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
Premium proprietary password manager with advanced security features and polished native apps.
Open-source, affordable password manager with transparent security and generous free tier.
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: $35.88/year | Bitwarden: $10/year
1Password: 84 reviews | Bitwarden: 70 reviews
1Password: Proprietary | Bitwarden: Open-source
1Password: Unlimited | Bitwarden: Unlimited
1Password: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Web | Bitwarden: 6 (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web)
1Password: Never breached | Bitwarden: N/A
1Password: Trial only (not full free) | 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 on GitHub
1Password: No | Bitwarden: Yes (via Vaultwarden)
1Password: Yes, with time delay options | 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: AES-256 + PBKDF2 | Bitwarden: AES-256, PBKDF2
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: Limited vault | 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
Password Generator Customization Options
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: Fully supported with official guidance
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)
How to choose between 1Password and Bitwarden
1Password vs Bitwarden — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for 1Password vs Bitwarden. Contains 146 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
1Password vs Bitwarden — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for 1Password vs Bitwarden.
Both use industry-standard zero-knowledge encryption (AES-256) and have passed security audits. 1Password is closed-source but publishes annual SOC 2 Type II audits by Cure53 and Trail of Bits. Bitwarden is open-source, allowing independent verification by the security community. Neither has reported major breaches. The security difference is minimal; 1Password's advantage is threat monitoring (Watchtower), while Bitwarden's advantage is code transparency.
Can I self-host Bitwarden but not 1Password?
Correct. Bitwarden offers official self-hosting via Bitwarden RS and community-maintained Vaultwarden, ideal for organizations needing data sovereignty. 1Password only offers cloud hosting, though enterprise customers can use dedicated instances. Self-hosting is critical for compliance-heavy industries like healthcare and finance.
What is 1Password Watchtower and is it worth $26 more per year?
Watchtower monitors 690M+ compromised credentials from data breaches and alerts you if your passwords appear in them—scanning happens in real-time. Bitwarden offers basic breach checking against ~50M credentials. Watchtower's larger database catches 93% more compromises. Whether it's worth $26/year depends on your risk profile: high-value targets and security professionals benefit most.
Which password manager integrates better with my browser and apps?
1Password has integrations with 500+ apps including Slack, Figma, Okta, and LastPass migration tools. Bitwarden supports major browser extensions and some third-party integrations but has fewer native partnerships. For enterprise environments or heavy app users, 1Password's ecosystem is broader. For personal use, both are sufficient.
Does the free version of Bitwarden work as well as paid 1Password?
Bitwarden's free cloud version includes unlimited password storage, multiple vaults, and password generation—all features most users need. The $10/year premium adds file attachments, advanced 2FA options, and priority support. 1Password has no free tier; you pay $36/year for the full feature set. For basic password management, Bitwarden free is genuinely sufficient; 1Password's paid tier adds threat monitoring and UX polish that justifies the cost for security-conscious users.
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).