Available as an open-source password management software solution, Bitwarden is one of the strongest and easiest to use. Here we take a look at the various aspects of the solution that we feel makes Bitwarden such a good choice.
Basic Bitwarden plans give you a great range of features, and for many users they will be sufficient and will give pretty much everything you could hope for in a free password management solution, such as the option of self-hosting, unrestricted cloud storage, and multi-device sync options. Going up a level to a premium plans means that you can avail of password audits and data breach reports. Business plans boast features designed for working with a larger number of individuals, such as user groups, two-step login, and multi-factor authentication.
Configuring Bitwarden is quite easy as there are download buttons on the website for desktop apps, mobile apps, browser extensions, and for the more tech-savvy, command-line installers. The password vault can be viewed using any browser or via the dashboard at vault.bitwarden.com.
Settings can be adjusted using the web app and the desktop app works excellently as a standalone application. You can add a new password here or add notes and custom fields as well. The web app works better and features two-factor authentication options and access to reports. Both include a password generator.
Bitwarden is easily one of the safest password managers currently on the market. All Bitwarden source code can be accessed on GitHub, which means it has stood up to the close scrutiny of security researchers and it is regularly checked by the security community and bug hunters. Additionally, AES-256 encryption is used and master passwords are hashed with SHA-256 and cannot be accessed by Bitwarden.
There are free plans at both the personal and business level, and while both options will be more than sufficient for many users, the premium levels provide a broader range of features and are very competitively priced at just $10 per year for personal users and $40 per year for the family plan (6 people).
The free business plan includes sharing between two users but limits you to two shared password collections. Upgrading to the Teams plan costs just $60/year for five users (plus $24/year per additional user) and unlocks unlimited collections and 1GB of encrypted file storage. The Enterprise plan costs $3/user/month (billed annually) and includes a wealth of added features such as user groups and RESTful API access.
As Bitwarden is an active open source project, you will never be in short supply of online assistance in the form of tutorials, the knowledgebase, and forums. All features come with a simple-to-follow tutorial and the user forums, while basic, are active and can be of great use if you experience any problems. Developers can also be contacted directly for support.
Bitwarden is feature-packed at all levels to the extent that the free version can give most premium password management solutions a run for their money. The security of the solution, ease of use, and competitive pricing make this an excellent choice for businesses and personal users across all tiers of the product.