Bitwarden vs Proton Pass
How do Bitwarden and Proton Pass compare? Side-by-side features, pricing, and who each one is really for.
What matters to you?
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
Proton Pass
Free / from $3.26/mo (Pass Plus annual)Free and paid password manager from Proton with hide-my-email aliases and end-to-end encryption.
- Generous free tier
- Unlimited hide-my-email on Plus
- Proton privacy reputation
- Open source
- CLI for pros
- Newer than 1Password/Bitwarden
- Fewer business features than Dashlane Omnix
Feature comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (from) | Free / $1.66/mo Premium | Free / from $3.26/mo (Pass Plus annual) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption | AES-256-CBC + HMAC | End-to-end (zero-access) |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser, CLI | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser, CLI |
| Family plan | $4.00/mo | $5.44/mo |
| Business plans | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Self-hosting | Yes | No |
| 2FA | Yes | No |
| Send | Yes | No |
| Hide-my-email | No | Yes |
| Dark web monitoring | No | Yes |
| Passkeys | No | Yes |
| CLI | No | Yes |
Choose Bitwarden if…
- • Generous free tier with unlimited devices
- • Fully open-source and audited
- • Self-hosting with Vaultwarden
- • CLI and API for developers
Choose Proton Pass if…
- • Generous free tier
- • Unlimited hide-my-email on Plus
- • Proton privacy reputation
- • Open source
- • CLI for pros
Bitwarden vs Proton Pass: our comparison
Bitwarden and Proton Pass are both open source and both have a free tier. Bitwarden has been around longer and has self-hosting, CLI and a larger ecosystem. Proton Pass is newer (2023) and offers hide-my-email (masked addresses) built in, with a generous free quota. We compared them so you can pick the right one.
Bitwarden vs Proton Pass at a glance
Bitwarden free: unlimited passwords and unlimited devices. Proton Pass free: unlimited passwords, unlimited devices, and 10 hide-my-email aliases. So both are usable for free on all devices. Bitwarden Premium is 1.65 $/month; Proton Pass Plus is about 2.99 euros/month. Proton Pass Plus adds unlimited aliases, built-in 2FA, dark web monitoring; Bitwarden Premium adds authenticator, 1 GB storage, emergency access, vault health reports. Bitwarden has self-hosting (Vaultwarden) and a CLI; Proton Pass has a CLI on paid tiers and is part of the Proton ecosystem (Mail, VPN). Both are zero-knowledge and audited.
What we tested
We imported a vault into both and used them on Windows and Android. Autofill worked well for both. Proton Pass's hide-my-email was easy to use on sign-up forms; Bitwarden does not have native alias generation (you can use third-party). Bitwarden's UI is more mature but denser; Proton Pass is cleaner. For families: Bitwarden Families 3.99 $/month for 6 users; Proton Pass Family is higher. If you already use Proton Mail, Proton Pass fits naturally. If you need self-hosting or the largest ecosystem, Bitwarden wins.
Who should choose Bitwarden
- You want self-hosting, CLI or the most mature open-source ecosystem. - You prefer the lowest paid price (1.65 $/month) and a long track record. - You need emergency access, vault health reports or Teams/Enterprise.
Who should choose Proton Pass
- You want hide-my-email built in (10 free, unlimited on Plus) and Proton privacy. - You already use Proton Mail or Proton VPN. - You prefer a cleaner, newer interface and Swiss jurisdiction.
Our verdict
Choose Bitwarden if self-hosting, CLI or the lowest paid price matters. Choose Proton Pass if hide-my-email and the Proton ecosystem matter more. Both are solid free and paid options.