1Password
From ~$2.99 per mo (no free tier)
Bitwarden
Free / Premium ~$10 per yr
1Password is the most polished password manager with a strong security reputation, but has no free tier. Bitwarden is open-source, with a genuinely useful free plan and an almost free Premium tier. 1Password wins on polish; Bitwarden wins on price and transparency.
Pick 1Password if you want the most polished experience and refined apps and are happy to pay for them.
Pick Bitwarden if you want a secure, open-source manager with a strong free tier and an almost-free Premium plan.
1Password and Bitwarden are two of the most recommended password managers, and they appeal to different priorities. 1Password is known for its polished apps, smooth user experience, and a strong, clean security reputation, but it has no free tier. Bitwarden is open-source and transparent, with a free plan that covers unlimited passwords across devices and a Premium tier that costs about $10 a year, one of the best values in software.
Both use strong end-to-end encryption and support passkeys, autofill, and sharing. The real difference is polish versus price and openness: 1Password feels more refined, while Bitwarden is cheaper and auditable as open source.
We compare price, free tier, security, open-source transparency, and ease of use.
| Quick facts | 1Password | Bitwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No (trial) | Yes (genuinely useful) |
| Paid price | From ~$2.99/mo | Premium ~$10/yr |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| App polish | Best-in-class | Good |
| Best for | Polish + experience | Value + transparency |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | 1 1Password | B Bitwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited passwords | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-platform autofill | Yes | Yes |
| Passkey support | Yes | Yes |
| Secure sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Open-source code | No | Yes |
| Security monitoring | Watchtower | Reports (Premium) |
| Polished apps | Best-in-class | Good |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-21.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
1Password is more polished, but it has no free tier, so cost-conscious users gravitate to Bitwarden.
Bitwarden is far cheaper and open-source, but its apps and design are a step behind 1Password's refinement.
Both are secure and well-regarded; the decision is mostly polish-and-price, not safety.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add 1Password, Bitwarden, and everything else, then get renewal reminders, price-hike alerts, and a clear monthly total, with no bank connection, ever. Free for up to 5 subscriptions, no time limit.
See how the price has moved