Our bottom line: 1Password has the edge on form-filling and 2FA, while Bitwarden comes out ahead with pricing and plans, and security. Otherwise, these password managers tie, making them comparable across the board.
1Password and Bitwarden are two of the top password managers, both ranked highly on our list of the best password managers. These services are comparable in price, features and compatibility, especially with 1Password’s recent launch of a full-fledged Linux version.
Bitwarden has a leg up with its forever free plan and security, while 1Password comes out ahead in form-filling and two-factor authentication (2FA). Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with 1Password or Bitwarden. These comparable password managers tie in our book.
Which password manager should you get? Let this 1Password vs. Bitwarden face-off help you decide.
Review factor | Winner |
---|---|
Price and plans | Bitwarden | (5.0)
Platform compatibility | Tie: 1Password | (5.0), Bitwarden (5.0)
User experience (UX) | Tie: 1Password | (5.0), Bitwarden (5.0)
Form filling | 1Password | (5.0)
Security | Bitwarden | (5.0)
Two-factor authentication (2FA) | 1Password | (5.0)
Best overall | Tie: 1Password | (4.8), Bitwarden (4.8)
Our bottom line: 1Password has the edge on form-filling and 2FA, while Bitwarden comes out ahead with pricing and plans, and security. Otherwise, these password managers tie, making them comparable across the board.
Password manager | Details | Basic plan features |
---|---|---|
1Password Overall rating: 4.8/5 Read our full 1Password review. | Starting price: $2.99 per month Platform compatibility: Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web (Brave, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari), Windows Security: AES 256-bit encryption, 2FA |
|
Bitwarden Overall rating: 4.8/5 Read our full Bitwarden review. | Starting price: Free Platform compatibility: Chrome, ChromeOS, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge, iOS, Android, Windows PC, macOS, Linux, Docker, command line interface (CLI) managers for Windows, Unix, Chocolatey, Homebrew, and Snap Security: AES 256-bit encryption, 2FA |
|
Price winner: Bitwarden | |
---|---|
1Password (4.75/5) | $36 per year for premium; $48 per year for up to six users; $19.95 per month for 10 users on the Team plan; $7.99 per user per month for Business; and Enterprise plans require a custom quote. |
Bitwarden (5/5) | Free forever plan, or $10 per year for premium Personal; $40 per year for up to six users; $3 per month per user for business; and $5 per user for Enterprise. |
1Password and Bitwarden both offer cost-effective password manager plans, with Bitwarden stepping ahead because of its free forever plan and only $10 premium plan, which is about one-third of the cost of 1Password’s premium individual plan. Even if you’ll add five other users, getting Bitwarden for $8 less per year is still less expensive and equally feature-rich.
I tested the password managers for personal use. Still, if you operate a business, you can have 10 users on a Team plan with 1Password for $19.95 per month, which is a better deal than 10 users at $3 per month for the Business Bitwarden plan — though if you exceed 10 people, you’ll need 1Password’s Business plan for $7.99 per user, which hikes up the cost. Bitwarden sets a flat rate of $5 per user for its Enterprise plan, but 1Password says these plans require a custom quote. This tells me that it’s going to cost more.
Winner: Bitwarden wins plans and pricing because of its transparency with the Enterprise plan cost per user per month, and it’s forever free plan.
Platform compatibility winner: Tie | |
---|---|
1Password (5/5) | OS: Windows 10 (64-bit or later); Mac (Catalina 10.15 or later); and Linux; iOs (15.5 or later); Android (Pie or later) Supported browsers: Brave, Chrome, DuckDuckGo, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Vivaldi |
Bitwarden (5/5) | OS: ChromeOS, Windows PC, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Chocolatey, Unix, Homebrew, Docker, CLI managers for Windows, and Snap Supported browsers: Brave, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari Tor, Opera, Vivaldi |
With the addition of 1Password’s full support for Linux on desktop, the two password managers are comparable in compatibility with major platforms, though Bitwarden also names Unix, Homebrew, Docker, CLI managers for Windows, and Snap.
