Bitwarden vs LastPass (2023): Which password manager is better for you?

If you’re like most people, you may become overwhelmed by the number of passwords that you’ve created and need to use in your everyday life. Particularly in a professional setting, password requirements for different business applications and platforms might mean you’re keeping track of dozens of different credentials at a time.

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Many people write down their passwords or store them in a simple online file, but these methods are prone to major security problems and data loss. A better alternative is using password managers that store and organize your credentials with security in mind. Password managers like Bitwarden and LastPass make password management easier.

Jump to:

• Bitwarden vs LastPass: At a glance
• Bitwarden vs LastPass: Feature comparison
• Bitwarden pros & cons
• LastPass pros & cons
• Head-to-head comparison: Bitwarden vs LastPass
• How to choose between Bitwarden and LastPass
• Leading Password Manager Solutions

Bitwarden vs LastPass: At a glance

Bitwarden is an open source password manager for personal, business and team use that stores credentials in a secure vault. People using it can also store other types of sensitive information and securely transmit it to others.

LastPass delivers convenient password and identity management solutions, offering its users enhanced privacy and security. Tools from LastPass can specifically autofill credentials, helping people gain access faster.

It is worth noting that LastPass recently disclosed that a threat actor obtained access to a third-party cloud-based storage service they use to store archived backups of their production data. However, LastPass insists that no customer data was accessed, even though the threat actor copied a backup of customer vault data.

Now, let’s take a closer look at how Bitwarden’s and LastPass’s features compare.

Bitwarden vs LastPass: Feature comparison

Bitwarden pros & cons

These are the most important pros and cons to consider when reviewing Bitwarden:

Pros

• Impressive free tier for a password manager.
• Premium plans are more affordable than many competitors.
• Open source format makes it highly secure and customizable.
• Consistent design across different operating system platforms.

Cons

• Less user-friendly compared to similar password managers, particularly for importing, sharing and syncing passwords.
• Password sharing with more than five users necessitates an upgrade to a Business plan.

Bitwarden pricing

Bitwarden approaches pricing through Business and Personal tiered packages. Business options are available in two plans: Teams Organization, which costs $3 per user per month, and Enterprise Organization, which is billed at $5 per user per month. Both of these plans offer a free trial and are based on an annual subscription.

The Personal plan has three tiers. The impressive Free tier remains free forever. The Premium tier costs less than $1 per month and is billed at $10 annually. Finally, the Families tier costs $3.33 per month, accommodates up to six users and is billed at $40 annually.

Bitwarden is best for: Cost-effectiveness and open source password management

Bitwarden delivers a secure open source password manager with lots of additional features at a reasonable price in comparison to its alternatives. It proves to be an inexpensive option for tech-savvy users as well as users seeking an affordable password management solution.

Want to learn more about Bitwarden? Compare it to another leading solution here: Bitwarden vs 1Password: Password manager comparison.

LastPass pros & cons

These are the most important pros and cons to consider when reviewing LastPass:

Pros

• Pleasant and intuitive user interface.
• Vault tour feature makes LastPass more accessible to users.
• Multi-factor authentication for subscribed users and two-factor authentication for the free version.
• Zero-knowledge policy to deliver complete privacy.
• A great password generator that enables users to generate effective passwords in a handful of clicks.

Cons

• The free plan only stores passwords for sites.
• Only users subscribed to the premium plan can enjoy the emergency access feature.

LastPass pricing

LastPass has two different plan groups to choose from: the Single Users & Families group and the Business group. The Single Users & Families option offers three plans. The Free plan is free and includes a 30-day trial of the Premium plan. The second plan, Premium, is $3 per month and is billed annually. Finally, there is the Families plan, which costs $4 per month and is also billed annually. Both paid plans offer a 30-day free trial.

As for the Business group, LastPass offers Teams and Business plans. The Teams plan is billed annually at $4 per user per month while the Business plan is billed annually at $6 per user per month. Teams and Business plans both offer a 14-day free trial.

LastPass is best for: Managing shared credentials

LastPass offers plans that not only cater to businesses and teams but also to families. This makes the product a top choice for users with shared credentials. One of the most popular use cases of LastPass is the management of shared passwords across multiple departments.

Want to learn more about LastPass? Compare it to another leading solution here: Keeper vs LastPass: Which password manager is better for your business?

Head-to-head comparison: Bitwarden vs LastPass

Password storage and usage

Bitwarden helps people generate, store and secure their passwords from any location or device. If a user has a business account, they can specify which teams or people have certain passwords, keeping productivity high without unnecessary obstacles. Bitwarden also supports several two-step login methods. These make it harder for hackers to get and use passwords. The company uses end-to-end encryption, so even its employees can’t see stored content.

LastPass has a built-in password generator to make it easier for people to set passwords hackers won’t crack. The solution offers single sign-on and multifactor authentication options for added security. The company also recently announced a passwordless login feature, showing it’s moving toward the password-free future many people envision. Finally, users also have the ability to share their passwords with a trusted person.

Vault management

In addition to storing passwords, users can put identity and payment details, as well as freeform text notes, into the Bitwarden vault. The solution offers a search field and filter to facilitate finding a particular piece of stored information faster. The Vault Health and Data Breach reports let people see if their vaults include any vulnerabilities that could help cybercriminals gain access. The star icon next to vault entries allows users to favorite information to make it more accessible later.

The LastPass vault works similarly to Bitwarden’s in that it can store other sensitive content besides passwords, and users can favorite the items they want to access more quickly later. LastPass vault users can also launch websites directly from within its interface. Alternatively,  they can use the LastPass browser extension to automatically capture new passwords they create and put them into the vault. The LastPass vault has an unlimited capacity. However, LastPass indicates people should expect performance decreases when maintaining more than 2,000 items.

User-friendliness

Users consistently report that Bitwarden is easy to use and install, whether on your phone or a computer. When creating new passwords, there’s the option to add brief notes about them or move them to a subfolder, both of which can assist with improved organization. The Bitwarden Send feature provides a secure and simple method of giving information to someone else; it works even if the recipient is not a Bitwarden user.

LastPass is also user-friendly, especially for users who are transitioning from a competitor’s password manager. It can import details from dozens of other password managers. Additionally, users who subscribe to a LastPass Family plan can put their passwords into shareable folders, making them accessible to other users who need the credentials while still maintaining password security.

How to choose between Bitwarden vs LastPass

Bitwarden and LastPass each offer a variety of user-centric features that make them intuitive tools for password security, sharing and management. Since they have similar features, take the time to learn about some of the minor differences before committing to one. Alternatively, use the free versions of both for long enough to see which you prefer.

At a glance, Bitwarden might be the better option for more technical users who want the customizability of an open source platform. Alternatively, LastPass may be a better choice for a growing user group that needs quick and secure password sharing capabilities.

Most people who use either Bitwarden or LastPass find them simple to learn and employ, even without extensive technical knowledge. If you do run into an issue, there are comprehensive support sections available on each of the companies’ websites, and there’s the option to get more personalized help when needed.

Leading Password Manager Solutions

Bitwarden and LastPass are both excellent password managers, but they might not be the right fit for your organization or personal use. To further compare your options, consider these other leading password manager solutions:

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