Keeper vs Bitwarden: which one takes the lead?
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Keeper and Bitwarden each offer strong security, reliable password storage, and cross-platform compatibility, but they excel in different areas. Keeper stands out for its polished apps, broader feature set, stronger privacy practices, and more intuitive user experience, while Bitwarden appeals to budget-conscious users with its affordable pricing, open-source transparency, and self-hosting flexibility.
In this Keeper vs Bitwarden comparison, I evaluated these providers across key categories, including security architecture, encryption standards, ease of use, pricing, feature sets, customer support, and compatibility. I also considered which password manager offers the best value for individuals, families, and businesses.
If you’re trying to decide between Keeper vs Bitwarden, this guide will walk you through their biggest strengths and weaknesses. Read on to discover which password manager is the better fit for your security needs and budget.
Keeper vs Bitwarden – quick overview
Keeper and Bitwarden both offer industry-standard AES-256 encryption, ensuring your data remains confidential and secure. However, I found that Keeper offers more 2FA options and collects less personal data than Bitwarden, which makes it a safer choice. Keeper also has a higher overall rating, while Bitwarden offers a lower price point. Both password managers offer a free version and are compatible with a wide range of OSs and browsers, with Bitwarden slightly ahead.
| Keeper | Bitwarden | |
| ⭐ Rating: | ||
| 🥇 Overall rank: | #4 out of #20 | #6 out of #20 |
| 🔥 Coupons: | Limited-Time offer! Keeper coupon 50% OFF | Cybernews Password Manager Coupons |
| 💵 Price: | From $1.79/month | From $1.65/month |
| ✂️ Free version: | Yes | Yes |
| 🔒 Encryption: | AES-256 | AES 256-bit |
| 🖥️ Platforms: | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| 🌐 Browser extensions: | Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Edge, Brave, Internet Explorer | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari, Vivaldi, Brave, Tor, DuckDuckGo |
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Key differences between Keeper and Bitwarden
The main differences between Keeper and Bitwarden are their pricing, feature depth, transparency, and user experience. Overall, both password managers offer strong security and reliable cross-platform support, but they target different types of users – Keeper focuses on a more polished, feature-rich ecosystem, while Bitwarden emphasizes affordability, open-source transparency, and flexibility.
Choose Keeper if:
- You want a more advanced, all-in-one security platform. If you want more than just password storage and prefer a fully featured ecosystem, Keeper offers a broader set of built-in security tools.
- You value a smoother, more intuitive user experience. Keeper’s apps are generally more modern and easier to navigate.
- You prioritize stronger privacy controls and premium support options. Keeper stands out with more privacy-focused defaults, more extensive support options, and a more guided experience for less tech-savvy users.
Check out the full Keeper review for a complete breakdown of its security, features, and pricing.
Choose Bitwarden if:
- You want a more affordable password manager. Bitwarden is one of the most budget-friendly options available, so you don’t have to pay a premium price for solid protection.
- You prefer open-source transparency and trust. As an open-source solution, Bitwarden allows public scrutiny of its code, which appeals to users who value transparency and community verification.
- You want flexibility and self-hosting options. Bitwarden supports self-hosting and customization, giving advanced users and technical setups greater control.
Read the full Bitwarden review to explore its features, pricing, and overall performance in detail.
Keeper vs Bitwarden: price comparison
Both Keeper and Bitwarden offer 3 pricing plans, which include one-user, family, and business packages. You also have the option of a free plan with both password managers.
| Plan | Keeper | Bitwarden |
| Free | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Premium | $1.79/month (1 user) | $1.65/month (1 user) |
| Family | $3.83/month (5 users) | $3.99/month (6 users) |
| Business | From $7.00/month (1 user) | From $4.00/month (1 user) |
Bitwarden offers a cheaper Personal plan than Keeper: $1.65/month compared to Keeper’s $1.79/month. However, Keeper is more generous with its features and can be used on an unlimited number of devices, while Bitwarden’s plans come with more basic features.
If you want to accommodate more users, both password managers offer Family plans. Keeper’s Family plan is currently slightly cheaper than Bitwarden’s based on annual pricing at the time of writing. However, Bitwarden allows up to 6 users while Keeper allows only up to 5.
