Dashlane recently rolled out a new tier in its pricing called “Essentials” that lets you jump into the use of the password manager at a lower price point. Instead of the normal $59/year, the price drops down to $35/mo (billed annually), which allows them to compete with some of the other options in the market that already offer plans within the $25-$35/year range.
Of course, the “Essentials” name seems to be quite fitting as you are missing some of the greatest benefits that the Premium plan normally offers. For example, it covers you up to two devices vs unlimited. So this tier would be best for minimalists that don’t have a lot of devices. Say, a smartphone and a single computer. So this won’t be the option for you if you have a smartphone, tablet, desktop, laptop, etc (devices build up quickly). The Essential tier also doesn’t offer VPN access nor dark web monitoring, which is two of the biggest reasons for the price drop.
Honestly, we are surprised at this price range Dashlane didn’t go for unlimited devices, making it a versatile “Password Manager Only” plan with the Premium plan being “Manager + VPN” (and other bonuses). It would have been perfect for those who want the full package but don’t need or want the VPN. It would have also driven a pretty good stake between the company and its competition. However, Dashlane does offer some pretty hardcore encryption features and other options that already set it apart from the other alternatives out there.
The company might not pick up as many new accounts as they would if it did simply go with a non-VPN version of Premium. However, it will likely still pick up a lot of new accounts nonetheless. It will then likely drive many of them toward premium within the first year. So Essentials is more like a gateway tier to draw people in and then let them realize that it isn’t enough within so many months.
However, as mentioned, if you are a minimalist and never plan on using any more than two devices in life (desktop, mobile, etc), then the Essentials tier may be an excellent option for you to jump in with an amazing product.
