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Cybersecurity · head to head

Bitwarden vs Ory

Bitwarden logo

Bitwarden

Cybersecurity

Open source password management for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ory logo

Ory

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity, authentication, and permissions infrastructure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Ory production and Growth plans are billed annually ($770/year and $9,350/year), which is a larger upfront commitment than monthly-only competitors.
  • They diverge on capability: Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Ory covers Authentication APIs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bitwarden and Ory actually diverge.

Attributes where Bitwarden and Ory differ
AttributeBitwardenOry
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cliweb, api
Founded2016Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 Ory

  • Authentication APIs
  • Permissions engine
  • Machine-to-machine tokens
  • B2B organizations
  • SAML SSO
  • Multi-region deployments

What people use each for

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

Bitwarden

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

Ory

  • Adding self-hosted or cloud identity to a new productnot Bitwarden
  • Implementing fine-grained permission checksnot Bitwarden
  • Supporting B2B organizations and multi-tenancynot Bitwarden
  • Building machine-to-machine authentication for microservicesnot 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

Ory

  • Production and Growth plans are billed annually ($770/year and $9,350/year), which is a larger upfront commitment than monthly-only competitors.
  • SAML SSO and multi-region deployments are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise tier.
  • Usage-based pricing across aDAU, M2M tokens, and permission checks makes cost estimation more complex than flat per-MAU billing.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bitwarden

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic password management
    • Zero-knowledge encryption
    • Advanced two-step login
  • Premium$1.65/month
    • Integrated authenticator
    • File attachments
    • Emergency access
  • Premium$19.8/year
  • Families$3.99/month
    • Up to 6 premium accounts
    • Unlimited sharing and collections
    • Organization storage included

Ory

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Community support
    • No production environments
  • Production$64/month
    • $21 monthly credit included
    • 1 production environment
    • 3 staging environments
  • Growth$779/month
    • $255 monthly credit included
    • 2 production environments
    • B2B organizations (max 3)

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 Ory if

  • You need authentication apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want permissions engine.
Ory review

Questions people ask

Is Bitwarden or Ory better?
Neither clearly leads. Bitwarden starts at Free and Ory at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bitwarden or Ory?
Bitwarden starts at Free and Ory at Free.
Does Bitwarden or Ory run on more platforms?
Bitwarden runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli. Ory runs on web, api.
Can I use Bitwarden for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Ory is typically brought in for.
What can Bitwarden do that Ory cannot?
Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Cross-platform sync, Secure password sharing, Password generator. Ory covers Authentication APIs, Permissions engine, Machine-to-machine tokens, B2B organizations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bitwarden: Does Bitwarden have a free plan?

Yes, Bitwarden offers a free tier with basic password management, zero-knowledge encryption, advanced two-step login, and unlimited devices across browser, mobile, and desktop apps.

Source
Ory: What does Ory cost?

Ory has a free Developer tier, a Production plan at $770/year including a $21 monthly credit, a Growth plan at $9,350/year including a $255 monthly credit, and custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
Bitwarden: How much does Bitwarden Premium cost?

Bitwarden Premium costs $1.65 per month billed annually at $19.80 per year, including integrated authenticator, file attachments, emergency access, and security reports.

Source
Ory: How is usage metered?

Beyond the included credit, Ory charges per average daily active user (aDAU), per machine-to-machine token, and per permission check, with lower per-unit rates on the Growth plan.

Source
Bitwarden: What is the difference between Bitwarden Teams and Enterprise?

Teams plan at $4 per user per month (annual billing) includes centralized ownership and secure credential sharing. Enterprise at $6 per user per month adds granular access control, passwordless SSO, account recovery, self-hosting, and complimentary Families plans for all users.

Source
Ory: What payment methods are supported?

Ory accepts credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) and bank transfer, processed via Stripe.

Source
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