Bitwarden review 2025

Bitwarden doesn’t try to be flashy, and that’s kind of the point. It focuses on doing the essentials right: storing your passwords, syncing them across devices, and keeping them locked down with strong encryption. It’s open-source, which means anyone can inspect how it works – a big plus if you're into transparency.

On the other hand, Bitwarden isn’t perfect. It’s missing some of the more advanced features you’ll find in other password managers, and the storage can feel a bit tight if you’ve got a lot to save. That might make it less of a fit compared to some of the bigger players out there.

But how safe is it really? And can it stand up against the more premium options? In this review, I’ll break down what it’s like to use Bitwarden. I analyze its security, features, pricing, and all the important stuff, so you know exactly what you’re getting.

So, how secure is Bitwarden? Can it be a valid replacement for some of the best password managers out there? In this Bitwarden review, I’ll provide a first-hand experience summary of Bitwarden's features, security, usability, pricing, and more so you get all the answers you’re looking for.

Bitwarden review – at a glance

Encryption:	AES-256
Zero-knowledge architecture:	✅ Yes
Third-party audits:	✅ Independently audited
MFA:	✅ Yes
Account-recovery option:	✅ Yes
Secure password sharing:	✅ Yes
Autofill:	✅ Yes
Data leak scanning:	✅ Yes
Password limits:	✅ None
Compatible with:	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
Supported browser extensions:	Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari, Vivaldi, Brave, Tor, DuckDuckGo
Free version:	✅ Available
Coupon codes:	Cybernews Password Manager Coupons

Our opinion about Bitwarden

Bitwarden is a solid open-source password manager. It offers free and premium plans and protects your passwords with strong encryption. It also provides essential features such as password generator, auto-fill, and 2FA. However, it also has some areas for improvement since it doesn't offer auto-backups, and its storage is limited, making it less ideal than other top-tier providers.

Is Bitwarden safe?

Bitwarden prioritizes user security and privacy by implementing robust measures. It utilizes 256-bit AES encryption to safeguard your data before it ever leaves your device. All sensitive information is securely stored in a password vault that only you can access, ensuring that not even Bitwarden's team can view your secured data. Additionally, Bitwarden enhances security through various two-factor authentication options.

Visit Bitwarden

Bitwarden employs AES-CBC 256-bit encryption and uses PBKDF2 SHA-256 or Argon2 functions to ensure your data is encrypted before it leaves your device. Its zero-knowledge architecture means only you can access your passwords, and it supports unlimited devices with unlimited password storage.

Key features include various authentication methods such as email address authentication, and for Premium users, options like YubiKey. Quick access is enabled via Face ID or Touch ID, allowing you to enter your vault without repeatedly typing your master password. Additionally, Bitwarden offers a Vault Health Report to help monitor the security of your stored data.

Bitwarden has undergone multiple third-party security audits by Cure53, with the most recent audit in 2023. These audits checked Bitwarden's security measures and practices, confirming its strong encryption methods and dedication to user safety. Cure53's reports have consistently praised Bitwarden's proactive approach to fixing vulnerabilities and ensuring a secure environment for its users.

However, Bitwarden has drawbacks, such as lacking automatic backups and vulnerabilities in its auto-filling feature. Located in the U.S., part of the 14-Eyes alliance, it may pose privacy concerns. A March 2023 report by FlashPoint highlighted potential risks with Bitwarden’s auto-filling feature that could allow credential theft through malicious iframes. Despite being aware of this issue, it’s unclear if it has been fully resolved. To mitigate risks, auto-fill is disabled by default.

Bitwarden plans and pricing

Bitwarden has flexible pricing options, including a free-forever plan, a premium plan, family, and business subscriptions. So you can enjoy the basics for free or opt for more advanced features and more licenses.

