti-phishing feature during our Password Boss review. It’s particularly useful if you regularly visit peer-to-peer websites like BitTorrent.

Here’s how it works: when you visit a website, the app will check whether you actually have an account associated with it before it auto-fills your password. Let’s say you click on a phishing link, like the ones that often pop up on BitTorrent, and it takes you to a scam website that looks remarkably like a page you trust (say, Microsoft’s app store).

Password Boss will stop you from entering your passwords or user IDs into such sites, protecting you from phishing attempts.

4. Copy Protect

This feature is yet another winner from Password Boss. Copying a password and leaving it on your clipboard indefinitely can cause vulnerabilities. Someone else might use your computer and accidentally view it when they are copy-pasting things. Or, you might fall prey to a clipboard virus.

Yet, we do appreciate the convenience of copy-pasting passwords—for pages where autofill doesn’t work or simply to rejog our memory. That’s why Password Boss automatically deletes credentials from your clipboard one minute after you copy them. It’s simple, but it works.

5. Selecting Storage Location

This feature isn’t very common in password managers, and we were happy to be able to choose our data storage location during our Password Boss review.

By default, you’ll be assigned a storage location close to your device. This allows for faster data transfers – and, presumably, lower data egress costs for the cloud hosting provider.

However, you can change this any time you choose. For instance, you could ask to house your data in the EU so that it’s within GDPR jurisdiction. This is highly beneficial for those of us who are a little extra privacy-focused.

6. Password Generator

This is one of the essential features we look for in our password manager reviews, and we were happy to see that Password Boss has you covered. You can use a combination of letters, numbers, symbols, and uppercase alphabets – or not have any of these, if you prefer.

The app generates 20-character passwords by default, but you can increase or decrease this. Password Boss will automatically rate its strength and store it in your vault.

While the feature is simple and effective, we did miss a few advanced controls – like the ability to use words instead of characters and avoid ambiguous characters.

7. Dark Web Scanner

Most password managers we test come with data breach scanners, but Password Boss goes a step further. It has a built-in dark web scanner we found extremely helpful and user-friendly. Even better, the feature is available for both personal and business accounts.

Today, cybercriminals are smart and sophisticated and they might sell your data on the dark web – where it’s difficult to find. Password Boss scans the dark web to see if any of your passwords or email information has been leaked.

If you’re a business admin, then you can run dark web scans for all your employees.

The dashboard tells you how many passwords were breached, how many times your email information turned up on the dark web, and when you ran your last scan. We’re happy to report that you can run unlimited scans in all Password Boss plans.

8. Autofill

The main reason to use a password management app is so you don’t have to remember your credentials – the app will autofill all the details for you. Password Boss has a pretty powerful autofill function. The first time you sign into an account, it’ll ask you what it is you want to do:

In our tests, we saved our login details, and Password Boss autofilled them later without any hiccups. You could also create a new account or generate a fresh password using the app—we liked that Password Boss lets you decide.

9. Share Center

As we previously mentioned, secure sharing with friends and family members was one of the key reasons why Password Boss was built. To facilitate this, the app offers a dedicated sharing center. Here, you’ll find every item you’ve shared, as well as passwords that others have shared with you.

We were impressed with Password Boss’s degree of configurability when it comes to sharing things. You can assign the activity a name so you can recall why you shared something later. You can also control the level of access and how long the recipient will enjoy sharing privileges.

Everything you share is AES 256 encrypted, with the addition of CBC mode. This is a chaining algorithm that prevents patterns from forming in cryptography, making it harder to break. The sharing center is also protected by 2048-bit RSA keypairs, the industry standard for data in motion.

10. Remote Password Wipe

Password Boss is among the few apps in its category with a remote wipe function. Since it requires local installation, this feature could come in handy if your device is lost or stolen. You can use this feature to automatically delete the data without having to decrypt it.

11. Secure Browser

One of the lesser-known features of Password Boss is its built-in browser – something we haven’t seen in any of the other popular apps in its category. It creates a ‘Safe Zone’ or sandbox where malware, plugins, and phishing attempts can’t get in.

