Bitwarden
Bitwarden is an open source password manager with end-to-end encryption. Free for unlimited passwords and devices.
On this page
Quick verdict
Bitwarden combines a generous free plan with open code and yearly audits; only sharing and monthly billing are limited.
For you if
- you want a free password manager with no limit on passwords or devices
- you want the code to be public and audited externally every year
- you want your data in the EU or want to host the server yourself
Not for you if
- you value an extra secret key on top of your password, in which case 1Password is a better fit
- you want to share with lots of people as an individual without setting up an organization
- you want to pay monthly for Premium, because it's yearly only
Then 1Password is probably a better fit.
How much does Bitwarden cost?
- Unlimited passwords, notes, cards and identities
- Unlimited devices
- Passkey management
- Password and username generator
- Bitwarden Send (text only)
- Sharing with one other person
Unlimited passwords and devices for 1 user. Sharing with one other person, Send with text only, no attachments and no built-in 2FA codes.
Try Bitwarden- Built-in 2FA codes (TOTP)
- 5 GB of encrypted attachments
- Emergency access
- Password reports and alerts
- Send with text and files
- Up to 10 hardware keys, Yubico OTP and Duo
- Up to 6 users, each with Premium
- Unlimited sharing
- Unlimited collections
- 5 GB per person plus 5 GB shared
- Premium for all users
- Unlimited users and collections
- Event and audit logs
- Directory Connector and SCIM
- Public API
- Secrets Manager as an add-on
- Everything in Teams
- SSO with SAML 2.0 or OpenID Connect
- Organization-wide policies
- Self-hosting possible
- Risk insights and remediation
- Free Families plan for all users
Work it out for your team
| Plan | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | $ 1.65 | $ 19.80 |
| Families | $ 3.99 | $ 47.88 |
| Teams | $ 12 | $ 144 |
| Enterprise | $ 18 | $ 216 |
Total for the whole team, excluding VAT and price increases. Billed yearly where possible.
My advice: For most people, Free is enough: unlimited passwords on all your devices. If you want 2FA codes in your vault, attachments and emergency access, Premium costs $ 19.80 per year. For a family, Families costs $ 47.88 per year for up to 6 people. Businesses pay $ 4 per user per month for Teams, billed yearly.
Pros and cons
What I like
- Free unlimited passwords
- Open source, audited yearly
- Choice of US or EU storage
- Self-hosting is possible
- Premium at $ 19.80 per year
- Free standalone Authenticator app
What I like less
- Free shares with just one person
- Premium and Families yearly only
- Can't switch region later
- Self-hosting takes tech skills
FeaturesWhat password management usually have: Bitwarden has 9 of 16 in full and 7 in part.
green: yes, light green: partly
| Feature | Bitwarden | Other password management |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | YesZero-knowledge, in every account | 1 of 1 have it |
| API | YesCLI and public API for organizations | 0 of 1 have it |
| Single sign-on | PartlyEnterprise | 0 of 1 have it |
| Browser extensions | YesChrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and more | |
| Passkeys | YesSave passkeys and sign in with them | |
| Passwordless login | Yes | |
| Bitwarden Send | YesEncrypted sharing with anyone; files only on paid plans | |
| Separate Authenticator app | YesFree for iOS and Android | |
| Built-in 2FA codes | PartlyPaid plans only | |
| Encrypted attachments | Partly5 GB on paid plans | |
| Password reports | PartlyFull reports on paid plans | |
| Emergency access | PartlyPaid plans only | |
| Email aliases | Yes | |
| Self-hosting | PartlyPremium, Families and Enterprise, with Docker on Linux and Windows | |
| SCIM and Directory Connector | PartlyTeams and Enterprise | |
| SSH keys | Yes |
Full reviewBy Ruud Caris · updated September 26, 2026 · How I work
Introduction1 min
Most password managers ask you to trust that their encryption is sound. Bitwarden mainly asks you to go and look. The full code is on GitHub, and every year the company has outside parties audit its apps. That makes Bitwarden the password manager for people who don't want to take it on faith, but want to be able to check.
