Bitwarden
Bitwarden is an open source password manager that stores logins, passkeys, payment cards and secure notes in an end-to-end encrypted vault. It syncs credentials across browsers, phones and desktops, with optional self-hosting and separate plans for families and businesses.
#11 in Security & Privacy ToolsPassword ManagersFree plan
Who it's for
Best for
Individuals and families who want a solid vault without paying
Developers and IT teams that value open code and self-hosting
Not for
Teams that need dependable autofill and a fast extension every day
Open source advocates unwilling to accept a narrowed licence
Free plan$0
Premium$1.65/moBilled annually
Families$3.99/moBilled annually
Features
End-to-end encrypted vault
Logins, passkeys, payment cards and secure notes sit in one end-to-end encrypted vault opened with a single master password.
Autofill across devices
Autofill works in browsers and apps on desktop and mobile, so saved logins follow the same account between devices.
Password and username generator
Long, unique passwords can be generated for each account, along with random usernames and email aliases.
Secure sharing and collections
Credentials are shared with friends, family, teams and enterprises through permissions and shared collections.
Open source and self-hostable
The codebase is publicly available for inspection, and organisations can run their own server instead of the hosted service.
What users say
Pros
- The free plan covers everyday logins in browser and on phone, so paying stays optional for basic use.
- The same vault stays in sync across phones, tablets, Linux machines, Macs and work laptops without any sync trouble.
- Passkeys stored in the vault sync smoothly across desktops and both iOS and Android phones for one-click logins.
- Moving a vault in from another manager takes minutes, and website addresses come across with the logins.
- The built-in SSH agent replaces a separate key agent, and SSH keys moved across without trouble.
Cons
- The browser extension takes ten to fifteen seconds to open and lags Chrome badly during normal browsing.
- Autofill regularly fails on login, identity and card forms, so entries get copied and pasted by hand.
- The premium subscription price doubled at renewal with no added features to justify it.
- Parts of the client code moved to a commercial licence that blocks redistribution, ending the fully open arrangement.
- Authenticator codes and stored passwords have disappeared from vaults, and an inaccessible vault went over two weeks without a fix.
- The desktop client dropped keyboard shortcuts and search focus, and its layout adds clicks and looks dated.
A selection of the review sources we used:
Summarized from public user reviews and community discussions. View details
Global Traffic Rank
Top 100k
Alternatives
Rank#11 in category#1 in category#6 in category#7 in category
Free planYesYesNoYes
ProGenerous free tier, cross-device sync, passkeys, easy importsQuick imports, email aliases, reliable passkeys, free syncSynced passkeys, quiet autofill, CLI secrets, shared vaultsPortable vault file, cross-platform clients, auto-type
Better forA smoother, more polished interface and fast browser extension with scoped CLI access for scripts and AI agents.
Weaker atFree multi-device syncing, open-source code transparency, and optional self-hosting.