Because 1Password supports the latest versions of Linux, I think these two services are comparable, and you can use either with modern platforms. 1Password does not support Tor, but Bitwarden does.
Bitwarden’s free version is compatible with nearly every platform, which is a huge selling point. Often, the free plans are limited in platforms. Also a bonus, Bitwarden is accessible in more than 50 languages, making it highly accessible.
1Password also earns accolades for its compatibility across operating systems and browsers. This is convenient and important if you use various platforms and browsers like I do. I also like that 1Password includes single sign-on (SSO) with its Business and Enterprise plans, while Bitwarden offers it only with Enterprise subscriptions.
UX winner: Tie | |
---|---|
1Password (5/5) | Easy-to-navigate design with concise viewing |
Bitwarden (5/5) | Clean, minimal in a good way, and ease of editing vault items |
While both password managers offer full functionality via their websites and browser extensions (especially with the updated 1Password X), you’ll also need to download the desktop app, which I found was the best way to get started with both password managers.
1Password’s desktop is minimal but concise, so I was not overwhelmed when finding my way around the dashboard and features. Bitwarden’s desktop app is also clean and user-friendly. Again, both are minimal — and this is a good thing.
For 1Password, the current desktop dashboard, the left navigation acts as a main menu, with categories organized in the next column, such as Google, Dropbox, Netflix, and so on. When I click on the category — say Evernote — the third column on the screen displays all of the details and allows me to easily edit. It’s plug and play.
With the 1Password Mac version, the dropdown menu installs directly into the Mac menu bar so it’s one more way to access your 1Password vault without going on the desktop app.
Moving my way around the Bitwarden desktop app was also a cinch. It feels a lot like navigating my email inbox, making it highly intuitive. You don’t need to be a technophile to work with either of these password managers. Adding and editing the vault was simple.
Bitwarden’s browser extension made it easy to add vault items, which is a feature many free password managers don’t offer. With Bitwarden, you can do this with the forever free plan, which goes back to the reason this password manager won for plans and pricing.
Both 1Password and Bitwarden mobile apps were equally easy to navigate, with main sections in the left toolbar so I could easily manage my account.
Form filling winner: 1Password | |
---|---|
1Password (5/5) | Simple form-filling and now Watchtower, a password monitoring feature, is available for mobile users. |
Bitwarden (4.5/5) | Easy to set up and flexible, such as allowing you to specify how passwords are tied to URLs and domain names |
1Password and Bitwarden offer comparable form-filling, but 1Password edges ahead a bit because Bitwarden does not have a vault template for addresses. You can store them in a custom vault entry but they do not work with autofill. This is a pain when dealing with shipping and billing information, but it’s not a deal-breaker by any means since Bitwarden is a mint password manager in pretty much every other category.
Another point: Bitwarden’s autofill must be triggered by its browser extension. On the other hand, 1Password (and many others) display an icon in unfilled fields. So basically, you’ll do a little more clicking with Bitwarden, but don’t let this dissuade you from selecting one of the best password managers.
Winner: 1Password wins for form-filling because of its convenient icons that automatically appear in unfilled fields and Watchtower capabilities for mobile users.
Security winner: Bitwarden | |
---|---|
1Password (4.5/5) |
|
Bitwarden (5/5) |
|
Most password managers, including Bitwarden and 1Password, use powerful 256-bit AES encryption, and both password managers’ vaults are unlocked on your device only after you’ve entered your master password.
1Password adds an extra layer of security with a 34-character Secret Key that works alongside your master password. 1Password Watchtower sifts through information to see if information has been compromised, that way I am alerted directly if there is a red flag so I can change the affected password before a cybercriminal lays hands on it.
Bitwarden provides vault health reports. If I reuse a password or create a password that Bitwarden thinks is weak, I get a report of these items before Bitwarden even accesses encrypted versions. Basically, this puts up a stop sign that says, “Wait a minute. This password is vulnerable.”