Here’s how the plans stack up against each other:

Features	Free account	Premium account	Families	Teams
Price	Free	$0.83/month	$3.33/month	$4.00/month per user
Number of licenses	1	1	6	Unlimited
Unlimited passwords	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes
Unlimited devices	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes
Two-factor-authentication	Email, authentication app	Email, authentication app, YubiKey, FIDO2, Duo	Email, authentication app, YubiKey, FIDO2, Duo	Email, authentication app, YubiKey, FIDO2, Duo
Bitwarden Authenticator (TOTP)	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes
Encrypted file attachments	❌No	1GB for personal items	1GB for each – professional and personal items	1GB for each – professional and personal items
Emergency access	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes
Organizations (shared vaults)	2 users, 2 collections	2 users, 2 collections	6 users, unlimited collections	Unlimited
Priority support	❌No	✅Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes

Let’s review each plan in more detail, as every subscription might suit different needs and has different resources:

The Bitwarden Free plan offers basic password management tools like a password generator, auto-filling, and syncing passwords across multiple devices—a notable feature for a free plan. Unlike many free password managers that restrict sync to a single device, Bitwarden stands out by allowing multi-device sync at no cost.

At just $0.83/month, the Bitwarden Premium plan is ideal for users who need to share passwords securely and want additional features such as the Bitwarden Authenticator, file attachments, emergency access, and security reports. It provides significant value by enhancing the basic offerings with more sophisticated security tools.

For families, the Bitwarden Families plan costs $3.33/month and supports password management for the entire family. While offering all the benefits of the Premium plan, it allows for collective management but provides only 1GB of encrypted storage, which may be less than some competitors.

Priced at $4.00/month per user, the Bitwarden Teams plan is tailored for business use, offering all Premium features plus unlimited sharing through collections, API access, event and audit logs, and the ability to organize users by groups. It is designed to facilitate secure and efficient password management across a business team.

While Bitwarden offers competitive pricing across its plans, its features, although extensive, may not match the more advanced security measures and conveniences provided by some higher-priced competitors, particularly in business-focused plans.

Subscription and refund policy

All Bitwarden annual subscription plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee. Besides, Family and Teams plans also have a 7-day free trial.

If you want to cancel your subscription, it’s best to do this before the 30-day period ends so that you can claim a refund. If you’ve already had a subscription for longer, you can cancel it and the subscription will end at the end of your billing period. However, you won’t be able to claim a refund.

How does Bitwarden works?

Setting up Bitwarden is straightforward. After downloading the application and creating an account, you simply establish a master password and import the passwords you want stored in the Bitwarden vault.

A critical point with Bitwarden is that losing your master password means losing access to your password vault. So it's crucial to choose a strong, secure master password. Fortunately, Bitwarden offers options for master password recovery.

You can set up recovery methods such as email recovery, a password hint, or a one-time password recovery. It's advisable to configure these recovery options right after you create your account to ensure you can regain access if needed.

Once your account is active, Bitwarden encourages installing a browser extension compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and other popular browsers. If you already have passwords saved in these browsers, Bitwarden makes it easy to import them.

Impressively, Bitwarden also supports importing passwords from other password managers, such as LastPass and 1Password, making the transition smooth and user-friendly.

Bitwarden features overview

Bitwarden employs a robust security architecture to safeguard your sensitive data. Bitwarden's multi-layered approach includes encryption used by banks and governmental institutions worldwide, two-factor authentication, and regular security audits to ensure your passwords remain impenetrable. These audits demonstrate Bitwarden's dedication to maintaining the highest security standards.

Also, Bitwarden implements a zero-knowledge architecture. This means Bitwarden's servers don’t store your master password or any unencrypted data. Your passwords are first encrypted in your device and only then sent to Bitwarden’s cloud servers, so only you’re able to unlock them.

Let's overview all the features that Bitwarden offers:

Feature	Function
Password generator	It generates secure passwords based on your preferences. You can choose the length and characters that go into your passwords
Passkeys	Passwordless authentication technology that offers several advantages over traditional password
Auto-fill	This feature automatically fills in the login credentials you’ve saved into the specific websites
Password sharing	This feature can help securely share your login credentials
Bitwarden Send	Bitwarden Send allows you to share encrypted messages or files with other users
2FA	This code acts as an additional verification step, ensuring that only you can access your vault
Biometric authentication	You can enable biometric authentication, such as Face ID or Touch ID, to log in quicker
Emergency access	It is used to access your account in case of unfortunate events or if you lose your master password
Fingerprint phrases	It is used to securely verify new users that you share passwords with using a 5-word phrase
Vault health and security breach reports	Reports show the latest data regarding password health, insecure websites, and data breaches

I liked the fact that all the essentials that should be included in a password manager are there. Either way, for this Bitwarden review, I went through all the most essential features in-depth to find out their purpose, functionality, and more. Continue reading to find all the highlighted features:

Password generator, passkeys, and auto-fill

Bitwarden password generator allows you to generate not only passwords but usernames as well. I found it convenient to hop straight into the password generator while adding new login details to Bitwarden.

