Key Findings Grade C

Dashlane offers a polished password manager with bundled VPN service. However, the closed-source architecture combined with aggressive liability disclaimers and data collection practices places it below more transparent alternatives.

Extensive Usage Analytics Severe

Dashlane collects detailed usage data including feature interactions, performance metrics, and behavioral patterns. While vault contents remain encrypted, significant metadata about how you use the service is captured.

Source: Privacy Policy, Data We Collect

Very Limited Liability Severe

Dashlane's liability is capped at the greater of $100 or fees paid in the last year. Given the sensitivity of password data, this leaves users with minimal recourse for serious breaches.

Source: Terms of Service, Limitation of Liability

VPN Data Practices Unclear Moderate

The bundled VPN is provided by a third party (Hotspot Shield/Aura). The logging and data practices for VPN usage are governed by different terms and aren't clearly disclosed in Dashlane's primary terms.

Source: Terms of Service, Third-Party Services

Marketing Communication Defaults Moderate

Marketing communications are enabled by default. While you can opt out, the default-on approach for a security product raises questions about data sharing priorities.

Source: Privacy Policy, Communications

Forced Arbitration Moderate

Mandatory binding arbitration with class action waiver. No opt-out option is clearly provided, unlike some competitors.

Source: Terms of Service, Dispute Resolution

Export Limitations Mild

While data export is available, the process and formats supported are more limited than some competitors, potentially creating soft lock-in.

Source: Support Documentation

What This Means for You

Dashlane offers convenience features like bundled VPN and dark web monitoring, but these come at the cost of increased data collection and third-party dependencies. The company hasn't experienced a known breach, but the terms heavily favor the company over users.

The closed-source nature means you must trust their security implementations. The VPN bundling creates additional privacy considerations since VPN traffic may be subject to different terms than password storage.

Consider Alternatives

Dashlane works well for users who value convenience and don't mind extensive analytics. However, the aggressive liability disclaimers, third-party VPN integration, and lack of transparency make it hard to recommend over Bitwarden or 1Password. If the bundled VPN is appealing, consider using a dedicated VPN service instead for better control.