Bitwarden vs 1Password: free and plain against paid and polished

Use Bitwarden unless you specifically want 1Password's Secret Key. The free plan covers unlimited passwords and devices, and Premium costs $19.80 a year (Bitwarden pricing, checked Nov 1, 2026).

1Password's pricing page lists a 14-day free trial and no permanent free plan.

The price, with the promo stripped out

1Password Individual shows $2.99 a month on annual billing. That's the promo, and it applies to new customers for their first 12 months. After that the list price is $3.99 a month, or $47.88 a year.

Bitwarden Premium works out to $1.65 a month, billed as $19.80 once a year. I didn't see a month-to-month option on its page. Pay up front or stay free.

Families narrows nothing. Bitwarden Families covers 6 users for $47.88 a year. 1Password Families covers 5 users at $4.49 a month on the promo and $5.99 at list, which is $71.88 a year. Bitwarden's whole household plan costs what 1Password charges one adult at list.

What the free plan actually does

Bitwarden's free tier has unlimited passwords and unlimited devices, and you can share with one other user. Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and web. A browser extension and a phone app are enough for plenty of people, and it costs nothing.

1Password's page lists apps for macOS, iOS, watchOS, Windows, Android and Linux, plus browser extensions. There's no free tier to sit on if you stop paying.

Security claims you can check

Bitwarden's help page lists 2025 third-party audits by Cure53, ETH Zurich, Unit 42 and Fracture Labs. It also states SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA compliance. Those are its own claims on its own page, so treat them as a reading list for the reports.

1Password's security page says it publishes independent audit results and is SOC 2 Type 2 certified. It names no auditors or years on the page read for this check.

The real difference is the Secret Key. A 1Password account is protected by your password plus a 128-bit Secret Key. That is a second secret on top of the password. Bitwarden relies on your master password and whatever second factor you add.

Polish

Polish is a matter of taste. A spec sheet can't rank interfaces, and this site hasn't used either app, so that edge gets no score here.

Buying for a household? Start at best password manager for families. Longer takes: the Bitwarden review and the 1Password review. Each product has a catalog page: Bitwarden, 1Password.