Bitwarden is the cheaper and more forgiving option on paper: it has a free plan, a $19.80-a-year Premium plan, a six-person family plan and a 30-day refund policy. 1Password has no free plan and no money-back guarantee, but it offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card and a first-year discount that brings its individual plan to $35.88. Whether 1Password costs more after the first year is not confirmed on its pages.
This is a documentary comparison based on the providers’ official pages. We have not bought or installed either product, or reviewed their code or audits, so nothing here is a verdict on which is safer. Security statements are the providers’ own claims.
Prices at a glance
Prices and plan details were checked on the providers’ official pages on 5 November 2026. Figures are in USD. Bitwarden says its prices are based on an annual subscription and exclude taxes. 1Password also shows CAD and EUR, so the price you see may depend on your country. Prices vary by country, currency, taxes and promotions, so confirm the final amount at checkout.
| Plan | Bitwarden | 1Password |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Yes, 1 user, unlimited devices | None found |
| Individual | Premium: $1.65/month, $19.80/year | Individual: $2.99/month for the first 12 months ($35.88, our arithmetic); $3.99 shown struck through |
| Family | Families: $3.99/month, $47.88/year, up to 6 users | Families: $4.49/month for the first 12 months ($53.88, our arithmetic), 5 users; $5.99 shown struck through |
| Small team | Teams: $4 per user/month, billed annually | Teams Starter Pack: $24.95/month for up to 10 members, billed annually |
| Larger business | Enterprise: $6 per user/month | Business: $8.99 per user/month ($107.88/year) |
| Free trial | Families, Teams, Enterprise; 14 days stated for business | 14 days, no credit card required |
| Refunds | 30-day refund policy on paid services | No money-back guarantee; case-by-case |
Free vs paid
This is the clearest difference. Bitwarden’s free plan, described as “always free”, includes unlimited passwords, notes, cards and identities on unlimited devices, a password generator, Bitwarden Send and sharing with one other user. Many people can start there and never pay. You can see what it includes on Bitwarden.
Bitwarden Premium adds an integrated authenticator for one-time codes, encrypted file attachments, 5 GB of personal storage, emergency access and security reports. At $19.80 a year, it is the cheapest paid individual plan in our wider password manager comparison.
1Password has no free tier on its pricing pages. Its Individual plan includes 1GB of storage, a password generator, autofill, item sharing with anyone, Watchtower alerts for weak or compromised credentials, developer tools and support for two-factor sign-in, biometrics and passkeys. You can start a trial on 1Password.
First-year discount and what happens next
1Password’s $2.99 and $4.49 prices come from an additional 25% off the first 12 months. It applies to new customers who subscribe directly on 1password.com with annual billing, not through Google Play, the Apple App Store or other third-party stores. No end date was shown, so the offer may end.
The struck-through $3.99 and $5.99 are the pre-promotion prices, but the terms do not say explicitly that renewal happens at those prices. They say the subscription renews under the same conditions and that fees may change with reasonable notice. If the struck-through prices did apply, the second year would cost $47.88 for Individual (3.99 × 12) and $71.88 for Families (5.99 × 12). That is our estimate, not a confirmed renewal price.
Bitwarden shows no introductory price, so its displayed price is the only price shown. Its terms say prices are subject to change at the end of a payment term. Premium and Families are billed annually only.
Family plans: users and cost
Bitwarden Families covers up to six users, each with a premium account, plus unlimited sharing and collections and 5 GB of family storage on top of personal storage. At $47.88 a year, a full plan works out at $7.98 per person.
1Password Families covers five users, with unlimited shared vaults and admin controls, and 1GB of storage per user. At $53.88 for the first year, that is $10.78 per person; at the struck-through price it would be $14.38 per person. If your household has six people, Bitwarden fits without a second plan.
Small teams
Bitwarden Teams costs $4 per user per month, or $48 per user per year by our arithmetic, and includes event logs, directory sync and SCIM provisioning. Monthly billing is available, but its price was not confirmed.
1Password’s Teams Starter Pack is a flat $24.95 a month for up to 10 members, billed annually, which is $299.40 a year. It can grow to 20 users with extra seats at $4.99 each per month. The arithmetic favors Bitwarden up to six people ($288 a year) and the 1Password Starter Pack from seven to ten people (Bitwarden would cost $336 for seven).
For larger teams, Bitwarden Enterprise is $6 per user per month and includes self-hosting, passwordless SSO, enterprise policies and a free Families plan for every user. 1Password Business is $8.99 per user per month and adds identity-provider integrations such as Okta and Entra ID. 1Password’s terms say business fees are generally non-refundable. Our guide to secure remote work for a small team covers how to organize shared access.
Trials and refunds
1Password offers a 14-day free trial on Individual, Families, Teams Starter Pack and Business, with no credit card required. If you do add billing details, it charges you automatically when the trial ends unless you cancel. After that, there is no money-back guarantee: its terms say refund requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Bitwarden states a 30-day refund policy on all paid services, with no other conditions listed; you contact Bitwarden to request it. Families, Teams and Enterprise show a free trial button. The business trial is 14 days, while the Families trial length was not confirmed.
Security claims
1Password says it encrypts all vault data end to end, protects accounts with both your password and a Secret Key, and has been independently audited by third-party security experts. Bitwarden describes zero-knowledge encryption, open-source code, advanced two-step login and built-in phishing protection. These are the providers’ statements, not our findings.
Neither product removes the need for a recovery plan. 1Password’s Secret Key and Bitwarden’s emergency access on paid plans both change how you get back in, so read our guide to planning account recovery before lockout and our advice on keeping a password manager recoverable.
How to decide
Pick Bitwarden if you want to start free, keep costs low, cover six family members or rely on a 30-day refund. Pick 1Password if you prefer to test the full product for 14 days without a card, are buying directly to get the first-year discount, and accept that refunds are case by case and the renewal price is not confirmed. For teams of seven to ten, the 1Password Starter Pack is cheaper on the confirmed figures.
- Decide whether the Bitwarden free plan already covers you.
- Count users: six on Bitwarden Families, five on 1Password Families.
- For 1Password, budget for the possibility of a higher second-year price.
- Buy 1Password directly, not through an app store, if you want the discount.
- Note the refund window before paying: 30 days at Bitwarden, none guaranteed at 1Password.
- Confirm the final price, taxes and currency at checkout.
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