Which Password Supervisor Is Finest?

Because the variety of apps and companies we use on-line will increase by the day, so do the variety of passwords we should bear in mind. Earlier than, it wasn’t exceptional for individuals to jot down down passwords of their notebooks or sticky notes. Nonetheless, these strategies will not be the most secure or best technique to hold monitor of passwords right now.

That’s the place password managers like Bitwarden and LastPass are available — software program particularly designed to retailer, encrypt and arrange your passwords and different credentials securely. Additionally they embrace extra options similar to password era and multi-factor authentication.

On this article, we evaluate Bitwarden vs. LastPass to see which one is greatest for you or your group.

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Bitwarden vs. LastPass: Comparability desk

Bitwarden and LastPass each provide core options you’d anticipate from a password supervisor, similar to an encrypted password vault and a password generator.

Bitwarden stands out for its very beneficiant free model that permits limitless password storage and entry on limitless gadgets. In the meantime, LastPass comes with quite a few MFA choices, similar to YubiKey and fingerprint authentication.

Bitwarden and LastPass pricing

Each Bitwarden and LastPass provide free variations of their password managers, however there’s a stark distinction of their beginning costs. At $0.83 monthly, Bitwarden’s Premium plan is without doubt one of the most inexpensive subscription plans in the marketplace. Compared, LastPass’ Premium subscription at $3 is on par with different password managers like Dashlane at $3.33 and 1Password at $2.99.

For household plans, Bitwarden is marginally extra inexpensive at $3.33 monthly than LastPass’ Households at $4.00 monthly — each of which embrace six accounts.

For his or her enterprise subscriptions, Bitwarden wins on the affordability entrance as soon as once more. Its Groups Starter plan is $20 monthly for as much as 10 customers, whereas LastPass’s Groups subscription is $4.00 per consumer monthly for as much as 50 customers. A LastPass Groups plan for 10 customers is equal to $40 — double the value of Bitwarden’s providing.

By way of enterprise options, the 2 aren’t far off, with Bitwarden’s Enterprise plan pegged at $6 per consumer monthly, whereas LastPass Enterprise is at $7.00 per consumer monthly. Each of those choices enable a vast variety of customers.

If affordability is your most important concern, Bitwarden is the more cost effective possibility. Nonetheless, LastPass provides free trials for all its plans, whereas Bitwarden solely offers a free trial to their Households and Enterprise subscriptions.

Characteristic comparability: Bitwarden vs. LastPass

Zero-knowledge ideas and total safety

Whereas each password managers adhere to zero-knowledge ideas with the goal of bolstering information safety, LastPass’ password supervisor skilled two main information breaches in 2022. These information breaches resulted in information being stolen from LastPass and its prospects.

LastPass introduced {that a} malicious actor was in a position to acquire unauthorized entry to buyer information consisting of encrypted fields similar to web site usernames and passwords, safe notes, and form-filled information and unencrypted information similar to web site URLs. This isn’t one thing we wish in software program designed to retailer consumer passwords and delicate data.

Whereas LastPass has since adopted adjustments to handle the safety incidents, we discover it arduous to suggest as a viable password supervisor given the gravity of the breaches.

To study extra, learn our full LastPass assessment right here.

Compared, Bitwarden has not famous any safety breaches. It’s also open supply — which implies that their code is offered for public viewing and might simply be monitored for any vulnerabilities.

Safety-wise, Bitwarden is the clear winner between the 2 password managers.

Learn our full Bitwarden assessment right here.

Password vault and administration

Each password managers use the gold customary AES-256 encryption to encrypt consumer information saved of their respective password vaults. AES-256 encryption is taken into account bank-level safety that provides heightened safety to consumer passwords towards hackers and malicious third events.

We additionally get password mills in each options. For Bitwarden, customers can create a random password with as much as 128 characters, whereas LastPass can generate passwords of as much as 99 characters.

Exterior of storing passwords, each Bitwarden and LastPass allow customers to retailer different necessary data. Bitwarden’s vault lets customers retailer identification information, cost particulars and freeform textual content notes. In the meantime, the LastPass vault enables you to retailer notes, cost playing cards and checking account information.

