Bitwarden
A password manager with an open-source core and a generous free tier.
Instead of Google Password Manager, Microsoft Authenticator
Screenshot from bitwarden.com, taken 2026-10-23, shown to help you recognise the tool. It belongs to its maker. Ask us to remove it.
Bitwarden stores passwords well, works on every major platform and browser, and lets you export your whole vault or host it yourself, so leaving is easy. The core apps are GPL and the server is AGPL. It is free, with a premium plan for about $10 a year.
Bitwarden scores a 5 on lock-in and delivery, a 4 on footprint, self-direction and longevity and a 3 on power.
Power is a 3 because the company has been steadily moving toward an open-core model. In October 2026 it announced that the versions in the app stores will be its commercially licensed builds, while the GPL code stays on GitHub. That follows a 2024 scare over a restrictive build licence, which the company fixed after pushback.
We will re-score if anything else changes.
- Open-source core with a generous free tier
- Export your whole vault or host it yourself
- Moving toward an open-core model, so we may re-score it
What stands out
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For comparison, we also reviewed Google Password Manager (16/30) as a benchmark.
Other tools for “keep my passwords safe”
KeePassXCA password manager that keeps one encrypted file on your own computer.- passThe standard Unix password manager: each password is an encrypted file.
- KeePassDXA KeePass password vault for Android, stored in a file you own.
Proton PassAn end-to-end encrypted password manager with a free plan, from the makers of Proton Mail.