1Password vs Bitwarden
Bitwarden is the better buy for an individual: a free plan that works on unlimited devices, open-source code, and Premium at $1.65 a month billed annually. 1Password is the better buy for a family that will pay: $5.99 a month ($4.49 in the current first-year promotion) for up to five members, with admin controls, unlimited shared vaults and Watchtower alerts. On the core job, storing and filling passwords with passkey support on every platform, the two are equivalent; the decision is the free tier and the price.
Side by side, from the two pricing pages
| Feature | Bitwarden | 1Password |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, unlimited devices | No |
| Individual | $1.65/mo annual ($19.80/yr) | $3.99/mo annual ($2.99 first-year promo) |
| Family | $3.99/mo annual, 6 users | $5.99/mo annual, 5 members ($4.49 promo) |
| Trial | Families trial; Premium bought outright | 14 days |
| Authenticator | Premium and Families | Included |
| Code and hosting | Open source, self-host option | Not stated; no self-hosting |
| Extras | Bitwarden Send, emergency access, vault health reports | Watchtower, 1 GB storage per user, admin controls |
The free plan is the whole argument for Bitwarden
Bitwarden's free tier is not a demo. It stores unlimited passwords, notes, cards and identities, syncs across unlimited devices, manages passkeys, generates passwords and usernames, integrates email aliases, exports encrypted backups and lets you share items with one other person or send them with Bitwarden Send. That covers what most people use a password manager for. 1Password does not compete here: its pricing page offers a 14-day trial and then a paid plan, so the comparison for an individual is $0 a year against $47.88 (or $35.88 in the first promotional year).
What Bitwarden holds back for Premium is the integrated authenticator for two-factor codes, encrypted file attachments, emergency access, vault health reports and priority support, and Premium is $19.80 a year. 1Password includes Watchtower alerts and its authenticator in every account, which is a real advantage only if you would otherwise be paying nothing.
Families: five polished seats against six cheaper ones
1Password Families is where its case is strongest. For $5.99 a month billed annually (currently $4.49 for a new customer's first year) you get up to five family members, unlimited shared vaults, and admin controls to manage who sees what, on apps the page lists for macOS, iOS, Windows, Android, Linux and every major browser. Bitwarden Families is $3.99 a month for six premium accounts with unlimited sharing and collections. The Bitwarden plan is cheaper and covers one more person; 1Password's is the one with a dedicated family admin panel and the onboarding most non-technical relatives find easiest. If the family includes someone who will not tolerate friction, that is worth the $2 a month.
Security claims each page actually makes
Both are zero-knowledge, end-to-end encrypted managers by their own description. Bitwarden's page lists open-source security, advanced two-step login and built-in phishing protection as core features and offers self-hosting, which matters to people who want to audit the code or run their own server. 1Password's page describes end-to-end encryption at rest and in transit and states that it neither shares nor sells data, and offers no self-hosting. Neither page publishes a third-party audit on the pricing page itself; both companies publish audits elsewhere, and a reader who cares should read those directly rather than trust a summary.
Bitwarden
✓ Pros
- Free plan with unlimited devices and passkeys
- Open source, with a self-hosting option
- Premium at $19.80 a year is the lowest regular price here
- Families covers six users for $3.99 a month
✗ Cons
- Authenticator, attachments and emergency access need Premium
- Apps are functional rather than polished
- Families is the only plan with a trial
1Password
✓ Pros
- Watchtower alerts and authenticator in every account
- Family admin controls and unlimited shared vaults
- Apps and extensions on every platform listed
- 14-day trial on both personal plans
✗ Cons
- No free plan
- Regular price is more than double Bitwarden Premium
- Not described as open source; no self-hosting
- Promotional prices apply to the first year only
Verdict
Take Bitwarden if you are one person, if you want a free plan that is not crippled, or if open source and self-hosting matter to you. Take 1Password if you are setting up a family and want the smoothest apps and admin tools, and treat the extra cost as the price of never being asked for tech support. If you are choosing for a family on price alone, Bitwarden Families at $3.99 for six is the better deal and the page says so.
Bitwarden
- Free plan Yes: unlimited devices and passwords, passkeys, generator, sharing with one other user, Bitwarden Send
- Premium $1.65/month billed annually ($19.80): authenticator (TOTP), file attachments, emergency access, vault health reports
- Families $3.99/month billed annually ($47.88): 6 premium accounts, unlimited sharing and collections
- Open source Yes, listed as a core feature ("open source security")
- Self-hosting Yes, self-host options listed
- Apps Browser, mobile and desktop apps
- Free trial Families plan has a free trial; Premium is bought outright
Facts from Bitwarden's pricing page, checked 2026-09-05.
1Password
- Free plan No. 14-day free trial on Individual and Families
- Individual $3.99/month regular, $2.99/month first-year promotion for new customers; paid annually
- Families $5.99/month regular, $4.49/month promotion; invite up to 5 family members, unlimited shared vaults, admin controls
- Storage 1 GB per user
- Watchtower Alerts for compromised websites and vulnerable passwords, included in every account
- Apps macOS, iOS, Windows, Android, Linux; Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Safari
- Open source Not stated on the pricing page
Facts from 1Password's personal pricing page, checked 2026-09-05.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a paying family, 1Password is the more polished product: admin controls, unlimited shared vaults, Watchtower alerts in every account and apps on every platform, for $5.99 a month (five members) with a $4.49 first-year promotion. For an individual, Bitwarden is better value: a free plan with unlimited devices, open-source code, and Premium at $1.65 a month billed annually. Neither is better at the core job of storing and filling passwords; the difference is the free tier and the price.
Yes. Bitwarden Free includes unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, passkeys, a generator, sharing with one other user and Bitwarden Send. 1Password has no free plan; it offers a 14-day free trial on its Individual and Families plans.
On regular annual prices: Bitwarden Premium is $1.65 a month ($19.80 a year) against 1Password Individual at $3.99 a month, and Bitwarden Families is $3.99 a month for six users against 1Password Families at $5.99 for five. 1Password's current promotion cuts its first year to $2.99 and $4.49 for new customers.
Bitwarden lists open-source security as a core feature and offers self-hosting. 1Password's pricing page does not describe its code as open source, and it offers no self-hosting option.
Both support import from other managers; Bitwarden lists encrypted export as a core feature. Passwords, notes and cards move; attachments and some item types may need re-adding. Check each vendor's import documentation for the current format list.