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Bitwarden vs Kudos

Bitwarden logo

Bitwarden

All industries

Open source password management for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kudos logo

Kudos

HR & Recruiting

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bitwarden has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bitwarden the integrated TOTP authenticator, encrypted file attachments, vault health reports and Emergency Access are all withheld from the free plan and need Premium at $1.65 per month; Kudos kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)
  • They diverge on capability: Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bitwarden and Kudos actually diverge.

Attributes where Bitwarden and Kudos differ
AttributeBitwardenKudos
Starting priceFree$5/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, CliWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryAll industriesHR & Recruiting
Founded20162010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bitwarden

  • Unlimited password storage
  • Cross-platform sync
  • Secure password sharing
  • Password generator
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Encrypted file attachments
  • Vault health reports
  • Emergency access

Only in Kudos

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Manager recognition
  • Social recognition wall
  • Points & rewards
  • Awards & nominations
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Company values alignment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bitwarden

  • Personal password managementnot Kudos
  • Team credential sharingnot Kudos
  • Enterprise securitynot Kudos
  • Compliance requirementsnot Kudos
  • Developer secrets managementnot Kudos

Kudos

  • Employee recognitionnot Bitwarden
  • Culture buildingnot Bitwarden
  • Employee engagementnot Bitwarden
  • Retention improvementnot Bitwarden
  • Values reinforcementnot Bitwarden

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bitwarden

  • The integrated TOTP authenticator, encrypted file attachments, vault health reports and Emergency Access are all withheld from the free plan and need Premium at $1.65 per month
  • Free accounts can share vault items with one other Bitwarden user and no more
  • File storage is capped at 5 GB on Premium and 5 GB personal plus 5 GB family on the Families plan
  • Two-step login accepts up to 10 hardware security keys per account
  • The Families plan is capped at 6 people, so a seventh member means moving to a Teams subscription at $4 per user per month

Kudos

  • Kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)

Pricing, plan by plan

Bitwarden

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited passwords
    • 2 users (organizations)
    • Sync all devices
  • Teams$3/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Unlimited users
    • Shared collections
  • Enterprise$6/month
    • Everything in Teams
    • SSO integration
    • Enterprise policies

Kudos

$5/month
  • Plus$5/month
    • Peer recognition
    • Social recognition wall
    • Points system
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Awards & nominations
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Bitwarden if

  • You need unlimited password storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli.
  • You also want cross-platform sync.
Bitwarden review

Choose Kudos if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want manager recognition.
Kudos review

Questions people ask

Is Bitwarden or Kudos better?
Neither clearly leads. Bitwarden starts at Free and Kudos at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bitwarden or Kudos?
Bitwarden has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bitwarden and $5/month for Kudos.
Does Bitwarden or Kudos run on more platforms?
Bitwarden runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli. Kudos runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Bitwarden for free?
Yes. Bitwarden has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kudos starts at $5/month.
What is Bitwarden best used for?
Bitwarden is most often used for personal password management, team credential sharing, enterprise security, compliance requirements. Of those, personal password management and team credential sharing are not what Kudos is typically brought in for.
What can Bitwarden do that Kudos cannot?
Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Cross-platform sync, Secure password sharing, Password generator. Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards.
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