For teams, Keeper and Bitwarden offer Business plans. Pricing is set per user, which means you pay exactly for the number of accounts you require. Bitwarden’s Business plan is cheaper, with pricing starting from $4.00/month per user compared to Keeper’s $7.00/month per user.
Both password managers also offer limited free plans. Plus, Keeper has a 30-day free trial, while Bitwarden has a 30-day money-back guarantee, but you’ll need to reach out to its support team to request cancellation.
Keeper and Bitwarden: which offers better protection?
To evaluate Keeper vs Bitwarden, I tested and analyzed their encryption protocols, independent audits, data storage practices, and privacy policies. Both providers use AES-256 encryption and multi-factor authentication, and both have undergone independent third-party security audits. However, Keeper comes out ahead due to its more privacy-friendly data handling and a stricter, more user-focused data collection policy.
| Security measures | Keeper | Bitwarden |
| Encryption protocol | AES-256 | AES-256 |
| Multi-factor security | ✅ Yes (authentication app, hardware tokens, YubiKey, smart wearables, RSA SecurID, SMS) | ✅ Yes (email, authentication app, Duo Security, YubiKey, FIDO2) |
| Data storage | Unlimited | 1GB |
| Privacy policy | Zero-knowledge | Zero-knowledge |
| Security audits | ✅ Audited by independent third parties | ✅ Audited by independent third parties |
Encryption
When it comes to encryption, Keeper and Bitwarden take a very similar route to keep your sensitive data protected. They both opt for the unyielding 256-bit AES encryption, which is considered the gold standard for password managers.
In Keeper’s case, it also employs PBKDF2 on top of the 256-bit AES encryption. This is a password-based key derivation function that makes it much harder for hackers to guess your password through brute-force attacks.
Along the same path, Bitwarden employs 256-bit AES encryption to protect your vault and PBKDF-SHA256 to derive your encryption key from your master password.
Beyond that, both password managers’ zero-knowledge architecture guarantees secure end-to-end encryption. So, all data encryption/decryption is carried out locally, and only encrypted data is sent to their servers. This way, even Keeper and Bitwarden themselves have no way to access the content of your vault.
Overall, Keeper and Bitwarden are evenly matched and don’t compromise on data handling when it comes to encryption.
Multi-factor security
In terms of multi-factor security, both Keeper and Bitwarden have a good range of options. However, Keeper offers more types of 2FA, while Bitwarden only offers more MFA options with its more expensive plans.
Once enabled, multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires you to verify your identity with more than just a username and password when logging in. It’s an extra layer of protection that helps to shield your account from breaches.
With Keeper, you get several two-factor authentication (2FA) methods. Among them are:
- TOTP generator apps such as Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator
- Hardware tokens
- U2F-based physical keys such as YubiKey
- Smart wearables such as the Apple Watch
- RSA SecurID
Additionally, Keeper also supports SMS verification. But I’d advise giving this method a skip. SMS verification is notorious for being one of the least secure 2FA methods.
In contrast, Bitwarden’s MFA methods depend on your plan. Free users only get two-step logins with emails and authenticator apps. Meanwhile, Bitwarden Premium users can enable 2FA with:
- Authenticator apps
- Duo Security
- YubiKey
- FIDO2
Data storage
Bitwarden and Keeper offer different data storage options with their plans. Which one is best for you will depend on the number and type of files you plan on storing in your password manager.
Keeper includes unlimited password storage for all plans. This is quite a perk, especially if you follow one of the essential security best practices to use different passwords for different accounts. But, to store more than passwords, you’ll need to shell out for the Family plan. It comes with 10GB of storage.
And, if you need even more storage, Keeper also has Secure File Storage – a paid add-on that offers up to 100GB of encrypted storage for personal users and 10TB for businesses.
Meanwhile, Bitwarden’s paid users get 1GB of storage. There’s also an option to purchase additional storage in 1GB increments. But, here’s the catch: each file must be under 500MB or 100MB if you upload from a mobile device.
An even bigger catch is that Bitwarden stores its data in the US – one of the Five Eyes nations. The Five Eyes alliance has long been criticized for its infringement of privacy. This might not be a big deal for the average user, especially considering Bitwarden’s end-to-end encryption. However, for security-conscious users, this could certainly be a deal-breaker.