You can then open any website you want inside the Password Boss app without any risk of cyber attacks.

We tried carrying out financial transactions using this feature, and they all went through without a hitch. We also liked the added convenience of being able to fetch our browser bookmarks and commonly visited websites within Password Boss, which saved us the trouble of typing in each and every URL.

12. Emergency Access

We believe emergency access should be among the core features of a good password management app. With so much of our lives now led online, we need to be reassured that our accounts are in the right hands if we suddenly become unavailable.

Password Boss gives you a backup plan for such scenarios. You can assign another Password Boss user as your emergency contact. Once they receive the invite, they’ll be able to request access to your vault items.

You’ll have a stipulated period of time—between two and 30 days—to accept or reject the request. After this, the app automatically grants you emergency contact viewing rights.

In our Password Boss review, we found that the password manager lets you control some aspects of emergency access. You can choose which vault items you want to share and also the time after which access rights are automatically granted.

13. Digital Notes

Most password managers, including Android’s built-in option, let you create and link notes with passwords. Password Boss goes a step further – in our tests, we found that it can double up as a full-fledged notes app for daily use.

You can create notes, name them, organize them in folders, add tags like ‘Journal’ or ‘Project ideas’ so they’re easy to find, and even mark a few notes as ‘Favorites.’ In sync with the rest of the app’s visual theme, you can configure the precise icon color for your note too.

14. Digital Wallet

The app allows you to store various financial information, such as bank account details and credit card information. Once you’ve saved these to Password Boss, you can autofill them just like your passwords.

We found this feature intuitive and surprisingly handy. When you try to autofill a field during a financial form, a popup appears in your browser. Choose the payment option you want, and Password Boss will securely transmit the data to help you complete the transaction.

Password Boss Pricing – Is it Affordable?

While evaluating Password Boss’s pricing, we found the cost to be at par with industry standards. For comparison, NordPass starts at $1.69/month, while Dashlane costs $4.99/month. At less than $30/year, Password Boss is within the reach of most consumers.

Interestingly, Password Boss doesn’t tell you about the app’s plans and pricing right away—you’ll have to download the app on your device and then upgrade to a paid plan. The company will tailor the price at checkout depending on your country. And if you’re lucky, you can get a 25% discount.

Here are our key findings about Password Boss pricing from the tests we ran:

Password Boss Interface – Is it Easy To Use?

The user interface is smartly designed, with the navigation pane on the left and your profile options right next to it. The dashboard and controls are located on the right-hand side, covering most of the app UI. A universal search bar and notifications menu are placed conveniently on top.

We liked that the app relies heavily on visuals, which makes it more engaging and interesting. We tested a lot of password managers here at TechReport, and the app’s visual design successfully persuaded us to move several of our credentials to Password Boss.

Similarly, the app converts the complex analytics data uncovered from your online credentials into simple, easy-to-understand charts. For example, it gives you an overall password security score, providing a broad picture of your account security posture.

Right next to it, you’ll find a more granular breakdown of the score and its components.

Importantly, the insights are color-coded to reflect their relative security risk. For instance, old passwords that aren’t necessarily weak are highlighted in yellow, while compromised passwords show up in the darkest shade of red.

This allows you to prioritize your security efforts and know which credentials to change first.

Great user experience often comes down to micro-interactions and small, thoughtfully designed components that together simplify the whole task.

This is where Password Boss really shines. The handy recycle bin, the small icon showing your security score, and the ability to expand or collapse menus are some of the examples we found in our Password Boss review.

We were also impressed by Password Boss’s mobile app, which is available for both Android and iOS. The app boasts of excellent feature parity and there’s virtually nothing you can accomplish with the desktop app that you can’t do on your phone.

The user interface on Android vs iOS is slightly different.

