Apple iOS
Manage your passwords and card data.
For many people, the free iCloud Keychain feature built into iOS is good enough to manage website passwords and credit card data. Those with more advanced needs turn to more robust solutions like 1Password (subscription required) or LastPass (free tier, or subscription for Premium). Those of us in search of a capable, less expensive alternative need look no further than eWallet.
This universal app works similarly to other mobile password managers, storing a variety of sensitive personal data either locally or on your choice of cloud service – iCloud or Dropbox – for syncing to other devices. (For a one-time fee of $16.99, your eWallet purchase covers both iPhone and iPad.) There’s support for multiple wallets and unlimited entries, with the latest version adding Dark Mode.
Credit where it’s due
The interface is friendly and easy to use, although it feels somewhat dated, with bright, colourful icons and a penchant for skeuomorphism. That’s not entirely bad – older users will appreciate the simplicity of eWallet’s approach, where identification, bank, credit, and other cards resemble their physical equivalents in the real world
While the eWallet app checks off must-have security requirements like 256-bit AES encryption and the ability to generate passwords for new entries, there are a few omissions. For example, you can’t use QuickType Autofill to unlock a wallet, so logging in to eWallet without Face ID or Touch ID biometric security is harder than it should be. Two-step verification also has yet to make its way into the app.
On the plus side, eWallet supports a wide range of categories, including preconfigured wallets for Health, Travel, Work, and Information. Unlike 1Password, which often treats organisation as an afterthought, eWallet entries must be added directly to a specific category, while remaining globally searchable.
We were impressed with how seamless automatic logins were using the built-in web browser. Simply open a Password entry, tap on the card, and the browser pops into the foreground with the relevant data filled in. eWallet includes a Pictures category for securely storing images, but photos must be cropped into a square card format.
Assuming you need to only manage passwords on iPhone and iPad, eWallet is a good deal. Once you factor in another cost to purchase the macOS or Windows apps, however, competitors like 1Password start to look more enticing. One annual fee provides access to apps on every platform, more polished software, browser extension support, and a proprietary cloud sync component that enables you to manage your data from any web browser.
“Older users will appreciate the simplicity of eWallet’s approach, where identification, bank, credit, and other cards resemble their physical equivalents in the real world.”
The app’s a bit old-fashioned, but it’s a capable, affordable mobile password manager.