Software · head to head
LastPass vs Bitwarden
The short version
- Each has a real cost: LastPass free plan limited to 1 device type only; 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
- They diverge on capability: LastPass covers Password vault, Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which LastPass and Bitwarden actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 LastPass
- Password vault
- Autofill
- Security dashboard
- Dark web monitoring
- Secure notes
- Digital wallet
- Chrome
- Firefox
Only in Bitwarden
- Unlimited password storage
- Cross-platform sync
- Secure password sharing
- Two-factor authentication
- Encrypted file attachments
- Vault health reports
- Active Directory
- Azure AD
Both cover
- Password generator
- Emergency access
- AES-256
- PBKDF2
- Zero-knowledge
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
LastPass
- Password management and vault storagenot Bitwarden
- Multi-device access and autofillnot Bitwarden
- Dark web monitoring and security dashboardnot Bitwarden
- Team collaboration with shared folders and policiesnot Bitwarden
Bitwarden
- Personal password managementnot LastPass
- Team credential sharingnot LastPass
- Enterprise securitynot LastPass
- Compliance requirementsnot LastPass
- Developer secrets managementnot LastPass
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
LastPass
- Free plan limited to 1 device type only
- Premium plan costs ~$3/month annually (30% discount applied)
- Business Teams plan limited to up to 50 users maximum
- Teams plan offers only 25 security policies
- Business plan pricing ~$4/user/month
- Business Max plan costs ~$7/user/month for advanced features
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
Pricing, plan by plan
LastPass
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the LastPass review.
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
Which should you pick?
Choose LastPass if
- You need password vault.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
- You also want autofill.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is LastPass or Bitwarden better?
- Neither clearly leads. LastPass starts at Free and Bitwarden at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, LastPass or Bitwarden?
- LastPass starts at Free and Bitwarden at Free.
- Does LastPass or Bitwarden run on more platforms?
- LastPass runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Bitwarden runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli.
- Can I use LastPass for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is LastPass best used for?
- LastPass is most often used for password management and vault storage, multi-device access and autofill, dark web monitoring and security dashboard, team collaboration with shared folders and policies. Of those, password management and vault storage and multi-device access and autofill are not what Bitwarden is typically brought in for.
- What can LastPass do that Bitwarden cannot?
- LastPass covers Password vault, Autofill, Security dashboard, Dark web monitoring. Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Cross-platform sync, Secure password sharing, Two-factor authentication. Both handle Password generator, Emergency access, AES-256, PBKDF2.