However, there was no option to use the password generator straight on a website’s registration fields – you have to open the browser extension for that.

The upside is that with this password manager, you’re given a lot of options to optimize your credentials. You can check whether it should or shouldn’t include upper case/lower case letters, numbers, or special characters.

Bitwarden provides extensive customization options for generating credentials, including settings for uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, special characters, and even the length of the password or username. These features ensure the creation of robust, secure passwords that are easy to manage without needing to remember each one.

Additionally, Bitwarden offers a unique feature that allows you to view the password history for any login item, displaying the last five used passwords in plain text, which is useful but requires privacy caution.

Recently, Bitwarden has added support for passkeys to enable passwordless logins, using a second device to authenticate instead of a traditional password. This is secured with zero-knowledge encryption and two-step login processes.

Bitwarden also facilitates auto-filling across devices, though it's important to note that its auto-fill feature is disabled by default due to security concerns identified in research, which suggests that it could be exploited by malicious iframes to steal credentials.

Despite these advanced features, the auto-fill functionality in Bitwarden can be less convenient compared to other password managers.

Security aside, I also found that auto-filling with Bitwarden is rather inconvenient. When I tried it, it didn’t suggest filling in your login credentials straight into the login page. Instead, I had to open Bitwarden’s extension and choose credentials for the specific website. Other password managers, like NordPass or 1Password, offer auto-filling straight on the site – all you need to do is click one icon.

Password sharing and Bitwarden Send

Bitwarden allows password sharing on its Premium and Family plans. If you often share login credentials with someone, using a password manager to do it securely is the way to go. However, it’s pretty difficult to understand how to create new collections or organizations. I find other password managers like NordPass offer simpler and more convenient ways to share credentials.

There’s also another option to share credentials called Send.

The Bitwarden’s Send feature lets you share encrypted data with another person. The data sent is end-to-end encrypted and no one, including Bitwarden, can see the contents of it. You can share a file or a text via Send Link.

What I really like is that the recipients don’t have to be Bitwarden users. They can even use other password managers. That being said, you get only 1GB of encrypted data for sharing files. I prefer other password managers, like NordPass, which offers 3GB of encrypted storage, or Keeper, which gives you a total of 5 GB.

There are several useful security parameters that Bitwarden Send comes with:

• Deletion date – shows when your Send data is permanently deleted
• Expiration date – shows when the Send Link is no longer active
• Maximum access count – users won’t have access anymore once the count is reached
• Optional password for the Send link
• Disable option – remove the ability to access the Send link

Two-factor and biometric authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a widely used feature of Bitwarden. It protects your credentials with a double layer of security by requesting authentication from a secondary device (besides your master password) when you log in. You can choose the type of secondary authentication – it can be an authenticator app, hardware security key, or simply your email.

Bitwarden also has FaceID and Touch ID iOS biometric features (fingerprint unlock and face unlock for Android, respectively). They are also supported on Windows via Facial Recognition (if the hardware meets the requirements) and for macOS via Touch ID.

These features can only unlock your vault when you are already logged into the Bitwarden system. As the names suggest, they unlock your vault using your fingerprint or face recognition.

Emergency access

Bitwarden’s Emergency access feature is beneficial in critical circumstances. This includes getting into an accident, passing away, and so on. But this is also a great way to recover your account if you lose your master password.

This feature uses encryption/decryption and public key exchange to provide your emergency contact with permission to access your vault. Depending on the access level you’ve given, your emergency contact can either view/read your login credentials or create a new master password for your vault.

