Table of Contents
As our digital lives become increasingly complex, securing our online accounts and personal information is more critical than ever. While a password manager is an essential first line of defense, Abine Blur aims to take protection a step further with its focus on privacy.
In this comprehensive review, we‘ll dive deep into Blur‘s features, security, pricing, and user experience. As a Mac software expert, I‘ll pay special attention to how well it integrates with the Apple ecosystem. By the end, you‘ll have a clear picture of whether Blur‘s unique approach is right for you.
Why Online Privacy Matters
Before we jump into the specifics of Blur, it‘s worth underlining the importance of online privacy in the modern digital landscape. The statistics paint a sobering picture:
- Data breaches exposed 36 billion records in the first half of 2020 alone (RiskBased)
- Identity theft cost Americans $56 billion in 2020 (Aite Group)
- The average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million (IBM)
In light of these threats, it‘s clear additional layers of protection can pay dividends. Blur‘s primary differentiator is its suite of privacy features designed to limit your exposure as you create accounts, browse, and shop online.
Blur‘s Privacy and Security Features
At its foundation, Blur operates as a full-featured password manager. It generates strong, unique passwords for all your accounts and stores them in an encrypted vault. When you need to log in, Blur auto-fills your credentials. This core functionality is similar to other popular managers like 1Password and LastPass.
However, Blur goes several steps further with privacy-protection features rarely found in other password managers:
Masked Emails
When signing up for a new online account, Blur can generate a unique, disposable email address that forwards messages to your real inbox. This keeps your actual email address private.
If one of these masked addresses starts receiving spam, you can easily disable it without affecting your primary email. Blur makes creating masked emails quick and seamless via its browser extension.
Masked Credit Cards
Blur also aims to protect your financial information via masked credit cards. When making a purchase, Blur generates a virtual credit card number linked to your actual card.
The merchant never sees your real credit card details. You can also set charge limits on virtual cards to prevent overcharging. So if a merchant experiences a data breach, your real credit card number isn‘t exposed.
Masked Phone Numbers
Blur‘s masked phone number feature lets you keep your real phone number private in situations like online selling, classified ads, or dating profiles. Calls to the masked number will ring your real phone, but you can disable or change the number at any time.
This flexibility is especially valuable as a privacy tool on the go. Whenever you need to give someone a number but don‘t want to use your main line, a masked number is a smart choice.
Tracking Prevention
As you browse, Blur blocks many of the trackers that advertisers and data brokers deploy to collect information about your online behavior. By preventing tracking scripts and cookies, Blur reduces how much data is compiled about you for marketing profiles and advertising targeting.
In my testing, Blur blocked trackers on every mainstream site I visited, often dozens per page. Having this feature integrated into a password manager is especially convenient if you don‘t want to use a separate extension.
How Blur Stacks Up on Security
Of course, a password manager is only as good as its security. On the encryption front, Blur employs AES-256, the same robust standard used by banks and militaries worldwide. Brute-forcing this level of encryption would take billions of years with current computing power.
Your vault data is encrypted and decrypted at the device level, meaning Blur‘s servers only ever store encrypted data. Blur also never has access to your master password. So even in the unlikely event of a total breach, your information would be extremely difficult to decrypt.
Two-factor authentication is available and highly recommended for your Blur account. 2FA adds an extra credential beyond your master password, typically a temporary code from an authenticator app. With 2FA enabled, even if someone obtained your master password, they still couldn‘t access your vault.
Now, it‘s important to note Blur did experience a security incident in December 2018. Due to a server misconfiguration, some user information was exposed, including email addresses and encrypted password hints (but not actual passwords).
Blur promptly fixed the issue and notified affected users. While the incident didn‘t appear to result in any direct user harm, it was a serious lapse for a security-focused service.
Since then, Blur has stated they have implemented additional employee training and stricter internal controls to prevent future incidents. No further breaches have been reported. Still, the 2018 event is worth considering as you evaluate your risk tolerance.
