Bitwarden vs Keepass Password Management Solutions
Bitwarden, KeePass, and KeePassXC are all good password management solutions for personal use. If you are looking for a personal password manager, choosing between these three can be a difficult task. To help you make a decision, we have reviewed all three solutions and highlighted some of the key features of each.
Bitwarden
Bitwarden is an open-source solution and, as such, has had its code assessed by bug hunters and the open-source community to identify vulnerabilities. The vault-based solution has also undergone a full security audit so you can be certain the solution is secure.
Bitwarden operates under the zero-knowledge model – which means Bitwarden staff cannot access any data stored in users’ password vaults. The content of vaults is protected with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)-256 encryption, and users´ master passwords are both salted and hashed to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks during login.
Bitwarden offers a range of personal and business plans starting with the always free individual and two-user organization plan. Both free plans come with a selection of core features including cross-device synchronization, encrypted password sharing, password generator, and basic two-step login.
If you want more features, you can pay $10 per year for enhanced multi-factor authentication, vault health reports, and remote emergency access. Alternatively, you can subscribe to a family plan for $40 per year which enables up to six members of the same family to share the same premium features. Team subscriptions and Enterprise subscriptions are also available for businesses.
KeePass & KeePassXC
KeePass and KeePassXC are being reviewed together because they are essentially the same thing – Keepass having been written in C# and therefore only suitable for Microsoft Windows, while KeepassXC is written in C++ and runs natively on all platforms. (KeePassX has been retired)
Similar to Bitwarden, both KeePass password managers are built on open-source software and operate under a zero-knowledge model. However, there is a difference in how the KeePass zero-knowledge model works.
Rather than automatically synchronize databases via the cloud as Bitwarden does, KeePass users have to store their databases in a cloud storage solution such as Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive, and synchronize databases manually. This naturally increases the administrative overhead of using KeePass and can lead to errors being made.
However, in their favor, KeePass and KeePassXC are free to use. While neither is suitable for business use (because KeePass does not support groups, password policies, and audit trails, etc.), individual personal users can enjoy the equivalent of a fully-featured Bitwarden premium plan for free – albeit with limited documentation and no support.
Conclusion
The decision about which password manager is best for your needs will likely depend on whether you are prepared to adopt a feature-limited version of a free software solution (Bitwarden Free), a fully-featured version of an administratively complex software solution (KeePass/KeePassXC), or a fully-featured version of a mature and secure password manager with the administrative burden taken off your hands for $10 per year (Bitwarden Premium).
Fortunately, you can download and try both Bitwarden and KeePass/KeePassXC without committing to spending a cent. The important thing is that you download and use a password manager to help keep your passwords, credit card details, and other sensitive information safe from cybercriminals and other unauthorized third parties.