Bitwarden

A password manager with open code and a free tier.

Replaces1Password

LicenseAGPL-3.0 and Bitwarden License (mixed)

GitHub stars20.3k

Last code update12 October 2026

SetupBeginner about 5 minOur estimate

Paid version costs about$4.99/mo1Password Individual, monthly billing

Per year~$59.88

New to this? What open source means and how to read this page.

What it is

A password manager with a free personal plan, apps on every platform and an option to self-host the server.

Good for

Anyone who wants a password manager that is audited in the open and costs little or nothing.

The catch

The licensing is mixed: parts are open source, some features sit under a separate Bitwarden license. Premium features are a paid add-on, so the real saving is smaller than the price tag suggests.

Bitwarden versus 1Password

Bitwarden1Password

PriceFreeca. $4.99/mo1Password Individual, monthly billing

LicenseAGPL-3.0 and Bitwarden License (mixed)Commercial license

Source codePartly public, partly under a different licenseNot public

SetupBeginner, about 5 minSign up and pay

Where it runsOn your own computerThe vendor's app or service, under their terms

The paid product's own plans and terms change. Check its site before you decide.

Install it with an AI assistant

Paste this into Claude, ChatGPT or another assistant that can work on your computer (Claude Code or Claude Desktop, for example). It is written from the project's official repository and tells the assistant to show you every command first. Setup time is our estimate: about 5 min.

I want to install and try Bitwarden on my own computer.

Official repository: https://github.com/bitwarden/server
Official site: https://bitwarden.com
License: AGPL-3.0 and Bitwarden License (mixed)

Before you do anything:
1. Read the README and install notes in the official repository above, and nothing else. Do not follow third-party tutorials or mirrors.
2. Tell me in plain words what will be installed, what it needs (operating system, memory, graphics card, disk space, accounts) and what it will cost me, if anything.
3. Check my computer against those needs and tell me honestly if it will not work well.

Install it as a regular desktop app: download the latest release for my operating system from the official releases page or the official site, install it, and open it with me.

Rules:
- Show me each command before you run it, and say what it does.
- Ask before anything that deletes files, changes system settings, opens a network port or needs an administrator password.
- Never put my passwords or keys on a command line, or in a file I did not choose.
- When it is installed, help me check it with one small test, and tell me how to start and stop it.
- If something goes wrong, explain it in plain words and do not guess your way around it.

Good to know before you start: The licensing is mixed: parts are open source, some features sit under a separate Bitwarden license. Premium features are a paid add-on, so the real saving is smaller than the price tag suggests.

We have not run this prompt ourselves yet. Read what the assistant plans to do before you say yes.

Official site Source code

Facts checked on 12 October 2026. We have not yet run a hands-on test of this tool. When we do, it gets a "Tested" mark here. Approximate US list prices for an individual plan, from third-party price trackers checked on 12 Oct 2026. Monthly billing where it exists. Regions, taxes and promotions change them. Confirm at the vendor before you decide.