1Password vs Bitwarden
How do 1Password and Bitwarden compare? Side-by-side features, pricing, and who each one is really for.
What matters to you?
1Password
From $2.99/mo (billed annually)Family and team password manager with strong security architecture and polished apps.
- Excellent apps on every platform
- Best family plan on the market
- Independent security audits published
- Unique Secret Key protection
- No free tier
- Slightly more expensive than competitors
- No self-hosting option
Bitwarden
Free / $1.66/mo PremiumOpen-source password manager with a generous free tier and self-hosting option.
- Generous free tier with unlimited devices
- Fully open-source and audited
- Self-hosting with Vaultwarden
- CLI and API for developers
- UI less polished than 1Password
- No travel mode
- Free plan lacks advanced 2FA
Feature comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (from) | From $2.99/mo (billed annually) | Free / $1.66/mo Premium |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM | AES-256-CBC + HMAC |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser, CLI |
| Family plan | $4.70/mo | $4.00/mo |
| Business plans | Yes | Yes |
| Watchtower | Yes | No |
| Travel mode | Yes | No |
| Family sharing | Yes | No |
| 2FA | Yes | Yes |
| Passkeys | Yes | No |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Self-hosting | No | Yes |
| Send | No | Yes |
Choose 1Password if…
- • Excellent apps on every platform
- • Best family plan on the market
- • Independent security audits published
- • Unique Secret Key protection
Choose Bitwarden if…
- • Generous free tier with unlimited devices
- • Fully open-source and audited
- • Self-hosting with Vaultwarden
- • CLI and API for developers
1Password vs Bitwarden: our comparison
1Password and Bitwarden are two of the most compared password managers. We use both: 1Password for family sharing, Bitwarden for a secondary vault. Here is a direct comparison based on our tests so you can choose.
1Password vs Bitwarden at a glance
1Password has no free tier and costs about 2.74 euros/month (Individual, billed annually). Bitwarden is free on unlimited devices; Premium is 1.65 $/month. So if budget is the main factor, Bitwarden wins. If you want the smoothest family experience and are okay paying, 1Password wins: shared vaults, up to 5 members, and the best onboarding we have seen for non-technical users. Bitwarden Families is cheaper (3.99 $/month for 6 users) but the UI is denser.
What we tested
We imported the same 180-entry vault into both. 1Password and Bitwarden both mapped URLs and passwords correctly. Autofill was reliable on Chrome and Firefox for both; 1Password felt slightly faster on iOS (Face ID then fill). Bitwarden has a CLI and self-hosting (Vaultwarden); 1Password has Travel Mode and a Secret Key. You cannot get Travel Mode or self-hosting in the other.
Who should choose 1Password
- You want the most polished apps and the best family plan. - You are okay paying and do not need a free tier. - You want Travel Mode to hide vaults at borders. - You prefer a single vendor with strong support.
Who should choose Bitwarden
- You want a free solution on unlimited devices. - You care about open source and audits. - You want to self-host (Vaultwarden) or use the CLI/API. - You prefer the lowest paid price (Premium 1.65 $/month).
Our verdict
Choose 1Password if polish, family sharing and Travel Mode are worth the price. Choose Bitwarden if you want free or low-cost, open source and full control. Both are secure and reliable; the choice is mainly about budget and use case.