Bitwarden is a security & identity tool for Freelancers and Developers, offered as open source ($2/mo). Founded in United States in 2016. Popular alternatives include Proton Pass.
About Bitwarden
Bitwarden is an open-source password manager developed by Bitwarden, Inc., founded in 2015 by Kyle Spearrin and based in Santa Barbara, California. Its free plan is unusually complete for individuals: unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, passkey storage, a password generator and secure sharing with one other person, with apps for every major browser, desktop and mobile platform.
Premium adds a built-in authenticator for 2FA codes, encrypted file attachments, emergency access and vault health reports for a low yearly price, and Families covers six users with shared collections. For companies, Teams and Enterprise plans add organization vaults, collections, groups, event logs, the API, SSO, SCIM provisioning, enterprise policies and the option to self-host the server. Bitwarden Send shares encrypted text or files, Secrets Manager stores developer secrets for CI/CD pipelines, and Passwordless.dev offers passkey authentication for developers. The code is public and audited by independent firms.
Bitwarden is the default recommendation for cost-conscious individuals and businesses that value transparency and self-hosting. Its interface is functional rather than polished, and autofill sometimes needs a manual nudge. 1Password offers a smoother experience and stronger family and travel features at a higher price, Proton Pass is the other open-source option inside the Proton privacy suite, and Keeper and Dashlane focus on enterprise administration.
Key features of Bitwarden
- Unlimited vault items and devices on the free plan
- Passkeys, TOTP authenticator (Premium) and emergency access
- Shared collections, roles and policies for teams
- SSO, SCIM and self-hosting (Enterprise)
- Secrets Manager for developers
- Open source with regular third-party audits
Pros and cons
Pros
- Best free password manager
- Open source and self-hostable
- Very low business pricing
- Strong security track record
Cons
- UI less polished than 1Password
- Autofill reliability varies by site
- Fewer integrations with device trust tools
- Support on free tier is community
Bitwarden pricing
Bitwarden uses a open source model.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited passwords and devices |
| Premium | $1.65 / mo | Billed annually at $19.80; security reports, emergency access |
| Families | $3.99 / mo | Billed annually at $47.88; up to 6 users |
| Teams | $4 / user/mo | Billed annually; shared collections, event logs |
| Enterprise | $6 / user/mo | Billed annually; SSO, SCIM, policies |
Source: bitwarden.com · checked on Oct 20, 2026
How Bitwarden compares in Security & identity
- Rank by votes
- #1 / 24
- Starting price
- $2
- Free alternatives
- 3
0 votes from members
79% below the category median ($8/mo)
Free or open-source tools in Security & identity
Bitwarden ranks #1 of 24 security & identity tools by community votes and is priced below most tools in the category.
Common use cases
- 1Individual securing all accounts for free
- 2Small business sharing credentials in collections
- 3Enterprise self-hosting vault for compliance
- 4DevOps team storing CI secrets
Best for
Individuals and businesses who want solid, audited security at the lowest cost.
Not ideal for
Users who prioritize the most polished UX (1Password).
Integrations
- Browsers (all)
- SSO: Okta, Entra ID, Google, Duo
- Directory sync (SCIM)
- CLI
- Secrets Manager for CI/CD
- Email alias services
Our take
Bitwarden is the sensible default password manager: free for most people, cheap for teams, open for scrutiny. Pay for 1Password only if the polish is worth it to you.
FAQ
- What is Bitwarden?
- Bitwarden is a Security & identity tool: Open-source password manager.
- How much does Bitwarden cost?
- Bitwarden is Open source; there is no mandatory paid plan.
- What are the best alternatives to Bitwarden?
- Community-listed alternatives to Bitwarden include Proton Pass.
- What does Bitwarden integrate with?
- Bitwarden integrates with Browsers (all), SSO: Okta, Entra ID, Google, Duo, Directory sync (SCIM), CLI, Secrets Manager for CI/CD, Email alias services and more.
- Which platforms does Bitwarden support?
- Bitwarden is available on web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android.
- Who is Bitwarden for?
- Individuals and businesses who want solid, audited security at the lowest cost.
Alternatives to Bitwarden
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