Both 1Password and Bitwarden have built-in password generators, offer 1GB of secure online storage, and operate on a zero-knowledge model to protect your personal information. I appreciate knowing that not even the password manager can access my data.
Both platforms are Service Organization Controls (SOC 2) compliant, meaning they have carefully documented security policies and undergo regular audits. (Here are our tips on how to protect your online passwords.)
Winner: Bitwarden wins because aside from the industry standard 256-bit AES encryption and 2FA, it offers helpful vault health reports.
2FA winner: 1Password | |
---|---|
1Password (5/5) |
|
Bitwarden (4.75/5) |
|
Both 1Password and Bitwarden support 2FA via authenticator apps (which use time-based one-time passwords, or TOTPs) and physical security keys.
Let’s hash out 1Password’s 2FA skills. It is compatible with Authy, Microsoft Authenticator, and Okta Verify, and you can access single sign-on (SSO) with business plans. Like Bitwarden, there’s a simple QR code setup, and both provide biometric unlock capabilities.
I like how Bitwarden offers 2FA via YubiKey and FIDO which are highly secure. You can choose a free authenticator app, including Authy and Google Authenticator. Email is another 2FA option. But other features are only available as a Premium subscriber. As a Premium subscriber, Bitwarden allows you to enable 2FA with Duo Security with Duo Push, SMS, phone call, and security keys. The FIDO WebAuthn Authenticator is also a Premium privilege only.
Winner: 1Password because advanced 2FA features come standard — not premium like Bitwarden.
Bottom line winner: Tie | |
---|---|
1Password (4.8/5) |
Best for: Users who want a simple platform with easy sharing capabilities. |
Bitwarden (4.8/5) |
Best for: Free password manager with excellent security and features other password managers offer only with upgrades |
1Password and Bitwarden tie as two of the best password managers available. They both offer seamless and easy-to-navigate platforms that I found simple to use from the get-go. The learning curve was next to nothing. I trust the security with both of them offering industry standard 256-bit AES encryption and zero-knowledge architecture that means even the password managers do not know my passwords.
Bitwarden has a leg up in plans and pricing by offering a forever free plan that allows you to use more than one device, which is something most password managers do not offer with a free plan. Usually, those plans are limited to one device and one user. So you really could use Bitwarden “forever free” without sacrificing features.
1Password comes out slightly ahead in 2FA and form-filling for ease of use. Between the two, it’s really a toss-up. You can’t go wrong either way. If plans and pricing are more important to you, Bitwarden wins. If form-filling ease is a priority for you, 1Password is probably a better choice.
On the surface, all password managers essentially generate and store passwords. As I evaluated providers, I dug deeper, comparing software on what matters most, including price, platform compatibility, security, and other factors.
I signed up for a plan with each provider to test:
Learn more about our review methodology.
About the Password Manager, Gunnar Kallstrom:
Kallstrom is a Cyber Team Lead for a Department of Defense (DOD) contracting company in Huntsville, Alabama, and has also worked as a computer network defense (CND) Cyber Analyst. An author and content creator for a cybersecurity academy, Kallstrom spent nearly 15 years in the Army as a musician before entering the cybersecurity field.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Thomas Edison State University and a master’s in organizational development and leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word.
Kallstrom has completed several Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) courses, including Security+, Network+, A+ Core 1, and A+ Core 2. He earned a CompTIA Security+ Certification. Additionally, he has completed the Cyber Warrior Academy program with more than 800 hours of hands-on, intensive, and lab-driven technical training in cybersecurity methods and procedures.
Passionate about all things cyber, Kallstrom was a speaker on a panel at the 2022 InfoSec World conference, giving a talk entitled “Hacking into a Cyber Career – True Stories.” Kallstrom is also a mentor to entry-level cybersecurity candidates seeking to break into the field. When he’s not working, he still enjoys playing guitar and fishing (not phishing).