mSecure Password Manager Review 2024: Basic and Affordable

A basic password manager that stores passwords and sensitive information, mSecure lacks many extra amenities and features to set it apart as a great password manager.
3.3
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On mSecure's website

mSecure
  • Low cost
  • Improved security features like 2FA
  • Limited compatibility
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Remembering one or two passwords for important accounts is easy, but what about remembering dozens or hundreds of passwords? Having strong, unique passwords is one of the first steps in online privacy, but remembering all those passwords can be a hurdle. A password manager is a safe, secure way to help you keep track of your passwords and other sensitive information.

While mSecure easily keeps track of passwords, it falls flat in other amenities we like to see in the best password managers. mSecure has basic features found in many other password managers, like password sharing, a password generator, and autofill for login information. 

With its newest update, mSecure also offers enhanced security with two-factor authentication. The interface is easy to navigate and organize, and the browser extension worked well for our testing purposes. But mSecure lacks additional features and amenities like monitoring, customer service, and compatibility.

In this article
mSecure review at a glance
mSecure alternatives
mSecure features
Our mSecure experience
mSecure privacy policy
Is mSecure safe to use?
mSecure customer service
mSecure compatibility
How much does mSecure cost?
mSecure FAQs
Bottom line: Is mSecure good?

mSecure review at a glance

Price $1.66–$4.99/mo
Free version No
Browser extensions Chrome, Firefox
Password sharing Yes
Encryption Yes
Two-factor authentication Yes
Password generator Yes
Form filler Yes
Digital legacy No
Learn more Get mSecure

mSecure pros and cons

Pros
  • Improved security features like 2FA
  • Low cost
  • Free 30-day trial to test subscription plans
Cons
  • Limited compatibility
  • Customer service is hard to get in touch with
  • Previously locked users out of app

mSecure alternatives

mSecure works for users who want a cheap enough password manager that handles the basics without extra frills. But if you're not sold on mSecure, we have a few other favorite password managers to recommend. These plans offer better features and prices — some are even free.

  • NordPass: NordPass is a secure password manager that bypasses two-factor authentication for multi-factor authentication and biometric verification. This password manager has all the bells and whistles, including password sharing, password generator, auto-fill, password health report, digital legacy, and notably above-average encryption, XChaCha20.

    Get NordPass | Read NordPass Review
  • 1Password: In addition to standard features of a password manager, 1Password offers unique features like Watchtower, its proprietary security checker that tracks where your hacked information lives online. It also has Travel Mode, which automatically removes vaults from your device when you cross country lines unless the vaults are deemed travel-safe by you.

    Read 1Password Review
  • Bitwarden: Bitwarden is a password manager that not only stores passwords and sensitive personal information, but it also allows users to send encrypted files and documents. And it offers a fully functional free plan.

    Read Bitwarden Review

mSecure features

In addition to keeping your passwords secure with industry-standard AES-256 encryption, mSecure touts basic password manager features like password sharing, two-factor authentication, a password generator, autofill, and a password strength report to help keep hackers at bay.

Password sharing

Password sharing is a new feature for mSecure. With older versions of mSecure, users had to share login information to access shared passwords. This is problematic because sharing credentials with anyone is always a risk. Still, if you’re sharing your login information and password, the other person can access your entire profile and all the sensitive information therein. With the new version, however, shared spaces called Vaults make it easy to share passwords with other mSecure users. With the newest mSecure 6 update, users can select and share records securely while maintaining separate accounts.

Two-factor authentication

Any password manager worth its salt offers two-factor authentication (2FA). Thankfully, mSecure added it in its most recent update. It’s worth noting that 2FA isn’t automatically enabled. Users must manually enable 2FA in mSecure’s security and privacy settings for a safe, secure online experience.

To enable two-factor authentication, mSecure requires you to enter a one-time code when logging in to ensure you’re an authorized user of that account. You’ll then receive your secure code via email, authenticator app, or text.

Password generator

mSecure 6’s enhanced password generator keeps your accounts secure by creating or updating account passwords. Whenever you see a dice icon, click it and the password generator settings will appear. There, you can adjust the generated password as you see fit, including password length, whether it includes letters or numbers, and any special characters.

