Password managers · verified 2026-07
1Password vs Bitwarden
The polished password manager, growing into enterprise access management
Open-source passwords: a real free tier and the lowest paid price
Polish versus principles: 1Password's best-in-class apps and enterprise ambitions against Bitwarden's open source, real free tier and unbeatable price. Both had controversial 2026 price increases — the gap between them stayed exactly as wide.
Round-by-round scorecard
3 – 3
- Round 1 — PriceBitwarden takes it
Bitwarden Premium is $19.80/year vs 1Password's $47.88 after both tools' 2026 increases — a 2.4× gap that repeats on family plans.
- Round 2 — Free tierBitwarden takes it
Bitwarden's free plan has unlimited passwords on unlimited devices; 1Password offers only a 14-day trial.
- Round 3 — Polish & ease of use1Password takes it
1Password's apps, autofill and onboarding are consistently rated the smoothest in the category — the pick for non-technical households.
- Round 4 — Trust modelBitwarden takes it
Bitwarden is open source, independently audited and self-hostable; 1Password is closed-source and cloud-only.
- Round 5 — Security extras1Password takes it
The Secret Key dual-encryption model and Travel Mode (hiding vaults at border crossings) have no Bitwarden equivalent — and offline vaults stay fully editable.
- Round 6 — Business platform1Password takes it
1Password's Extended Access Management (device trust, shadow-IT governance) goes far beyond Bitwarden's password-manager lane.
Pricing, side by side
Per user/month in USD. Prices checked July 2026.
1Password
No free tier — 14-day trial on all plans.
| Plan | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Individual$47.88/yr after the March 2026 increase | $3.99 | — |
| Families5 members, $71.88/yr post-increase | $5.99 | — |
| Teams StarterFlat, up to 10 members | — | $24.95 |
| BusinessPer user | $8.99 | — |
Bitwarden
Free: unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, all platforms, sharing with 1 other user. No TOTP or attachments.
| Plan | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free |
| Premium$19.80/year (annual only) — after the Jan 2026 increase | $1.65 | — |
| Families6 users, $47.88/yr | $3.99 | — |
| EnterprisePer user; SSO, self-host | $6 | — |
Where each one wins — and hurts
1Password
- Best-in-class UX and autofill polish — the default recommendation for non-technical households
- Secret Key dual-encryption model plus Travel Mode (hides vaults at border crossings)
- Full offline vault access with editing — stronger offline story than Bitwarden's read-only mode
- Enterprise trajectory: device trust (Kolide) and shadow-IT governance (Trelica) in one platform
- No free tier, and now the priciest mainstream option after the March 2026 increase (+33%)
- Closed source with no self-hosting — you must trust 1Password's cloud
- The 2026 price hike triggered visible backlash and 'switch to Apple Passwords' commentary
Bitwarden
- Open source and independently audited, with optional full self-hosting — a unique trust story
- The only mainstream free tier with no device or password caps
- Cheapest paid tier in the category even after doubling: $19.80/yr vs 1Password's $47.88
- Jan 2026 Premium upgrades: vault health alerts, phishing blocker, 5 GB storage
- Utilitarian UI and occasionally less reliable autofill than 1Password, per most 2025-26 reviews
- The Jan 2026 price rise (~2× from $9.99/yr) was poorly communicated and dented its value halo
- Offline access is read-only — you can't edit your vault without a connection
The decision
Choose 1Password if…
You want the smoothest experience for a family or a company and you'll pay for it. 1Password's polish reduces the real security risk that matters most: people bypassing the password manager because it's annoying.
Try 1PasswordChoose Bitwarden if…
You value open source, want a genuinely free option, or refuse to pay $48/year for what $20 does. Bitwarden covers 95% of what most people need — and it's the only one you can host yourself.
Try BitwardenHow we make money: some outbound links on this page may be affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you sign up — at no cost to you. Commissions never decide a round or a verdict; our scoring method is documented in the methodology.
Frequently asked
›Is Bitwarden's free plan enough?
For most individuals, yes: unlimited passwords, unlimited devices, all platforms, and sharing with one other person. You give up the integrated authenticator (TOTP), file attachments and emergency access — the main reasons people pay the $19.80/year for Premium.
›Why did both get more expensive in 2026?
Bitwarden roughly doubled Premium in January 2026 ($9.99 → $19.80/year, its first increase in a decade); 1Password raised Individual ~33% ($35.88 → $47.88/year) effective March 2026. Both hikes drew backlash — and the relative price gap between them stayed about the same.
›Which is more secure?
Both use strong zero-knowledge encryption and publish independent audits. 1Password adds the Secret Key (a second factor baked into encryption), while Bitwarden's open-source code is publicly auditable and self-hostable. Security researchers find both robust; the honest answer is that either beats reusing passwords by a thousand miles.
›Can I switch between them?
Easily — both import each other's exports (CSV/1pux/JSON) in minutes. Passkeys generally don't transfer and need re-registering, so switch before accumulating dozens of them.
Sources
- https://1password.com/pricing
- https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/24/1password-march-price-increase/
- https://1password.com/blog/1password-acquires-trelica
- https://bitwarden.com/pricing/
- https://bitwarden.com/resources/january-2026-spotlight-enhanced-premium-plan/
- https://www.fastcompany.com/91483458/bitwarden-price-increase
Facts verified against both vendors' own pricing pages plus secondary sources. Spotted something stale? Tell us and we'll fix it.