Bitwarden is open-source and costs $10/year for premium features, while Dashlane is proprietary and costs $59.99/year but includes identity theft monitoring and VPN. Bitwarden wins for budget-conscious users; Dashlane for those wanting comprehensive identity protection.
Dashlane vs Bitwarden — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Commercial password manager with integrated VPN, identity theft protection, and premium support included.
Open-source, affordable password manager with transparent security and generous free tier.
Annual Premium Cost. Source Code Transparency. Identity Theft Monitoring. VPN Service Included. Password Generator Strength Options. Device Limit (Free Plan). Zero-Knowledge Encryption
Choose Bitwarden if you prioritize affordability, open-source code auditing, and cross-device syncing on the free plan—it's ideal for security-conscious users who don't need identity monitoring. Choose Dashlane if you want comprehensive identity theft protection, an integrated VPN, and premium password generation features included in your subscription.
Dashlane: 1 device | Bitwarden: Unlimited
Password Generator Customization Options
Dashlane: 12 options | Bitwarden: 8 options
Dashlane: 24/7 dark web monitoring | Bitwarden: Not available
Dashlane: Closed-source | Bitwarden: 100% open-source
Dashlane: Not available | Bitwarden: Yes (via Vaultwarden)
Dashlane: Advanced with alerts | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: 4 major browsers | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: Yes (included in premium) | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: Yes (credit monitoring + SSN monitoring) | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: Up to 5 users | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: 50 passwords | Bitwarden: Unlimited
Dashlane: 30+ billion (including dark web) | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: No (separate cost) | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: 64+ characters | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: Included in Premium | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: Zero-knowledge, AES-256 | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: 1 (cloud vault) | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: 20+ characters | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: 0 (Premium only) | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: Unlimited devices | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: AES-256 (passwords only) | Bitwarden: AES-256, PBKDF2
Dashlane: Yes, included | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: 50+ extensions | Bitwarden: N/A
Dashlane: $59.99/year | Bitwarden: $10/year
Dashlane: 256 bits | Bitwarden: 128 bits
Dashlane: No, cloud-only | Bitwarden: Yes, fully supported
Dashlane: Included in premium | Bitwarden: No
Independent Security Audits (Past 3 Years)
Dashlane: 2 audits | Bitwarden: 3 audits
Dashlane: 24/7 chat, email, phone | Bitwarden: Community forum + email
Dashlane: Limited to 50 | Bitwarden: Unlimited
Dashlane: Proprietary closed-source | Bitwarden: 100% open-source
Dashlane: Not available | Bitwarden: Fully supported with official guidance
Dashlane: Yes, included | Bitwarden: No (separate service required)
Dashlane: Proprietary | Bitwarden: Open-source (GitHub)
Dashlane: 2022 (Deloitte) | Bitwarden: 2023 (Cure53)
Dashlane: 20+ languages | Bitwarden: 40+ languages
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: 6 (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Community-based
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Yes, unlimited features
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: $10/year premium (free tier available)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Official native apps (iOS/Android)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Official extensions for 4 major browsers
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Partial (cached data only)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Automatic cloud sync
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Yes, publicly audited
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: 8+ methods (premium)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: 50M+ (basic check)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Open-source on GitHub
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Not available
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: Yes (audited)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: 3 third-party audits (2024)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: $40/year (5x individual plans)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: 2024 (annual audits)
Dashlane: N/A | Bitwarden: $3/user/month
How to choose between Dashlane and Bitwarden
Dashlane vs Bitwarden — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Dashlane vs Bitwarden. Contains 100 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Dashlane vs Bitwarden — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Dashlane vs Bitwarden.
Both use AES-256 zero-knowledge encryption. Bitwarden has an advantage in security transparency because its open-source code can be independently audited by anyone on GitHub, while Dashlane's closed-source code cannot. However, Dashlane undergoes third-party audits. Security-wise, both are enterprise-grade, but Bitwarden's transparency makes it harder for hidden vulnerabilities to exist.
Does Bitwarden have a VPN like Dashlane?
No. Bitwarden is a password manager only. Dashlane includes an unlimited VPN service (200+ server locations) in its premium plan at $59.99/year. If you need both password management and VPN, Dashlane is an all-in-one solution, while Bitwarden would require a separate VPN subscription.
Can I use the free plans on multiple devices?
No for Dashlane, yes for Bitwarden. Dashlane's free plan is limited to 1 device only. Bitwarden's free plan supports unlimited device syncing, allowing you to access your passwords on your phone, tablet, laptop, and desktop simultaneously without paying anything.
Which is better for identity theft protection?
Dashlane is significantly better. It includes 24/7 dark web monitoring that scans for your personal data, email addresses, and credit card numbers across the dark web. Bitwarden offers no identity theft monitoring. If identity protection is critical for you, Dashlane is the clear choice.
Yes. Bitwarden's open-source code allows you to self-host on your own server, giving you complete control over your password data. Dashlane does not offer self-hosting—your data is stored on Dashlane's servers only. Self-hosting is valuable for organizations wanting maximum control and privacy.
How to Choose Between Dashlane and Bitwarden
Annual Premium Cost: Dashlane has $59.99/year, while Bitwarden has $10/year.
Source Code Transparency: Dashlane has Proprietary closed-source, while Bitwarden has 100% open-source.
Identity Theft Monitoring: Dashlane has Included with premium, while Bitwarden has Not available.
VPN Service Included: Dashlane has Yes, unlimited, while Bitwarden has No.
Consider: Password Generator Strength Options
Password Generator Strength Options: Dashlane has 12 customization options, while Bitwarden has 8 customization options.
Device Limit (Free Plan): Dashlane has 1 device, while Bitwarden has Unlimited devices.
Zero-Knowledge Encryption: Dashlane has Yes, AES-256, while Bitwarden has Yes, AES-256.