We are bombarded with passwords to remember nowadays, aren’t we? It seems like everything online is requiring you to set up an account. Having a new account, of course, requires that you also have a password.
Will you remember that password the next time you need to access that account?
Well, there are ways to make this a little easier to manage. While there are several other password managers out there, RoboForm is one of the older and most recognizable ones.
How good is RoboForm? Well, that depends on what it is you’re looking for. So let’s dive into this password manager to discover the different features and how they’ll benefit you.
What RoboForm?
Quick and simple answer, RoboForm is a password manager tool. It allows you to manage all your passwords in one place. This can become pretty useful, given the average person has several accounts online that they need to get access to on a regular basis.
With a password manager like RoboForm, instead of remembering all these passwords, you only need to remember one, and that’s the password to access the software itself.
They call it the master password…
RoboForm even goes a step further and allows you to automatically log into online accounts without you having to type in anything. RoboForm will recognize the site based on past visits and of course, the login credentials it’s saved from those past visits.
You then would click on the RoboForm icon, which appears as soon as the site loads. A browser extension is needed of course, and RoboForm has an extension or plugin for all the major browsers.
That’s all there is to it. RoboForm starts capturing your login information once the plugin is installed and you start visiting your secured websites. s
Let’s see how good is RoboForm, by checking out what’s under the hood.
What’s Included with RoboForm?
When you get started with RoboForm, you can choose to use either their free or paid version. The free version offers quite a number of features to get started with.
I started with the free version to get an idea of how the software worked and was impressed with what I was able to do, using the free version. It’s a 30-day trial and you’ll eventually have to upgrade to one of their paid version if you want to continue using it after the 30-day mark.
The free version comes with the following features:
- Unlimited Logins
- Webform fillers
- Multi-platform support (can support different web browsers)
- Strong Encryption
- Password Audit
- Securely Send Login
- Emergency access
- Application Logins
- Bookmark Management
Should you decide to upgrade to their pro version, I have good news for you. It’s very affordable.
Their pro versions are called “Everywhere”, and “Family”.
The price is between $24 and $48 per year. Like I said, very affordable. They also have a Business version, which is a bit more involved. That’s for another article, however.
Installation and Setup
Setting up RoboForm is as easy and simple as you can imagine. The entire setup process takes 10 to 15 minutes, tops. As I mentioned before, I started with the free version, and all you need to do, in order to get started is download the executable file from their website and run it.
Once the installation process starts, just like with most Windows applications, you accept the terms, continue to hit “next” and/or “OK” and the application will be installed completely.
A play-by-play of my own installation is below to give a better idea visually of what to expect.
As I mentioned, you want to download the executable file from RoboForm’s website and run it.
Once the installation starts, you’re presented with the following:
Click “Next” to continue, to either Create New Account or login if you already have an account.
If you already have an account, this part should be pretty straightforward for you. Go ahead and log in. However, if you’re setting up an account for the first time, you’ll want to use an email account that you use regularly. You’ll be signing up with your email address, as shown below.
Once the installation is complete, the next step is to install the web browser plugin.
I primarily use Google Chrome, so I really configured mine for Chrome to activate the plugin. If you’re a Chrome user like myself, make sure that the plugin is fully installed and activated. I went to the Chrome Web store to verify.
Now your final step in the process is to create a password that you know you’ll be able to remember. This is the main password (or master password) that will get you into RoboForm to access all the other passwords. In fact, you’ll be prompted to enter the password for RoboForm when you land on a site that requires login credentials so RoboForm can save those credentials. Or to log in for you.
At least that’s been my experience.
So make sure to create a password that you won’t forget, or save it somewhere you’ll be able to retrieve it in case you forget what it is. Like a small planner or something similar.
Plans and Prices
I touched on the is a bit earlier, but I wanted to give some more details on what you’re getting with each bundle.
There are three plans for you to choose from. First, of course, is the try before you buy version, that’s good for 30-days. As I said, that’s where I got started, and I have to admit, it gives a good amount of features for you to start working with right away.
The next package up from there is the “Everywhere” package. RoboForm Everywhere package $1.99 per month, billed annually. You get slightly more features at this level like 24/7 support and account data backup. I personally think the price is great, and definitely worth it.
The highest level is the “Family” bundle. The Family bundle is $3.98 per month, billed annually. You get up to 5 different user accounts that you and others can use.
Both paid bundles that I mentioned are under the individual package. The average user will most likely be paying for the individual package. They do have a business version that’s a little more expensive and may require a consultation before purchasing.
That way they can tailor the package specifically for your company.
On the website, it says that prices for the business version start at $3.35 per month billed annually. But for a business account, there are usually several accounts you’ll need to create.
You can get all their pricing details on their website, and see which is best for you.
Security
RoboForm does have some security features that make keeping your passwords safe, a simple process. Let’s run down the types of security that’s in place for this tool:
- AES-256 Encryption: This is as strong as it gets when it comes to encryption level, so this is pretty solid.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This adds an additional layer of security, making it next to impossible for hackers to figure out what your master password is.
- Security Center: RoboForm has a built-in security center, that pretty much tells you how vulnerable your passwords are, and when is a good time to change them. Keeping you ahead of hackers figuring out what your passwords could be. I think this is a great feature because changing your passwords often does minimize your chances of getting hacked tremendously!
As a side note, if you wanted to really step your security level up a notch, you can always couple a password manager software like RoboForm with VPN software. That way you’ll really be taking your security game to a whole other level. One will keep you anonymous while browsing, and the other will be keeping your passwords in one safe place.
My Final Thoughts
So how good is RoboForm? I think it’s a great tool, I like RoboForm. It’s easy to use, very affordable and is pretty secure. The fact that it’s one of the oldest password managers on the market tells me that this company has longevity and most likely knows a thing or two about password management.
I really can’t see too many bad things about RoboForm, other than it asks for your master password often. I figured if I put the password in, it should remember either my computer or the browser that I’m using, so I won’t have to keep entering that password.
I think a good feature is for RoboForm to ask if it should remember that particular computer/browser or not. That way you won’t have to keep entering the master password each time you go to one of your account sites.
That’s my two cents about that feature.
Other than that, I think RoboForm is a great password management software. You’ll be in great hands, should you decide to use them to save all your passwords.
Again, to get started with their product, all you need to do is go here.