Privacy policy
Keeper and Bitwarden are zero-knowledge security providers, meaning you’re the only one who can access your vault. But, even then, the duo still collects some user data.
Keeper collects “limited personal information” like your username and email address for account verification and 2FA. Besides that, it also logs aggregate user statistics and website traffic for site service improvement, performance diagnosis and tracking, and website administration.
In contrast, Bitwarden collects more account and service-related metadata than Keeper. Among other things, it collects such data as:
- Personal identifiers, including name, address, IP address, and email address
- Financial information like billing data
- Employment information, like the name of the employer
There’s also an issue with how Bitwarden uses your data. According to its privacy policy, it might share user data for legal purposes, emergencies, and to “protect the security and integrity of the Site or Bitwarden service.” This leaves plenty of room for interpretation.
Plus, information could also be shared with other third parties like its subsidiaries, affiliates, and partners.
Overall, Keeper’s privacy policy is considerably more privacy-friendly. It collects only the necessary information and is far more transparent about how it uses the data.
Third-party security audits
Both Keeper and Bitwarden have undergone multiple security audits by various independent third parties to stand on an equal footing with each other.
In Keeper’s case, it complies with the Service Organization Control (SOC 2) – a framework that outlines the criteria to manage users’ data securely. Plus, it meets the ISO 27001 standard, which details the requirements for an information security management system (ISMS). This includes access control, operations security, and cryptography. Keeper also has a bug bounty program on Bugcrowd.
Likewise, Bitwarden has been rigorously audited. For starters, it’s SOC Type 2 and SOC 3 certified. Additionally, it has completed a series of security assessments and penetration tests by auditing firms Insight Risk Consulting and Cure53.
And, since Bitwarden is an open-source password manager, its source code is available online for all to inspect, audit, and contribute. Beyond that, Bitwarden has a public bug bounty program on HackerOne.
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Keeper offers more 2FA options and collects less personal data than Bitwarden, making it more privacy-friendly
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Keeper provides unlimited password storage for all plans, while Bitwarden caps it at 1GB for paid users, with strict file size limits
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Keeper collects minimal personal data and uses it only for service management, while Bitwarden gathers more extensive data
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Keeper offers more advanced sharing capabilities, stronger 2FA options, and more privacy-focused security features.
Keeper vs Bitwarden: feature comparison
In addition to secure password management and storage, both Keeper vs Bitwarden offer a range of complementary features, including password importing, generation, sharing, recovery, and autofill. Keeper has the upper hand due to its more refined and better-implemented feature set. Compared to Bitwarden, Keeper’s tools are generally smoother, more intuitive, and better optimized for everyday use.
| Features | Keeper | Bitwarden |
| Password importing | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Account/password recovery | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Password generator | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Password sharing | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Autofill | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Password importing
Keeper and Bitwarden each have a password importing feature for easy password migration. In Keeper’s case, it has quite a range of password importing options.
To start, Keeper Importer automatically imports all unprotected passwords from web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
Apart from that, Keeper supports imports from other password managers, too. This includes LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane, KeePass, RoboForm, and ZOHO. Beyond that, Keeper also supports imports using CSV, Excel, JSON, and Commander CLI.
Likewise, Bitwarden also allows data importing from various browsers, password managers, CSV, and JSON.
But, unlike Keeper’s convenient drag-and-drop approach, Bitwarden’s migration process requires more clicking. Despite that, everything is guided, so there shouldn’t be too much confusion.
Another stumbling block is that Bitwarden doesn’t allow bulk import for file attachments. Instead, you’ll need to manually migrate them into your vault.
Overall, Keeper’s password importing feature is considerably smoother and more user-friendly than what you get with Bitwarden.
Account and password recovery
Both Keeper and Bitwarden are rather forgiving and accommodating when it comes to account and password recovery. Yet, the two offer different recovery methods.
With Keeper, you can pick 5 contacts who can access your vault if there’s an emergency. This feature also doubles as a recovery solution if you forget or lose your master password.
Plus, Keeper requires all new accounts to set up a security question. To reset your master password, you’ll need to provide the correct answer to the security question.