Autofill

Signing into an online account is easy with mSecure’s password autofill feature. Records stored in your mSecure account that include a URL, username, and password will be available for password autofill. While mSecure stores other personal information, like credit card numbers, frequent flier numbers, and addresses, these aren’t available in an autofill function.

mSecure includes an autofill feature with its browser extension.

The autofill function is available through the browser extension, which is currently only available for Chrome, Firefox, and other Chrome-based browsers like Brave and Edge. This means Windows users aren’t able to utilize the autofill capabilities of mSecure at this time.

mSecure's autofill feature is easy to use, but we wish it wasn't only available via a browser extension.

Password strength report

A strong password is one of the easiest ways to maintain online security, but how do you know if your passwords are strong enough to outsmart hackers? mSecure’s Security Center gives users a snapshot of their password strength and identifies weak, old, and duplicate passwords. mSecure judges the strength of your password against 30,000 common names, words, keyword patterns, and dates.This report isn’t as extensive as other password managers’, but it’s enough to get you started.

Duplicate passwords are one of the easiest ways to compromise your information. mSecure’s Security Center makes it easy for you to see which passwords have been duplicated and offers a quick way to change those passwords to more complex, secure passwords.

Additionally, mSecure offers insight into passwords, deeming a password old if it’s over three months, six months, or nine months old. mSecure’s Security Center makes it easy to gauge your password’s strength and see any areas of vulnerability in it.

The mSecure Security Center includes a password strength report.

Digital legacy

Unless you want family members rifling through papers searching for passwords, a password manager with a digital legacy option is worth investing in. mSecure plans to offer an emergency access feature in upcoming updates. This feature will allow users to specify another user access to their data in an emergency. If the user doesn’t respond within a set amount of time, the specified user can access all of the records in the user’s account.

Bonus features

Earlier versions of mSecure were seriously lacking in the features department, but with its newest update to mSecure 6, it’s obvious the password manager is upping the ante and trying to keep up with heavy-hitting password managers.

Its newest update also includes the ability to organize your information with tags. Previously, users could have one record belonging to one group. Now, users can add as many tags as needed to each record, creating structures for keeping your information organized in a way that makes sense to you.

The latest version of mSecure allows you to better organize your passwords by adding tags.

Our mSecure experience

Downloading and signing into the password manager was easy and intuitive. During sign up, we set a master password and selected our vault sync settings. The main user interface was clean and straightforward, and it had multiple templates for information, including:

  • Login credentials
  • Credit cards
  • Secure notes
  • Bank accounts
  • Calling card
  • Combinations
  • Driver's licenses
  • Email accounts
  • Frequent flier information
  • Identity information.

mSecure lets you save multiple types of personal info, including logins, credit card numbers, secure notes, and more.

mSecure offers two-factor authentication. We tested using a third-party authenticator app and verification through SMS, and both worked for our test.

mSecure lets you set up two-factor authentication with your email, phone number, or text message.

The password generator was one of the highlights of this password manager; it generated complex, unique passwords that are likely unhackable. And, since mSecure stores all of your passwords, you don’t have to strain to remember tricky iterations of numbers, letters, and characters. The Security Center information about weak, duplicate, and old passwords was easy to see.

mSecure's password generator tool was easy to use.

While we didn’t experience any errors operating on a Mac, mSecure isn’t fully compatible with Windows and other devices. Namely, mSecure doesn’t support auto-fill or auto-saved capabilities on Windows. mSecure’s lack of compatibility with Windows makes auto-save and auto-fill features nearly obsolete, leaving manually filling the only option for logging into sites if you’re using anything other than iOS.

Since mSecure only auto-fills passwords, the browser extension was moderately helpful, automatically populating credentials. However, we still had to manually input personal information like credit card information and addresses.

mSecure privacy policy

mSecure has a transparent privacy policy with several points of confidence-boosting security measures. Not only does mSecure offer end-to-end encryption, but it also boasts a zero-knowledge architecture, meaning the user is the only person who has access to the master password associated with the account.

Additionally, mSecure uses the industry-standard AES-256 encryption to increase security, protecting your data at every juncture. Your account not only has an account password that only you know, but it also has an account key, a randomly generated 46-character key that only you can access. Additionally, all communication is handled with TLS/SSL encryption.

mSecure third-party audits

Third-party audits are important for password managers because they provide users transparency and highlight areas of vulnerability. It doesn’t appear that mSecure has participated in a third-party audit or published any results from an audit.

