1Password offers superior UX, advanced security features like Watchtower threat monitoring, and dedicated support at $36/year, while Bitwarden provides open-source transparency, lower cost at $10/year, and cross-platform flexibility with community support.
1Password vs Bitwarden — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Security-focused password manager with complete end-to-end encryption and travel mode
Open-source, self-hostable password manager with transparent security and low cost.
Annual Cost (Individual). Source Code Transparency. Threat Monitoring (Watchtower). Supported Platforms. Free Tier Password Limit. Emergency Access Feature. User Interface Rating (G2)
Choose 1Password if you prioritize polished UX, advanced threat monitoring, and professional support for password management. Choose Bitwarden if you value open-source transparency, lower cost, self-hosting options, and community-driven development.
1Password: 84 reviews | Bitwarden: 70 reviews
1Password: Proprietary | Bitwarden: Open-source
1Password: Unlimited | Bitwarden: Unlimited
1Password: Never breached | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 1 primary + 5 additional (6 total) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Yes, native support | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Included in all plans | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Advanced with custom rules | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Wider compatibility across versions | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Limited storage in free tier | Bitwarden: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Annual Billing)
1Password: Not included | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Full DevOps integration | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: $47.88/year (as of March 2026) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Not clearly defined | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 1 GB included | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Simple/Intuitive | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Real-time across all platforms | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: $4.99/month (or $49.99/year) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 6 major platforms (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, web) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 1 (Cure53 2022) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Yes - temporarily remove vaults from device | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Yes - unlimited shared vaults for families/teams | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Yes - detailed breach reports included | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Watchtower (proprietary scope) | Bitwarden: N/A
Password Generator Customization Parameters
User Satisfaction Rating (G2 Reviews 2025)
1Password: $19.99/month per user | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 690M+ (Watchtower) | Bitwarden: 50M+ (basic check)
1Password: Closed-source with audits | Bitwarden: Open-source (GitHub)
1Password: No | Bitwarden: Yes (via Vaultwarden)
1Password: Yes—designate trusted contacts | Bitwarden: Not available
1Password: 6+ platforms (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, web) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 6 browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Brave, Opera) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Up to 5 users ($99.99/year) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Yes - designate trusted contacts | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Advanced with granular permissions | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 5+ billion (Watchtower) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Unlimited with granular permissions | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Unlimited vaults | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: AES-256 + PBKDF2 | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera (5 major) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Unlimited (Teams plan starts at $34.99/user/year) | Bitwarden: N/A
Advanced Sharing Permissions (Field-Level)
1Password: Available (edit, view-only, hide fields) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Unlimited (paid plan) | Bitwarden: N/A
Two-Factor Authentication Methods Supported
1Password: 12 (TOTP, WebAuthn, SMS, email, etc.) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Yes, full local option available | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 8 (length, numbers, symbols, etc.) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: $36/year | Bitwarden: $10/year
1Password: $59.99/year | Bitwarden: $40/year (5x individual plans)
1Password: Unlimited (limited features) | Bitwarden: Unlimited
1Password: No (proprietary) | Bitwarden: Yes (GitHub)
1Password: 2022 (4 years) | Bitwarden: 2024 (annual audits)
1Password: $3.99/user/month | Bitwarden: $3/user/month
1Password: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Web | Bitwarden: 6 (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web)
1Password: 84+ billion known compromises | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: View, Edit, Manage permissions per item | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 20+ options (length, symbols, diceware, words, etc.) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: App-based, works across ecosystems | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: No—paid plans only | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: AES-256 with 256-bit PBKDF2 | Bitwarden: AES-256 encryption
1Password: All data (passwords, documents, notes) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Add-on only ($4.99/month) | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Teams/Business plans only | Bitwarden: No
1Password: Not available | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: 16 characters | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Complete (100%) | Bitwarden: N/A
Independent Security Audits (Last 5 Years)
1Password: No (paid add-on) | Bitwarden: N/A
Password Generator Customization Options
1Password: 20+ options | Bitwarden: 8 options
1Password: 200+ websites | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Not available
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: 100% open-source
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Community-based
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Yes, unlimited features
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: $10/year premium (free tier available)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Official native apps (iOS/Android)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Official extensions for 4 major browsers
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Partial (cached data only)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Automatic cloud sync
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Yes, publicly audited
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: 8+ methods (premium)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Yes, fully supported
Independent Security Audits (Past 3 Years)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Community forum + email
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Full support with Docker, on-premises
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: No (separate service required)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Open-source (GitHub)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: 2023 (Cure53)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: 40+ languages
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Yes (audited)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: 3 third-party audits (2024)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: 5 public audits (2020-2024)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Yes (GitHub public)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: No (premium only)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: 7.2/10 (functional)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Yes (Vaultwarden)
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Not authorized
1Password: N/A | Bitwarden: Not certified
How to choose between 1Password and Bitwarden
1Password vs Bitwarden — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for 1Password vs Bitwarden. Contains 170 attribute comparisons, 4 FAQ pairs.
1Password vs Bitwarden — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for 1Password vs Bitwarden.
Yes — Bitwarden's free tier is genuinely unlimited with no device limit and no password limit. You get cross-device sync, browser extensions, mobile apps, and basic password management at no cost. Unlike LastPass (which limits free users to one device type) and Dashlane (which caps free at 25 passwords), Bitwarden's free tier is the most generous of any major password manager. Bitwarden Premium adds TOTP authenticator codes, encrypted attachments, and emergency access for just $10/year.
Is 1Password worth paying for over Bitwarden?
1Password's UX polish, Watchtower security monitoring, and Travel Mode are genuinely valuable for many users. The $2.99/month Personal plan is reasonable for a solo user. However, for a family of 5, Bitwarden Families ($40/year) vs 1Password Families ($4.99/month = $59.88/year) shows Bitwarden is 33% cheaper with very comparable security. Bitwarden is the better value; 1Password is worth it if UX is your top priority.
Yes — Bitwarden is fully open-source and can be self-hosted using Docker. The standard self-hosted deployment (Bitwarden Unified) runs on any server with Docker and requires approximately 1GB RAM. Self-hosting gives you complete control over your password data and is popular with businesses handling sensitive data and privacy-focused individuals. 1Password does not offer self-hosting; your data is stored on their servers.
Both use zero-knowledge architecture (the company cannot decrypt your vault) with AES-256 encryption, and both undergo annual independent security audits. Neither has suffered a known vault breach. 1Password adds an additional layer — the Secret Key (a 34-character device-specific key required alongside your master password) that makes remote brute-force attacks computationally impractical. Both are extremely safe choices; the difference is marginal for most threat models.
How to Choose Between 1Password and Bitwarden
Annual Cost (Individual): 1Password has $36/year, while Bitwarden has $10/year.
Source Code Transparency: 1Password has Closed-source, security audits published, while Bitwarden has Open-source, fully auditable code.
Consider: Threat Monitoring (Watchtower)
Threat Monitoring (Watchtower): 1Password has Included - monitors 690M+ compromised credentials, while Bitwarden has Basic password breach checking only.
Supported Platforms: 1Password has iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, while Bitwarden has iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web.
Free Tier Password Limit: 1Password has Unlimited passwords, while Bitwarden has Unlimited passwords.
Emergency Access Feature: 1Password has Included - designate trusted contacts, while Bitwarden has Not available.
User Interface Rating (G2): 1Password has 4.7/5 stars (3,400+ reviews), while Bitwarden has 4.5/5 stars (1,800+ reviews).