Multi-factor authentication choices

By way of MFA, LastPass has extra choices, providing LastPass MFA, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Toopher, Duo Safety and Grid for its free customers.

Premium LastPass customers additionally get entry to YubiKey USB, whereas LastPass Enterprise accounts can make the most of Salesforce authentication as a second issue.

That’s to not say that Bitwarden is missing within the two-factor authentication division; Bitwarden prospects can use an authenticator app, electronic mail, FIDO2 WebAuthn credentials, YubiKey and Duo Safety for his or her two-step logins. Nonetheless, solely the primary three 2FA strategies talked about are provided in Bitwarden’s free model.

If having a various set of MFA choices is necessary to you, LastPass will present extra flexibility in each its free and paid variations.

Supported platforms

Bitwarden and LastPass embrace help for an important platforms. The 2 password managers can be found on Home windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and Opera.

Nonetheless, Bitwarden is offered on extra browsers. It has apps for Vivaldi, Courageous, Arc, Edge, Tor Browser and DuckDuckGo for Mac.

Free variations

Bitwarden and LastPass’ free variations each provide limitless password storage and a password generator, making them sensible choices for customers on the lookout for a devoted free model.

Nonetheless, Bitwarden’s free model edges LastPass in that it permits customers to make use of the app on a vast variety of gadgets. This implies you possibly can entry your free Bitwarden vault on a number of computer systems, telephones or browsers with no concern. LastPass Free solely permits use on one machine sort at a time.

In case you solely plan on utilizing a free password supervisor in the long run, Bitwarden’s free model makes extra sense given its limitless machine help.

Further options

Bitwarden comes with its personal encrypted file and text-sharing system referred to as Bitwarden Ship. It might probably transmit textual content of as much as 1,000 encrypted characters or recordsdata of as much as 500 MB.

In case you commonly ship out delicate paperwork like contracts or agreements, Bitwarden Ship is a significant value-add to contemplate.

In the meantime, LastPass comes with a handy One-Time Password characteristic that allows you to create a set of short-term passwords that you need to use rather than your grasp password. This can be utilized to entry your vault when utilizing a lodge laptop or a desktop in a public web cafe — stopping keyloggers and malware from stealing your password by these untrusted gadgets.

LastPass’ OTPs can profit distant employees that commonly use web cafes or customers who often journey with out their most important laptop.

Bitwarden execs and cons

Execs of Bitwarden

• Free model with limitless password storage.
• Premium plans are extra inexpensive than many rivals.
• Straightforward-to-use emergency entry characteristic.
• Encrypted file-sharing system.
• Open-source format makes it extremely safe and customizable.
• Clear safety fame.

Cons of Bitwarden

• Desktop UI isn’t intuitive.
• Auto-fill performance may be higher.

LastPass execs and cons

Execs of LastPass

• Provides a number of MFA choices.
• Straightforward-to-use consumer interface.
• Helpful OTP characteristic.
• Nation restriction performance.

Cons of LastPass

• Has had two main information breaches previously 12 months.
• Historical past of smaller safety incidents since 2011.
• Clunky internet app expertise.
• Dated interface design.

Methodology

This text was initially written by Shannon Flynn. Each Bitwarden and LastPass had been analyzed when it comes to their password administration options, safety and worth for cash.

Now we have additionally performed in-depth evaluations of Bitwarden and LastPass. In our full Bitwarden assessment, the open-source password supervisor acquired 4.3 stars out of 5. In the meantime, LastPass acquired a ranking of three.4 stars out of 5 in its full assessment.

Ought to your group use Bitwarden or LastPass?

Bitwarden is the higher and safer selection, with no reported safety incidents. With LastPass experiencing two main information breaches previously two years, we discover it arduous to suggest it as a secure and dependable password administration answer.

Bitwarden provides a formidable free model, intensive help on a number of platforms and a clear safety fame that’s constructed on open-source software program. It additionally has very inexpensive costs throughout all its subscription plans. In case you’re on the lookout for a high-quality password supervisor on a funds, Bitwarden is without doubt one of the greatest out there.