NordPass vs Bitwarden
Bitwarden is the better buy for most people: a free plan that works on unlimited devices at once, open-source code, and Premium at $1.65 a month billed annually with the authenticator included. NordPass is the better buy if you will commit for 27 months and want the polish: Premium at $1.39 a month on the 2-year plan ($37.53 up front), with Password Health, a Data Breach Scanner and a 30-day money-back guarantee. NordPass Free is one device at a time, so it is not a place to stay.
Side by side, from the two pricing pages
| Feature | Bitwarden 🏆 | NordPass |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Unlimited devices at once; passkeys; share with 1 user; Bitwarden Send | 1 user account; autosave and autofill; no simultaneous multi-device access |
| Individual paid | Premium $1.65/mo billed annually ($19.80/yr) | Premium $1.39/mo on the 2-year plan ($37.53 for 27 months, listed as 53% off) |
| Commitment | 1 year | 27 months (1-year plan also offered) |
| Family | $3.99/mo annual ($47.88/yr), 6 users | $2.49/mo on 2-year plan ($67.23 for 27 months), 6 users |
| Authenticator | Included in Premium | NordPass Authenticator listed as not included on personal plans |
| Health and breach tools | Vault health reports (Premium) | Password Health and Data Breach Scanner (Premium) |
| Code | Open source, self-host option | XChaCha20-encrypted vault; not described as open source |
| Guarantee | Not stated on the pricing page | 30-day money-back |
The price is a question of commitment
NordPass advertises $1.39 a month and Bitwarden advertises $1.65, and on those two numbers NordPass looks cheaper. Read the small print on the NordPass page and the $1.39 is a 2-year plan charged as $37.53 for the first 27 months, listed as 53% off, with a 1-year plan offered at a different rate. Bitwarden's $1.65 is simply $19.80 charged once a year with no introductory discount to expire. If you are happy to pay 27 months in advance for a password manager you have not used yet, NordPass is the lower monthly figure; if you want to pay for a year and decide again, Bitwarden is the smaller cheque and the one whose price is not a promotion.
The free plans are not the same kind of thing
This is the clearest difference on the two pages. Bitwarden Free is a complete password manager: unlimited passwords on unlimited devices at the same time, passkeys, a generator, sharing with one other user and Bitwarden Send. NordPass Free is one user account with autosave and autofill, and the page states it has no simultaneous multi-device access, no Password Health and no breach scanner. A person with a phone and a laptop cannot live on NordPass Free without logging out of one to use the other, which makes it a way to try the app rather than a plan.
What Premium buys on each side
Bitwarden Premium adds the integrated authenticator, encrypted file attachments, emergency access and vault health reports. NordPass Premium adds multi-device access, Password Health, the Data Breach Scanner and file attachments. The features overlap on attachments and health checks, and split on two points: Bitwarden includes its authenticator while NordPass lists its Authenticator as not included on the personal plans shown, and NordPass makes multi-device use itself a paid feature, which Bitwarden gives away.
Code and guarantees
Bitwarden lists open-source security as a core feature and offers self-hosting. NordPass's page describes an XChaCha20-encrypted vault and does not describe the product as open source. NordPass states a 30-day money-back guarantee, which matters more for a plan paid 27 months in advance; Bitwarden's pricing page does not state one. Both are reasonable positions for different buyers: the person who wants to read the code chooses Bitwarden, the person who wants a refund window on a long commitment gets one from NordPass.
Bitwarden
✓ Pros
- Free plan works on unlimited devices at the same time
- Premium is an annual price with no promotion to expire
- Authenticator included in Premium
- Open source with a self-hosting option
✗ Cons
- Plainer apps
- No money-back guarantee stated on the pricing page
- No breach scanner named on the free plan
NordPass
✓ Pros
- Lowest headline price: $1.39 a month on the 2-year plan
- Password Health and Data Breach Scanner in Premium
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Family plan covers six users
✗ Cons
- Headline price requires a 27-month commitment paid up front
- Free plan is one device at a time
- Authenticator listed as not included on personal plans
Verdict
Bitwarden for anyone who wants a free plan they can actually use, an annual price, or open-source code. NordPass for anyone who will commit to 27 months, wants the breach scanner and health dashboard in a more polished app, and values the refund window. If you are choosing between the two free tiers, it is not close: Bitwarden.
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.
NordPass
- Free plan Yes, 1 user account, autosave and autofill; no simultaneous multi-device access, no Password Health, no breach scanner
- Premium $1.39/month on the 2-year plan shown ($37.53 for the first 27 months, listed as 53% off); multi-device access, Password Health, Data Breach Scanner, file attachments
- Family $2.49/month on the 2-year plan ($67.23 for the first 27 months); 6 user accounts
- Encryption XChaCha20-encrypted vault
- Authenticator NordPass Authenticator listed as not included on the personal plans shown
- Guarantee 30-day money-back guarantee
- Pricing note Headline prices are for a 27-month commitment; the page also offers a 1-year plan at a different rate
Facts from NordPass's plans page, checked 2026-09-05.
Frequently Asked Questions
On the headline number, yes: NordPass shows Premium at $1.39 a month against Bitwarden Premium at $1.65. But the NordPass figure is for a 27-month commitment ($37.53 up front, listed as 53% off) while Bitwarden's is an annual price ($19.80 a year). Compare the commitment you are willing to make, not the per-month figures.
Bitwarden. Bitwarden Free works on unlimited devices at the same time, manages passkeys, shares with one other user and includes Bitwarden Send. NordPass Free is one user account with autosave and autofill but no simultaneous multi-device access, no Password Health and no breach scanner, so it is a trial of the app rather than a plan to live on.
The NordPass plans page lists NordPass Authenticator as not included on the personal plans shown. Bitwarden includes its authenticator (TOTP) in Premium.
Both cover six users. Bitwarden Families is $3.99 a month billed annually ($47.88 a year). NordPass Family is $2.49 a month on the 2-year plan ($67.23 for the first 27 months). NordPass is cheaper per month if you will commit for 27 months; Bitwarden is the smaller up-front payment and the one you can leave after a year.
Every price here was read from the two vendors' pricing pages on 2026-09-05. NordPass's headline prices are introductory rates for a 27-month term and its page also offers a 1-year plan at a different rate; the linked pages are the authority.