Bitwarden alternatives: where to go, and how to leave cleanly
Six destinations, one per reason for leaving, and a seven-step exit plan.
The short answer: Proton Pass if you want a European company and a more polished app, 1Password if you want the smoothest experience and can live with paying more than twice as much, KeePassXC if you're done with subscriptions and the cloud, Vaultwarden if you like the Bitwarden apps but want to run the server yourself, Passbolt for a team. One rule before you pick: export as encrypted JSON set to “password protected”, never “account restricted”, and save your Sends before you cancel. We compared these destinations and their import paths from Bitwarden in 2026.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why Bitwarden users are packing up
Let's be fair up front. Bitwarden is still the cheapest paid password manager most people will find, the free plan is still there, and the code is open source. It sits at the top of our password manager ranking with 4.5 out of 5. Leaving can cost you more, not less. Still, six complaints come up again and again from people on their way out. If you're staying, you can also wire your vault into your automations with Bitwarden and n8n or Bitwarden and Make.
Premium nearly doubled in 2026
Premium went from about $10 to $19.80 a year ($1.65 a month), close to a 98% jump. Families went from about $40 to $47.88 a year for up to six people. It's the first increase in ten years, and it ships with extras (vault health alerts, 5 GB of attachments instead of 1 GB, up to 10 security keys) that plenty of users call nice but not essential. Existing subscribers get a one-time 25% loyalty discount on their next renewal, with a reminder 15 days before.
An interface that feels dated
The most consistent complaint: too many clicks, edited items jumping to the top of the list, and a look that trails 1Password or Dashlane. Users also report the app slowing down past roughly ten thousand items. None of it is a dealbreaker on day one. Over months, it wears you down.
Autofill that misses
Logins that won't fill even with the exact URL saved, and Android autofill that works one day and not the next. That's the second big reason people go. A password manager that doesn't fill sends you back to copy and paste, which defeats the point.
Doubts about where the company is headed
The “Always free” line was pulled from the website and later put back, long-time executives stepped down, and the “Inclusion” and “Transparency” values were dropped. Bitwarden says it remains committed to a robust free plan. Add the 2024 SDK license episode, later relicensed under GPLv3, and you can see why part of the open source crowd is shopping around.
A US company
Bitwarden is American. It offers EU hosting (you sign up at bitwarden.eu), but if you want a vendor that sits outside US jurisdiction because of the CLOUD Act, Proton (Switzerland), Passbolt (Luxembourg) or a local KeePassXC file answer that question more directly.
Feature requests that never land
Custom icons, previewing attachments without downloading them, tags alongside folders: these requests have sat on the community forum for years. When the price doubles, the wait stings more. Free Send is still text only; sharing a file takes Premium.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Bitwarden alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually one line fits. Each card jumps to the full profile below.
Swiss company, 10 free aliases, built-in Bitwarden import.
You want the smoothest experience and will pay for it1Password$3.99 a month list price, 14-day trial without a card.
You're done with subscriptions and the cloudKeePassXCFree, open source, one encrypted file on your disk.
You like the Bitwarden apps, just not the billVaultwardenYour own server, works with the official apps.
You're moving a team of ten or morePassboltLuxembourg-based, Pro at $4.90 per user.
Your family stores lots of documents in the vaultKeeper10 GB of file storage on Family, 30-day trial.
Bitwarden alternatives, one by one
For each tool: why move there, who it fits, where it falls short, how to bring your Bitwarden vault in, and what it costs. Prices are what each vendor lists in 2026, in US dollars. Scores come from our password manager comparison; KeePassXC and Vaultwarden aren't in it, so they don't get a score here.
Proton Pass: the easiest European switch
Swiss companyWhy move to Proton Pass. It's the name that comes up most often among people leaving Bitwarden. Proton is based in Geneva, publishes its code, and several former Bitwarden users describe the app as more polished day to day. What sets it apart is email aliases: you sign up somewhere with a throwaway address that forwards to your real inbox, then kill it the day it starts getting spam. The free plan includes 10 aliases and 1 GB of storage.
Who it fits. Anyone who wants a European vendor, anyone already on Proton Mail, and families: Pass Family is $4.99 a month, or $59.88 a year, for six people. Pass Plus works out to $2.99 a month billed yearly ($35.88), against a $4.99 list price.
