Dashlane is a well-designed, secure password manager that earns extra points for bundling a functional VPN (Hotspot Shield) at a price far below buying each separately. Its dark web monitoring and password health dashboard are among the best we've seen. The downside: it's the priciest major option and no longer offers a usable free plan.
📋 In This Review
The Built-In VPN — Is It Actually Useful?
Dashlane's most distinctive feature is its built-in VPN, powered by Hotspot Shield — a commercial VPN that on its own costs $12.99/month. With Dashlane Premium at $4.99/month, you're effectively getting both a premium password manager AND a VPN for less than the VPN alone would cost.
The Dashlane VPN has limitations worth noting: it connects only to one country (the US), lacks the server-hopping features of dedicated VPNs like NordVPN or ExpressVPN, and can slightly reduce browsing speed. It's adequate for its core purpose — encrypting your traffic on public Wi-Fi and basic privacy — but not a replacement for a full-featured VPN subscription if you have serious privacy needs.
For the average user who occasionally works from coffee shops or hotels, the Dashlane VPN provides meaningful protection they would otherwise need a separate product for. That bundled value is real.
Security Architecture
Dashlane uses a two-secret-key model similar to 1Password's Secret Key approach. Your master password combines with a locally-generated device key to create your encryption key. This means even if someone knows your master password, they cannot access your vault without the device-specific key stored on your hardware.
All data is encrypted with AES-256 before leaving your device. Dashlane holds SOC 2 Type 2 certification and has passed multiple independent security audits. No significant breach in company history.
Dark Web Monitoring — Best-In-Class
Dashlane's dark web monitoring is included in the standard premium plan (unlike Keeper, where BreachWatch costs extra). It monitors billions of dark web records and sends immediate alerts when any email address, username, or credential linked to your account appears in stolen databases.
What sets Dashlane apart is the detail of its alerts: rather than just saying "you were breached," it tells you which specific account was compromised, when the breach occurred, what data was exposed, and provides direct links to change your password on that site. In our testing, this was the most actionable breach alert system we've seen.
Identity Dashboard — Unique to Dashlane
Dashlane's Identity Dashboard gives you an overall "security health score" and shows a breakdown of all weak, reused, compromised, and old passwords in your vault. The visual interface makes it immediately obvious where your security gaps are. We found this more motivating than Bitwarden's text-based health reports or even 1Password's Watchtower panel.
Dashlane Pricing 2025
| Plan | Price | Includes VPN | Dark Web Monitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | ✗ | ✗ |
| Premium | $4.99/mo (annual) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Friends & Family | $7.49/mo (annual) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Business | $8/user/mo | ⚡ Optional | ✓ |
30-day free trial on premium plans.
Honest Pros & Cons
✓ What We Loved
- Built-in VPN adds genuine value
- Best-in-class dark web monitoring alerts
- Excellent Identity Dashboard UX
- Two-secret-key security model
- Auto password changer on select sites
- Polished, modern interface
✗ What Frustrated Us
- Most expensive option ($4.99/mo)
- VPN limited to US server only
- Free plan restricted to one device
- Not open source
- Business plan priciest in market at $8/user
Who Should Choose Dashlane?
Dashlane makes the most sense for users who want a password manager AND a VPN and would otherwise pay for both separately. If you're already paying $5–13/month for a VPN, Dashlane Premium at $4.99/month covering both products is excellent value.
It's also a great fit for anyone who prioritizes the best dark web monitoring and the most visual, intuitive security dashboard. The Identity Dashboard is genuinely the most user-friendly security overview we've reviewed.
If you don't need a VPN and price sensitivity is a factor, Bitwarden at $10/year or 1Password at $2.99/month offer better value. Compare Dashlane directly against Keeper here.