Blur Plans and Pricing
Blur offers a free plan and two paid subscription tiers:
Free
- Unlimited password storage
- Auto-fill
- Masked emails
- Tracker blocking
Basic
- $39/year
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Backup & sync across devices
- Masked credit cards (1)
- Masked phone numbers
Unlimited
- $99/year
- Everything in Basic, with:
- Unlimited masked credit cards
- Priority customer support
Compared to other leading password managers, Blur‘s pricing is on the higher end, especially considering its relatively limited feature set outside of the privacy tools.
For example, 1Password offers its feature-rich Individual plan for $35.88/year. That includes extras like 1 GB document storage, Travel Mode for crossing borders, and more robust 2FA options.
However, if Blur‘s privacy features are valuable to you, the cost may be justified. No other mainstream password manager integrates masking so seamlessly.
User Experience and Platform Support
Blur is available on all major platforms, including Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Its browser extension supports Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Edge.
As a Mac user, I was pleased to find Blur offers a native macOS app. Many password managers rely solely on the browser extension, so having a dedicated desktop app is a bonus.
The app uses a clean, simple design language that feels right at home on macOS. All core features are easily accessible. Face ID support for unlocking the app is available on supported Macs, which is a convenient touch.
On the mobile side, the iOS app supports biometric unlock via Face ID or Touch ID. This makes accessing your vault on the go fast and simple. All data syncs reliably with the desktop app and browser extension.
I did find the lack of a Safari extension somewhat disappointing, as that‘s my main browser on Mac. The Chrome extension works well, but having to bounce between browsers is a bit less than ideal.
Importing existing passwords from other managers is supported for most major services like 1Password, LastPass, and Dashlane. CSV imports are also an option. I had no issues transferring my data over.
Customer Support
Blur offers support via email and an online knowledge base. Response times vary based on your subscription:
- Free: Within 3 business days
- Basic: Within 1 business day
- Unlimited: Priority support
The knowledge base covers most common topics and questions quite thoroughly. I was able to find answers and walkthroughs for most of my queries without needing to contact support directly.
For email support, I submitted a general question about masked credit cards. As an Unlimited subscriber, I received a helpful response in about 6 hours. The rep was able to fully address my question.
However, the lack of live chat or phone support may be an issue if you encounter an urgent problem. Other top password managers like Dashlane and 1Password offer more immediate support channels.
Evaluating the Alternatives
In the realm of password management and online privacy, Blur occupies a unique niche. Its focus on masking and tracker prevention differentiate it from more conventional password managers.
If you‘re primarily looking for secure password management without as much emphasis on privacy add-ons, there are several strong options, many of which beat Blur on price:
| Service | Annual Price | Standout Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1Password | $35.88 | 1 GB document storage, Travel Mode, 2FA |
| Dashlane | $59.99 | Built-in VPN, Dark Web Monitoring |
| LastPass | $36.00 | Affordable families plan, extensive 2FA |
| Keeper | $34.99 | Secure file storage, dark web protection |
All these services offer polished user experiences and strong security. Dashlane and Keeper also include some privacy tools like VPNs and dark web scanning.
However, none integrate the kind of seamless email/phone/credit card masking capabilities found in Blur. So if maximum privacy coverage is your goal, Blur still stands out.
Bottom Line
After extensive testing and research, I can confidently say Abine Blur is a powerful tool for protecting your online privacy. Its masking features are unmatched among mainstream password managers. The tracker blocking is also a valuable bonus.
From a Mac user perspective, Blur‘s native app integrates well with macOS and provides a smooth experience. The lack of a Safari extension is a drawback, but not a deal-breaker.
That said, Blur‘s premium price and history of a security incident may give some users pause. Its core password management features also aren‘t as extensive as some competitors.
If Blur‘s privacy-centric feature set aligns with your needs, it‘s a compelling option. But if you just need secure password management without the bells and whistles, there are more affordable alternatives.
Ultimately, the best password manager is the one you‘ll actually use consistently to improve your online security. Blur is undoubtedly a strong contender for the privacy-conscious, but it‘s worth carefully evaluating your specific needs and budget before committing.