Emergency contacts must be Bitwarden users, and good news, they don’t need a premium plan.

Fingerprint phrases

Bitwarden uses accounts identified with a uniquely generated five-word string. This assists in securely identifying other users when sharing vault entries.

When adding a new user, you can always verify them via their fingerprint phrase rather than some additional arbitrary information. It dramatically reduces the risk that your connections will be tampered with and helps to reveal impersonators.

Vault health and security breach reports

Premium Bitwarden users' vaults have a variety of built-in password monitoring tools. The tools range from generated reports to up-to-date information about the latest data breaches. The reports are always generated locally, so this is not a privacy threat.

Here are the types of reports that you can expect:

• Password reusing report. This report will help you to identify cases of the same password reuse to avoid security breaches.
• Password strength report. This tool evaluates your password strength, thus noting which need improvement using Bitwarden’s password generator.
  
• Unsecure websites report. There are still sites that are using HTTP instead of HTTPS, which is unencrypted and, therefore, insecure. Bitwarden's report will indicate whether you're using a safer protocol.
• Breached database report. If any of your data gets into the hands of dark web hackers who sell compromised accounts, this report will instantly inform you so you could change your password and enable two-factor authentication.

Bitwarden compatibility and ease of use

When choosing a password manager, ensuring it works seamlessly across all your devices and browsers is crucial, given our tendency to switch between gadgets frequently. My personal experience with Bitwarden highlighted its strengths and areas for improvement in this regard.

Setting up Bitwarden was straightforward and quick. I simply created an account, and it was ready to go. For those looking to integrate more deeply into their browsing experience, adding a browser extension is an option worth considering.

Compatibility insights:

• Mobile app. I tested Bitwarden on both iOS and Android devices. The apps were responsive and offered full functionality, making password management on mobile hassle-free.
• Desktop app. Available for Windows and Mac, Bitwarden also provides support for Linux through command-line options, which is a great nod to inclusivity. However, the desktop versions lack some features like password import and 2FA, which I found limiting.
• Browser extensions. This is where Bitwarden truly shines. I used extensions on multiple browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Each extension integrated smoothly, providing excellent autofill capabilities that significantly streamlined my browsing experience.

Bitwarden's user interface is consistent across platforms, with the web app providing the most comprehensive feature set. While the desktop apps felt somewhat bare in comparison, the overall functionality across all platforms was solid. The difference in feature availability, however, meant I often found myself preferring the web app for more complex tasks.

From a personal perspective, while Bitwarden might not be the most user-friendly password manager out there, its robust compatibility and efficient setup make it a strong contender for those looking to secure their online activities across multiple devices. I appreciate how Bitwarden caters to a wide user base, making digital security more accessible for everyone.

Bitwarden mobile apps

Bitwarden has apps on both iOS and Android. I found them both very easy to use. Everything is neatly sectioned at the bottom of the screen. The main window is your vault, then there’s also the Bitwarden Send feature, a password generator, and the Settings section.

The mobile apps allow you to store logins, credit card information, secure notes, and identity data. Meanwhile, the features include biometric authentication options, the Bitwarden Send feature, auto-fill, fingerprint phrase, a password generator, and two-factor authentication.

During my research, the only features I found missing were vault health and security reports as well as import options. I didn’t like that there’s a password importing button available, but it transfers you to guides on how to import passwords on the web app.

Bitwarden desktop apps

The desktop application can be helpful when web browsing isn't an option, or it's just more convenient through the app. Bitwarden's desktop app is perfect for storing sensitive information like bank account numbers and credit cards.

The desktop apps are very similar to the web app in terms of interface, yet they’re very limited. I didn't like that setting up multi-factor authentication or importing passwords is only available on the web app. The same goes for Bitwarden’s security reports.

You get only the Bitwarden Send feature on top of a password generator, which is highly limiting in functionality. Password managers like NordPass have more comprehensive desktop apps, which provide many, if not all of their features, including password health reports, a data breach scanner, and emergency access.

Among each other, the desktop apps look identical on all three operating systems – Windows, macOS, and Linux. Each of them has the same features and design, so if you're using the Windows version and decide to move to macOS, you'll barely notice a difference.