On Android phones, you’ll find a collapsible menu on the left where you can access all the app’s features and modules, like the Digital Wallet, The Share Center, and Emergency Access. On the iPhone, the navigation menu is right at the bottom, keeping in mind Apple’s overall design aesthetic.

Another highlight of the mobile UX is Password Boss’s compatibility with tablets.

You can use the password manager on both Android and iOS tabs, and the user interface adapts accordingly. We liked that the tablet UX is ever so slightly different from mobile phones, taking advantage of the increased real estate.

Password Boss also has extensions for all major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. This makes it easy to log into your accounts, no matter which browser you’re using on which device. Once you install the extension, you’ll be able to access it directly from your browser’s address bar.

Simply click on Password Boss’s icon to view all your saved passwords and notes. The autofill experience on browsers is equally seamless—Password Boss shows you all the information you’ve stored so you can choose which ones to enter into a specific field.

Password Boss vs Other Password Managers

Password Boss is consistently ranked among the best password managers for business and personal use. However, it does have a few disadvantages, like the lack of transparency in pricing. If you’re in the market for a new password manager but are yet to make up your mind, consider the following options:

Password management is a highly mature market, with companies like 1Password and Dashlane operating since the late 2000s. So, you have plenty of options to choose from—at every price point and for every use case.

NordPass is among our top picks for its free plan, and 1Password is a good choice for frequent flyers. Dashlane costs less than half a dollar per family member per month, making it extremely affordable, while Keeper has special guardrails for the public sector.

Overall, however, Password Boss is one of the best generalist password managers thanks to its massive feature set and strong encryption. If you’re worried about your online safety while browsing, you can’t do better than the app’s patent-pending secure browser.

Password Boss Reviews – What Are People Saying?

Password Boss has earned largely positive reviews on independent user opinion forums.

For our Password Boss review, we referred to websites like G2, Capterra, and TrustPilot. While the app has fewer reviews than some of its competitors since it’s relatively newer, customers mostly have good things to say. Here are a few snapshots.

On G2, users give Password Boss a rating of 4 out of 5. MSPs, in particular, appreciate that the app caters to their specific needs. However, users note the occasional bug, such as pages occasionally refreshing and processes slowing down once in a while.

On Capterra, Password Boss has a score of 3.8 out of 5, with customers appreciating the wide variety of features. It’s easy to set up and use and works seamlessly on multiple devices. However, there is the occasional bug and one customer noted that they were unable to turn off 2FA.

With a score of 2.8/5, Password Boss has mixed reviews on TrustPilot – with 42% of users giving it a five-star rating, but an equal number rating it only one star. Several customers appreciated the digital wallet functionality and the promptness of customer service. However, software bugs can interfere with the user experience.

Password Boss Alternatives

If you’re considering switching to a password manager, Password Boss is definitely one of your best options. You may also want to consider some of its popular alternatives – check out our in-depth reviews and guides below:

• NordPass Review: The Only Security Tool You Need
• 1Password Review – Is It Reliable and Secure?
• Keeper Password Manager: Is Keeper Legit?
• The Ultimate Guide to the Best Password Manager
• How Good Is the Default Android Password Manager?
• The Best Password Manager Reddit Users Recommend: Top 10 Compared
• How Does a Password Manager Work?

Why You Can Trust Our Password Boss Review

Password managers store some of your most secret, sensitive information. Choosing a password manager isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, which is why you need reliable and trustworthy reviews to guide you.

At TechReport, we have been bringing our readers highly credible technology journalism since 1999. Our team of writers, reporters, reviewers, and testers is committed to upholding the highest standards in journalism, including ensuring that 100% of our insights are written by experienced human authors.

Password management and security are one of our core focus areas here at TechReport. We regularly provide news coverage and in-depth reviews on the world of password management tools.

For this Password Boss review, we downloaded and installed the platform on a Windows 11 desktop and upgraded to the entry-level paid plan. In addition, we tested the Password Boss mobile app on both iOS and Android phones to understand how the tool performs in different environments.