Who should skip it. Anyone relying on Bitwarden's emergency access to hand their vault to a relative: Proton Pass has no equivalent. Same if you generate DuckDuckGo aliases from Bitwarden; Proton Pass doesn't.
Where it falls short. Autofill isn't perfect here either. One switcher reports around ten sites where it fails, with no per-site setting to fix it. Others mention missing keyboard shortcuts and hardware keys that misbehave on Android. A 30-day money-back guarantee gives you time to check it on your own sites.
How to migrate. Export your vault as .json from the Bitwarden browser extension, then in Proton Pass go to Settings, Import, Bitwarden. Proton lists logins and notes; don't count on cards, passkeys, TOTP codes or attachments coming across. Tip: the import flattens everything into one vault. Screenshot your folder tree first so you can rebuild your vaults by hand.
- Free
- 10 aliases, 1 GB
- Paid
- Pass Plus $35.88/yr, Family $59.88/yr
- Score
- 4.2/5
- Catch
- no emergency access
1Password: the most polished, at a premium
Most comfortableWhy move to 1Password. If your main gripe with Bitwarden is the experience, this is the most direct fix. Reliable autofill, consistent apps on every platform, vaults plus tags: most of what Bitwarden users have been asking for already exists here. A 14-day trial with no credit card lets you compare it on your own logins.
Who it fits. People who want it to just work and are fine paying for that. Individual lists at $3.99 a month and Families at $5.99, billed yearly ($47.88 and $71.88). The pricing page also shows promotional rates of $2.99 and $4.49, and new customers buying direct get 25% off the first year.
Who should skip it. Anyone leaving Bitwarden to spend less: you'll pay more than twice the Premium price. Anyone who wants open source code: 1Password's isn't public. And anyone who wants a free tier: there isn't one.
Where it falls short. Price first. Import second: 1Password doesn't bring over passkeys or items in shared collections. Curious about the other direction? Our guide to switching from 1Password explains why some people make the opposite move.
How to migrate. In Bitwarden, export as encrypted .json and pick “Password protected”. Then in the 1Password app go to File, Import, Bitwarden (or Import data on 1Password.com). Unencrypted JSON and account-restricted exports are rejected. Known trap: if your Bitwarden account uses Argon2id as its key derivation function, the import fails with “Unable to import”. Switch to PBKDF2 in Bitwarden's security settings, export again, and it goes through. If the result looks wrong, Undo Import rolls it back.
- Free
- none, 14-day trial
- Paid
- Individual $47.88/yr, Families $71.88/yr
- Score
- 4.4/5
- Catch
- passkeys not imported
KeePassXC: no subscription, no cloud
Free and localWhy move to KeePassXC. It's the most radical answer to the 2026 price change: you pay nothing, and nothing ever sits on someone else's server. Your vault becomes an encrypted file on your computer. It's open source and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, ARM builds included. It's also where people land when they've stopped trusting any vendor at all.
Who it fits. Technical users who are comfortable owning their backups and syncing the file themselves, for example by dropping it into a cloud folder they already use.
Who should skip it. Families sharing logins, or anyone who wants to open their vault from a browser on another computer: there's no web access. On phones you need a compatible third-party app (KeePassDX on Android, Strongbox or KeePassium on iPhone).
Where it falls short. Lose the file or its password and everything is gone. No support team will get it back. Keep at least two copies, one of them off-site.
How to migrate. KeePassXC reads Bitwarden exports natively: Database, Import, Bitwarden. It takes both plain and encrypted JSON, and recent versions keep nested folders. After importing, open about ten entries that had a TOTP code: third-party converters warn that TOTP doesn't always come through and custom fields end up in notes.
- Price
- $0, open source
- Storage
- local encrypted file
- Import
- Bitwarden JSON, plain or encrypted
- Catch
- sync and backups are on you
Vaultwarden: keep the Bitwarden apps, run your own server
Self-hostedWhy move to Vaultwarden. You like the Bitwarden apps and extensions, just not the company or the bill? Vaultwarden is an unofficial server written in Rust that works with the official clients. You change the server URL in the app and you're back in a familiar interface. It's free and very light: around 40 MB of RAM at idle, and it runs on a Raspberry Pi 4.
Who it fits. Anyone with a home server or NAS who knows how to put a service behind HTTPS. Side benefit: your vault stays reachable at home even when the internet is down.