Meanwhile, Bitwarden provides a recovery code when you set up 2FA. You want to keep this code safe because you’ll need it to recover your account if you forget your master password.
If you’ve set up a password hint, you can also request that your master password hint be sent to your email. Alternatively, you can designate an emergency contact who’ll get Read or Takeover access to your vault, too.
Password generator
Both Keeper and Bitwarden offer password generators that are customizable and flexible, which is helpful when you need to create unique and unbreakable passwords.
With Keeper, its password generator lets you generate either passwords or passphrases – the latter would be easier to remember than a long stream of random characters. You can also decide the length of the password and the types of characters to include. The character length is cut off at 100.
With Bitwarden’s password generator, you can also generate either passwords or passphrases, and the lengths go up to 128 characters for passwords and 20 words for passphrases.
To sum up, both password generators are certainly satisfactory.
Password sharing
The difference between Keeper’s and Bitwarden’s password sharing features is that Keeper’s password sharing is more user-friendly and less restricted than Bitwarden's.
Keeper makes secure password and data sharing easy. Its One-Time Share feature lets you share records with anyone for a limited time. This includes login credentials, files, and more.
The recipient only needs a link for access, which you can send through channels like a direct QR code scan, airdrop, email, and SMS.
And, to double down, One-Time Share is device-locked so that the link is only accessible on the original recipient’s device. Additionally, all server requests are signed with elliptic-curve cryptography (ECDSA) – a cryptographically secure digital signature form.
In contrast, Bitwarden’s version has many strings attached. First off, it’s not available to Free users. But the restrictions don’t end there. Even those on its Premium accounts can only share passwords with one other user. And those on Families can only share passwords with up to six users.
Overall, Keeper wins the Keeper vs Bitwarden matchup hands down if we compare the two password managers’ password-sharing features.
Autofill
To round out their password management solutions, both Keeper and Bitwarden provide autofill for quick and easy logins, too.
For Keeper, KeeperFill will automatically fill in your username, password, and even payment details like credit card numbers. It can be used directly through Keeper’s app or downloaded separately either as a browser extension or as a system-tray item. To speed things up even further, you can set up hotkeys to immediately launch KeeperFill.
In comparison, Bitwarden’s autofill process isn’t as seamless. Instead, it requires multiple clicks: right-click on the login field > click on Bitwarden’s icon > search for the right login entry > click autofill. Not exactly rocket science, but it’s not convenient, either.
All in all, it’s an easy win for Keeper. Its autofill feature is much better developed and more intuitive.
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Both Keeper and Bitwarden offer core features like password importing, sharing, recovery, and autofill, but Keeper’s features are smoother, more intuitive, and user-friendly
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Keeper’s password importing process is faster and more convenient, while Bitwarden’s requires more steps and lacks bulk import for file attachments
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Keeper’s 1-time share feature allows easy, secure password sharing with anyone, while Bitwarden’s sharing is more restrictive
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Keeper offers a more user-friendly experience with smoother core features, faster and more convenient password importing, and easier, more flexible sharing through its 1-time share feature
Device compatibility and user experience
Bitwarden and Keeper work well with all of the major operating systems and web browsers out there. However, Keeper has an edge here since I found its apps and interfaces to be significantly more user-friendly than Bitwarden’s offerings. Meanwhile, Bitwarden’s interfaces are more old-school and less intuitive.
| Keeper | Bitwarden | |
| Supported OS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Browser extension | Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, Edge | Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Tor, DuckDuckGo |
| Number of users | Up to 5 | Up to 6 |
Desktop apps
Both Keeper and Bitwarden desktop apps are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux devices. Whichever password manager or operating system I chose to test, the installation process was a breeze and required just a few clicks.
As for the apps’ interfaces, Keeper’s apps are very modern and sleek. Navigation was also a piece of cake for me since the features are well categorized. Plus, I liked that there’s quick access to the most important items – vault, identity and payment details, security audit, and deleted items – on the left of the interface.
In contrast, I didn’t like that Bitwarden’s desktop apps are more archaic look-wise and less intuitive. That said, I still found it to be clean and easy enough to navigate. There’s a menu to your left and a search bar right at the top.
In brief, Keeper’s desktop apps come out on top, courtesy of their contemporary design and intuitive layouts.