Bitwarden web app

The web application is accessible through the Bitwarden website. It provides the most comprehensive management option for Bitwarden vault administration. You can manage your personal vault, organization vaults where you're added, and other account information settings. It's also possible to manage bulk operations via checkboxes.

From there, you're able to create Folders for your personal vault and Collections within organization vaults. Whatever you need to create, the management process is really quick, taking barely a few clicks, and I experienced no issues with it.

However, I found it does take some time to find what you’re looking for. For instance, it took a while to find the password importing section. But from there, I had no issues with password importing. All I had to do was select the format of the import file, choose the file, and click Import data.

The web app includes all features of Bitwarden, making it the most comprehensive platform of this provider.

One thing that wasn’t pleasant was the auto-filling feature. I had to open the browser extension to fill in the password, which was quite annoying to say the least. So Bitwarden could make some improvements to this part.

Bitwarden extensions

A browser extension for password managers is convenient, considering most of our accounts are online. Bitwarden's add-ons for browsers have a lot more differences from one another. There are extensions for some of the least supported browsers. So your experience will significantly depend on your browser.

For example, the Firefox add-on has a persistent sidebar, but Chrome does not. This might translate into different user interface decisions down the line. If you're switching browsers, I wouldn't expect the add-ons you were using before to look or feel the same way.

More importantly, this could translate to safety issues associated with your browser rather than the safety of the add-on. For example, there was an instance of a Microsoft Edge update causing the Bitwarden extension to stutter. Luckily, my most recent tests indicate this performance issue is no longer present.

No matter which one you pick, all of the add-ons will allow you to do essentially the same things that are possible on apps – generate passwords and autofill credentials. At the same time, customization options will largely depend on the browser you pick.

Bitwarden customer support

Bitwarden has quite a few customer support options available. For a DIY approach, you can make use of the extensive knowledge base. And if you’re in need of human-based support, you can opt for its community forum, social media sites, or the main customer service option – email.

Option	Availability
24/7 live chat	❌No
Email support	✅Yes
Knowledge base	✅Yes
Phone support	❌No
Community forum	✅Yes
Social media	✅Yes

When reaching out to Bitwarden through email, I found the agents to be professional. However, don’t expect a fast reply time – it may take around one hour or more.

I really don’t like the fact that Bitwarden doesn’t have a 24/7 live chat option, considering all the sensitive information it holds.

With a live chat or a phone line you’d be able to receive help in a matter of minutes, which is especially important in urgent cases. We’ve tested multiple password managers that offer a 24/7 live chat, including NordPass and RoboForm, and provide responses in a minute or two.

There’s also no phone support, and you’ll likely be referred to the help page if you contact them through social media. So your best shot is email or the community forum.

Overall, while Bitwarden has plenty of options to help you, I’d still like to see a much quicker and more convenient option like live chat.

How you find Bitwarden's customer support largely depends on your account type. If you're a free user, you might expect some frustration, but if you have a Premium plan, you can expect priority queues. Even then, Bitwarden doesn't shine.

Bitwarden video review

If you’re not much of a reader and prefer visual learning, click on the video below to watch our Bitwarden review on YouTube.

Bottom line: Is Bitwarden worth it?

Bitwarden is one of the most popular open-source password managers that’s great for personal use and for organizations. It offers a comprehensive free version and fairly affordable premium plans and has all the essentials to secure and share your passwords and other credentials.

However, I found Bitwarden’s auto-filling feature not the best solution a password manager can offer. To auto-fill your credentials, you have to access the extension, as there’s no one-click filling option. Additionally, desktop apps could be more feature-rich and convenient, like the web applications.

Overall, my research and testing for Bitwarden review revealed there are many things that this password manager does right, yet there’s also quite a lot of room for improvement.

How I tested Bitwarden

I conducted a comprehensive Bitwarden review to evaluate its features and security standards. The testing process involved testing Bitwarden's password management capabilities across various platforms and devices. I examined the application's performance in real-world scenarios, including its encryption protocols, security measures like two-factor authentication, and overall resilience to potential threat actors.

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