Open source as a selling point1 min
Bitwarden was founded in 2016 by Kyle Spearrin and is based in Santa Barbara, California. According to its own site, more than 80,000 businesses and more than 15 million users work with Bitwarden, in more than 180 countries.
The server is under the AGPL v3.0, the apps under the GPL v3.0. A small part of the code falls under Bitwarden's own license. Everything is on GitHub, so anyone can see how the encryption works.
That openness goes beyond the code. In 2025, Cure53, Unit 42 and Fracture Labs audited the apps and the infrastructure. The cryptography was analyzed by the Applied Cryptography Group at ETH Zürich. Bitwarden publishes the results. The company also holds SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3 and ISO 27001.
What you get for free, and where the limit is1 min
The free plan is generous. You store unlimited passwords, notes, cards and identities, on unlimited devices. There is a password and username generator, you can manage passkeys, and with Send you can share encrypted text with anyone, including people without Bitwarden.
The limit is in sharing and extras. With a free organization you share with one other person, in at most two collections. Send only works with text. Attachments, built-in 2FA codes, password reports and emergency access aren't included.
If you only want 2FA codes without paying, use the standalone Bitwarden Authenticator. That app is free for iOS and Android and works without a Bitwarden account.
If you switch, you take your passwords with you. Bitwarden imports from LastPass, 1Password, Keeper, Dashlane, KeePass and your browser's saved passwords, among others. An encrypted export is available on every plan.
The January 2026 price increase1 min
On 21 January 2026 the price of Premium went up to $ 19.80 per year, and Families to $ 47.88 per year. New features came with it, such as weak password alerts, 5 GB of attachments and room for up to 10 hardware keys. Existing subscribers got a one-time 25% discount on their first renewal.
Mind the billing: Premium and Families can only be paid yearly, not monthly.
Five plans, from free to Enterprise1 min
Prices are in dollars, excluding VAT.
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $ 0 | |
| Premium | $ 1.65 | |
| Families | $ 3.99 | |
| Teams | $ 4 | |
| Enterprise | $ 6 |
Premium costs $ 19.80 per year, which works out to $ 1.65 per month. You get built-in 2FA codes, 5 GB of attachments, emergency access and reports on your passwords. Sharing with others isn't part of Premium; for that you need an organization.
Families costs $ 47.88 per year, which works out to $ 3.99 per month, for up to 6 people. Everyone gets Premium, and you share without limits.
For businesses, Teams costs $ 4 per user per month and Enterprise $ 6 per user per month, both billed yearly. Enterprise adds SSO, organization-wide policies and a free Families plan for all users. For developers there is Secrets Manager as an add-on.
The cloud in the EU, or your own server1 min
When you create an account, you choose between the cloud in the United States or in the EU. For European businesses that is a plus. Note: the regions are separate. An account can't join an organization in the other region, and Bitwarden won't migrate your account for you.
Choose the region carefully when you create your account. Switching from the US to the EU later means creating a new account and exporting and importing your vault yourself.
If you want full control, you host Bitwarden yourself with Docker on Linux or Windows. According to Bitwarden, that takes technical knowledge for maintenance, security and updates. For a paid plan on your own server you still need a subscription and a license file.
Bitwarden compared with 1Password1 min
The logical comparison within this guide is 1Password. It is a paid password manager without a free plan, with its own encryption model that uses a secret key alongside your password. Choose 1Password if you want that extra secret key and don't need a free plan.
Bitwarden stands out with its free plan, open code and the option to self-host. The free plan covers what most people need.
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Is Bitwarden really free?
Yes. The free plan has unlimited passwords and devices, with no time limit. You do share with only one other person and miss extras such as attachments and built-in 2FA codes.
Is Bitwarden secure?
Bitwarden encrypts your vault end to end and cannot read your passwords itself. The code is open source and is audited by outside parties every year, in 2025 by Cure53 and ETH Zürich, among others.
Where is my data stored?
When you create your account, you choose the cloud in the United States or in the EU. You can also host Bitwarden yourself.
Can I pay for Bitwarden monthly?
Premium and Families can only be paid yearly. Teams and Enterprise can also be paid monthly, but those prices aren't on the pricing page.