Browser extensions
The pair offers extensions for all the popular browsers: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Edge. The one glaring difference I noticed is that Bitwarden supports Brave. But, in any case, adding the extension to your browser requires just a click.
As for functionality, I found that both password managers’ extensions have limited features. The extensions come with things like autofill, autosave, and a password generator. But that’s about all you get. All other features are tied to their web apps. This is pretty standard for all password managers, but it’s still a bummer.
Mobile apps
Keeper and Bitwarden’s mobile apps have much in common. Downloading the chosen app from either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store was all that I needed to do to set up either password manager’s mobile app.
Beyond that, I liked that both providers’ mobile apps for Android and iOS are modern, streamlined, and sophisticated.
But they have one big difference. Keeper’s mobile apps offer all the same features that you’d find in its browser and desktop apps, except for password importing/exporting.
In contrast, you get only the core features with Bitwarden’s mobile apps, for instance, autofill, password sharing, and a password generator. Some advanced desktop and web app features are less accessible on Bitwarden’s mobile apps.
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Keeper offers a more modern and intuitive interface across its platforms, making it easier to navigate than Bitwarden
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Both password managers support major operating systems and popular browsers, Bitwarden also supports Brave
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Keeper’s desktop and mobile apps are more feature-rich and polished, providing a smoother user experience, while Bitwarden’s apps feel more basic and stripped-down
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Keeper provides a more modern and intuitive interface, which makes navigation easier. It also offers more polished and feature-rich desktop and mobile apps, delivering a smoother user experience
Keeper vs Bitwarden: customer support
While both password managers offer a good range of customer support options, Keeper has the clear lead in the Keeper vs Bitwarden customer support matchup. Unlike Bitwarden, Keeper provides real-time 24/7 support to assist its users.
| Keeper | Bitwarden | |
| 24/7 live chat | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Phone support | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Ticketing system | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Support community (forum) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| How-to guides/Knowledge base | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Q&A webinars | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
For Keeper, you want to hit up its knowledge base first. This is where you’ll find heaps of detailed guides, how-tos, videos, and more. You’ll also find its server status here.
For agent assistance, Keeper has a 24/7 ticketing system. While not instantaneous, the response times are fairly short. Plus, the agents are knowledgeable and effective.
Bitwarden, too, has a well-stocked knowledge base. But it comes up empty if we talk about real-time support options. The best you can get is a reply via email, community forums, or weekly live Q&A sessions – none of them are ideal if you need assistance quickly.
Overall, Keeper easily defeats Bitwarden when it comes to customer support. Its real-time 24/7 support will ensure you get quick help whenever needed.
Keeper vs Bitwarden – which one to pick?
Keeper vs Bitwarden is a close matchup, as both password managers offer strong security, AES-256 encryption, and reliable cross-platform support. However, Keeper focuses more on a polished, feature-rich experience, while Bitwarden prioritizes affordability, transparency, and open-source flexibility.
Keeper comes out on top in most categories, including security features, ease of use, feature depth, customer support, and overall user experience. It stands out with more advanced 2FA options, stronger privacy controls, better-designed apps, and more intuitive everyday usability. In comparison, Bitwarden wins on pricing and value for money, thanks to its lower-cost plans and generous free tier, making it a better choice for budget-conscious users or those who prefer open-source solutions.
Overall, Keeper is the winner of this comparison, offering the best balance of security, usability, and advanced features for most users. Bitwarden remains a great alternative for those who prioritize affordability and transparency.
FAQ
Is Keeper better than Bitwarden?
Yes, Keeper is better than Bitwarden. Keeper offers better security, especially when it comes to user privacy. Plus, Keeper also has better features, more intuitive interfaces, and more easily accessible customer support.
Which is better for mobile: Keeper or Bitwarden?
Keeper is better for mobile than Bitwarden. While both Keeper and Bitwarden have very easy-to-use mobile apps for Android and iOS, Keeper’s mobile apps provide full-scale features. Bitwarden’s mobile apps focus more on core password management functionality and offer fewer advanced tools than Keeper.
Can Keeper import from Bitwarden?
Yes, Keeper can import from Bitwarden. However, you’ll first need to export your Bitwarden vault as a CSV file.