Is mSecure safe to use?

mSecure has made recent updates, including increased AES 256-bit encryption, the introduction of two-factor authentication, and zero-knowledge passwords, which make this password manager safe to use. At the time of publication, this password manager hasn’t been hacked or involved in a data breach.

mSecure customer service

mSecure’s website leaves a lot to be desired regarding customer service. The only way to contact mSecure is through submitting an email ticket. We submitted a request ticket, and mSecure hadn’t responded at the time of publication — nearly a two-week wait! mSecure does, however, offer a Knowledge Base, a forum, and a FAQ section to help users find answers to their questions. It also offers an onboarding section with information about setting up your mSecure account. Users can submit an email ticket for further help if all else fails.

While this sort of DIY scavenger hunt for answers appeals to some, we prefer a more robust customer service experience with live chat, social media channels, or a phone number for quick support.

mSecure compatibility

mSecure is compatible with iOS and Mac, but Android or Windows users will likely encounter some usability issues. (And Linux users are straight up left out.) The minimum system required for mSecure are:

  • iOS 12.4
  • Mac 10.13 High Sierra
  • Watch OS 5.3
  • Android 5
  • Windows 10, version 1803, build 17134

How much does mSecure cost?

mSecure offers three primary plans that range in price, but all are available for reasonable monthly subscriptions. Let’s take a look at the plan differences.

mSecure plan comparison

Plan Essentials Premium Family
Price $1.66/mo $2.49/mo $4.99/mo
Number of users 1 1 Up to 5
Password vault
Autofill
Password generator
Two-factor authentication
Data breach alerts
Digital legacy
Details View Plan View Plan View Plan

mSecure costs less than much of the competition, but, in our opinion, it’s an average password-manager that just isn’t worth the price. mSecure offers basics without unique features. And while mSecure has a good password generator, password sharing, and security, it lacks some additional amenities and features many modern password managers tout like breach monitoring and alerts.

The lack of compatibility with Windows and Androids may be a turn-off for some users as well, whose experience may be slighted by a lackluster interface. mSecure does offer a free 30-day trial for any plan, but it’s disappointing there isn’t a free version available for users.

mSecure FAQs


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Is there a free version of mSecure?

There is no free version of mSecure. mSecure offers a free 30-day trial for any of their plans, but all plans are paid subscriptions after the trial period.


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Is mSecure worth it?

A password manager of any kind is worth it. If mSecure checks all your boxes and fits your budget, it could be worth it for you. But there are other password managers that offer more value for the money. If cost is a prohibitor, there are free password managers that provide many of the same basics mSecure offers.


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Who owns mSecure?

mSeven Software LLC owns mSecure. It is a privately held company founded in 2008 by Ray Marshall.


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What happened to the mSecure app?

Instead of launching updates to an existing app, mSecure launches an entirely new one, forcing users to download a new app and then migrate their data from the previous one.

Starting with the mSecure 4 app, users faced shock and dismay when they were locked out of their accounts. mSecure failed to update the app, and Apple released an update, forcing users to upgrade to a new version of mSecure 5. Users had to do that again with mSecure 6. The problem is that users must create new logins in the new app and then migrate their data to the new app.

Bottom line: Is mSecure good?

Password managers are a critical step to online security. mSecure does beat some of the other password managers, especially built-in ones like Google password manager. For example, if someone accesses your Google account login information, they’ll likely have access to all your login information and saved passwords. For this reason, we suggest using a third-party password manager.

mSecure gets the job done, but it wouldn’t be our first pick. Yes, it stores passwords and personal, sensitive information. Yes, the information is encrypted and highly secure. But the password manager also lacks some of the features and amenities offered by other password managers at similar price points, like data breach monitoring and alerts.

3.3
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On mSecure's website
mSecure
  • Low cost
  • Improved security features like 2FA
  • Limited compatibility
Author Details
Courtney Daybell brings over 15 years of experience in print journalism and holds a B.A. in Communications from Brigham Young University. Her focus has shifted to cyber security, where she specializes in topics such as identity theft protection, password managers, antivirus software, and more.