To bolster our insights, we referred to customer review platforms such as G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. By analyzing detailed user opinions collected over a period of time, we were able to arrive at an objective and unbiased understanding of how Password Boss works.

Our insights are also informed by our hands-on experiences testing other password management apps such as NordPass, 1Password, and Keeper.

How To Use Password Boss – A Step-By-Step Guide

We found using Password Boss to be a simple and straightforward experience. The only catch is that it doesn’t have a web app. You’ll have to install Password Boss on your device (it supports Windows, macOS, and iOS/Android phones) before you can proceed.

Once you have downloaded and installed the app, follow these steps to get started:

1. Create Your Account

Once you open the installed app, Password Boss will prompt you to enter your email ID and a master key. This master password must have at least eight characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, a symbol, and numerical digits.

If you’re logging in from a PC like we did, then the app will ask for your permission to import your passwords from the browsers on your computer. This is a convenient feature and saves you the hassle of having to import passwords manually. Once this is complete, you’ll see the following window:

That’s it! You’re now ready to start using Password Boss. or, if you have logged in from your phone or tablet, you will see the setup wizard. Complete each of the five steps to fully secure your password database.

2. Add Your Information

Password Boss isn’t limited to only login details. It has 20+ templates to make it easy to store information. Click on the Plus button on top to start adding items. You can save everything from Wi-Fi logins, member IDs, and credit cards to insurance information and alarm codes.

3. Add the Browser Extension

A browser extension is one of the easiest ways to retrieve passwords while you’re browsing online. Password Boss supports all major browsers, including Brave, which we use. The app automatically detects which browser you use and recommends the extension accordingly.

After you confirm the installation, an owl icon appears next to your browser’s address bar. Click on this icon to view all of your saved items. The toolbar, neatly tucked into the left, also allows you to access the password generator and the app’s other features.

4. Use Autofill to Streamline Logins

One of the main reasons we use a password manager is to simplify logins. So, one of the first things you’ll want to do after installing Password Boss is to try out autofill. The app can autofill passwords, user IDs, personal info, and card details.

First, open the app and add your name, address, phone number, and credit card data to the Digital Wallet and Personal Info sections of Password Boss. Next, go to a website where you normally have to type in the details – for example, an e-commerce checkout form.

Click on the Owl icon that appears next to one of the fields. Choose the card you want to use, and Password Boss will autofill that information for you. The same process applies to passwords as well.

5. Organize Items in Folders

Folders allow you to organize your passwords and other items so they are easy to find and retrieve later. To create a new folder, open Password Boss, and from the left navigation pane, click on ‘All Folders’. Right under ‘My Folders’, you’ll see the ‘Add new folder’ option.

Next time, when you save an item, Password Boss will ask you where you want to keep it. Simply choose your preferred folder’s name from the list that appears to keep them organized.

6. Share Your Passwords

Password sharing is one of the app’s key strengths. From the left navigation pane, click on ‘Share Center.’ Then, click on the Plus icon on top to start a new share. Password Boss shows you all the items associated with your account. Select the ones you want to share with someone else.

Click ‘Next’—you’ll be prompted to enter a name, add recipients, and pick a duration. Once you have configured these details, click on ‘Share Item.’ You can return to the ‘Share Center’ at any time to cancel or share, which simply means that you revoke the recipient’s access to your secure item.

Password Boss Review – The Verdict

There are several reasons to choose Password Boss in a crowded, highly competitive market, and cost is definitely one of them. It’s priced at less than $30 a year, with deep discounts for long-term subscriptions, making it affordable to most users.

Further, it’s a feature-packed app that goes well beyond basic password management. From nested folders and secure notes to highly configurable sharing and even a patent-pending browser, Password Boss is constantly pushing the envelope. We’d say that it’s great value for your money.

However, there’s room for improvement. One area we found lacking in our Password Boss review is ease of access – there’s no web app, and Linux users can’t download it for their systems. Further, the absence of transparency in pricing can put off some users.

That said, Password Boss remains a top software in its category for its breadth of features and business tools.

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