Bitwarden is an open source alternative to 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane, and Keeper. End-to-end encrypted password manager with free cloud sync across unlimited devices. Self-hostable. Open-core. AGPL-3.0 licensed, 19.8k GitHub stars, hosted version available, self-host with Docker, no terminal required to start, and last released 2026-08-05.
End-to-end encrypted password manager with free cloud sync across unlimited devices. Self-hostable. Open-core.
Official screenshotbitwarden.comRetrieved 2026-08-11
Should you switch?
Use it if
Individuals and families who want a free cloud-synced password manager across all devices with passkeys support, and the option to self-host. The free tier has no device or password limits.
You prioritize a polished browser extension and drag-and-drop UX. Multiple HN users have noted the browser extension quality gap vs 1Password is real and has blocked them from switching.
Bitwarden is open-core, not fully open source. The /bitwarden_license/ directory in both the server and clients repos is under a proprietary Bitwarden License: production use of those modules (SSO, Commercial.Core) requires a paid subscription. The core personal-use code is AGPL-3.0 and fully open. The browser extension has documented UX gaps vs 1Password that have caused real users to revert.
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Community proof
6 quotes: 4 usage (2 direct 1Password->Bitwarden switches, 1 corporate-lock-in migration, 1 Linux/open-source switch with honest gap disclosure), 1 directional (best-in-class endorsement), 1 problem_report (browser extension gap that blocked switch from 1Password). Honest gap disclosure is intentional per data rules.
Some quotes here endorse the approach rather than report first-hand use, or report a problem. We label those.
"I switched to Keepass initially, synchronised with NextCloud but it wasn't intuitive enough for everyone. We moved everyone to Bitwarden a few years ago using bitwarden_rs and have never looked back."
"At least for me the switch to 1PasswordX messed up my password vault, which took quite some time to repair manually from backups. This drastically reduced my confidence in the software to a point where I switched to bitwarden"
"I left LastPass after they nuked the free option, went to 1password since my employer had a corporate deal, but when I left (my former employer) 1password simply cut my access to it with no option to switch to a personal account and no way of getting my vault back. Got very angry and searched HN for suggestions and also found BitWarden. Pretty good interface, fair deal and prices (with the free option as well). So I'm here to stay now, at least until someone buys it and turns it into another LastPass...."
"I switched to Bitwarden because it's open source, and because they have a good enough Linux client. Their browser extension and desktop client doesn't come close to what 1Password provided on Mac, but it does the job. Bitwarden isn't without its issues, but at $10 a year, and its open source nature, it's worth every penny and then some."
"KeePassXC and Bitwarden are the best password managers in existence right now: KeePassXC if you want to be disconnected from the cloud and Bitwarden if you want both the convenience of cloud-based password management AND high security."
"The Bitwarden Chrome extension is really bad, which is also the reason I've never been able to switch from 1Password to Bitwarden."
