Dashlane is among the most popular password managers currently available, but it’s also one of the most expensive. And with the arrival of version 6, the company has raised by 50 percent the price of a Premium subscription: It’s now $60 annually.
Read more: The best password managers for 2018
If you’re thinking it’s time to switch to a more affordable password manager, you’re in luck: It’s not terribly complicated to make the move. Dashlane stores all your data in a simple, encrypted database; you simply need to export that data, then import it into your new password program.
First things first, you’ll need the Dashlane desktop software — your database can’t be exported from the mobile or web apps. If you already have Dashlane on your PC or Mac, you’re all set. If not, you’ll need to download it, install it, run it and sign into your Dashlane account. Then wait for it to completely sync all your passwords.
With that done, do this: Click File > Export, then choose either of the two “Unsecured archive” options: Excel or CSV. I recommend the latter, as it’s more likely to be supported by other password managers. Either way, you’ll probably need to supply your Dashlane master password to perform the export.
It’s easy to export your data from Dashlane.
Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET
Once that’s done, you now have a completely unprotected file containing all your passwords. Needless to say, you should delete that file once you’ve imported it into the new password manager.
Speaking of that, allow me to share one example of the import process. In LastPass (my choice for top free password manager), you can use the web portal: Click More Options > Advanced > Import. You’ll then be instructed to open your Dashlane CSV file in Notepad, copy all the text, then paste it into the import tool.
Just be prepared to do a little cleanup after it’s done. I ended up with dozens of passwords that were identified as “secure notes,” and every single one had to be opened manually and then converted to “sites.” Meanwhile, none of the payment methods I’d added to Dashlane made the transfer to LastPass. Your mileage may vary, of course, but any export/import of a diverse database is sure to result in some glitches.
