The advice to "use a unique, strong password for every account" is correct and also, for anyone with more than a handful of accounts, practically impossible to follow by memory alone. A password manager is the tool that closes that gap — it generates and remembers a unique password per site, so the only thing you personally need to remember is one master password.
What it actually does
A password manager stores your login details in an encrypted vault, unlocked by a single master password (and ideally 2FA on top). When you visit a site, it can auto-fill your saved login, and when you create a new account, it can generate a genuinely random, strong password on the spot — the kind no human would choose or remember, which is exactly the point.
What to look for
Strong, audited encryption. Reputable password managers publish details of their encryption approach and undergo independent security audits. If a provider is vague about either, that's worth treating as a red flag.
Cross-device sync. The whole point breaks down if your passwords are only available on one device. Look for one that works across your phone, laptop, and browser.
A zero-knowledge architecture, meaning the provider itself can't read your stored passwords even if their servers were breached — only you, with your master password, can decrypt the vault.
Breach monitoring, a feature many password managers now include, which alerts you if a saved login appears in a known data breach so you can change that specific password before it's exploited.
The one password you do need to remember well
Your master password carries more weight than any password ever has, since it unlocks everything else. Make it long — a memorable passphrase of several unrelated words is generally both easier to recall and harder to crack than a shorter, more "complex-looking" password. Never reuse it anywhere else, and enable 2FA on the password manager account itself.
Getting started without it feeling overwhelming
You don't need to migrate every account on day one. Most password managers let you add logins gradually as you use them — install it, let it capture your login the next time you sign into an existing site, and it builds up naturally over a few weeks. Prioritise email, banking, and any account tied to payment details first.
A reasonable free option exists
Several well-regarded password managers offer genuinely usable free tiers, so cost isn't a real barrier to getting started. The gap between "using a password manager" and "not using one" matters far more than which specific one you choose.