Who should skip it. Anyone who has never run a server. If your Vaultwarden goes down or you lose its database, nobody is coming to help.
Where it falls short. Backups are entirely your job, HTTPS is non-negotiable, and the project leans heavily on one main maintainer. Reports differ on Premium features (built-in TOTP, attachments, Send): one switcher couldn't get built-in TOTP working, others say it's there. Check on your own install before you cancel. The same switcher noticed a one to two minute sync lag between devices.
How to migrate. Export your vault as JSON, import it through the Vaultwarden web vault, then point each app at your server's address. Big vault? One switcher had an export of about 8 MB rejected and had to split it into several files. Set up an automatic daily backup to another disk on day one.
- Price
- $0, you host it
- Apps
- the Bitwarden ones
- Resources
- about 40 MB of RAM
- Catch
- backups and HTTPS are on you
Passbolt: move a whole team to a European vendor
For teamsWhy move to Passbolt. If it's your company leaving Bitwarden Teams ($4 per user per month) or Enterprise ($6), Passbolt is the European option built around team sharing. It's based in Luxembourg, the code is public, and the free Community edition installs on your own server with unlimited users.
Who it fits. Teams of ten or more, with someone who can host a service, or ready to pay for Pro: $4.90 per user per month billed yearly, ten users minimum, with volume discounts past one hundred. Enterprise is quote-based.
Who should skip it. Individuals and families. Passbolt is designed for teams, not a personal vault.
Where it falls short. The ten-user minimum on Pro means $49 a month even for a team of six. Self-hosting the Community edition takes real time (updates, backups).
How to migrate. We didn't find an official Passbolt guide for importing from Bitwarden, so ask which format they expect before you start. Have an admin export each Bitwarden organization, then rebuild groups and permissions on the Passbolt side before you load the items.
- Free
- self-hosted Community
- Paid
- Pro $4.90/user/month, 10 min.
- Score
- 4.0/5
- Catch
- not built for individuals
Keeper: a full-featured pick for families with lots of files
File storageWhy move to Keeper. Keeper is a full commercial password manager with one concrete edge over Bitwarden: its Family plan includes 10 GB of secure file storage, where Bitwarden Families gives 5 GB personal plus 5 GB shared. A 30-day trial gives you time to check autofill on your own sites.
Who it fits. Households that keep ID scans, contracts and paperwork in the vault and want a consumer app without hosting anything.
Who should skip it. Anyone leaving Bitwarden to pay less or to stay open source. Keeper is neither free nor open source.
Where it falls short. Keeper's pricing page doesn't publish a readable amount, so we don't show one: compare what the trial offers you with the $19.80 you pay today. It scores 3.9 out of 5 in our ranking.
How to migrate. Keeper only imports Bitwarden from CSV: Settings, Import, Bitwarden. You map each column to a Keeper field by hand and tick the box saying the file has a header row. The CSV carries no cards, identities, passkeys or SSH keys, so re-enter those yourself. Review the folder tree afterwards, then delete the file.
- Trial
- 30 days
- Family
- 10 GB of files
- Score
- 3.9/5
- Catch
- CSV import only
Bitwarden and 6 alternatives compared
Our default pick: Proton Pass for an individual or family who wants a nicer app, KeePassXC if you want to pay nothing. Yearly cost for one person: Bitwarden Premium $19.80, Proton Pass Plus $35.88, 1Password Individual $47.88 at list price, KeePassXC and Vaultwarden $0 (plus your server). The table focuses on what matters when you leave: the free tier, and how your Bitwarden vault gets in.
| Free tier | Import from Bitwarden | |
|---|---|---|
| BitwardenWhere you start | Yes, unlimited devices; Send is text only | Exports CSV, JSON (plain or encrypted) or .zip with attachments |
| Proton PassSwiss company | 10 aliases, 1 GB | JSON from the extension; logins and notes listed |
| 1PasswordMost polished | None, 14-day trial | Password-protected encrypted JSON; no passkeys |
| KeePassXCNo cloud | Free, open source | Plain or encrypted JSON; check TOTP |
| VaultwardenSelf-hosted | Free, you run the server | JSON in the web vault; split large exports |
| PassboltTeams | Self-hosted Community | Ask the vendor for the expected format |
| KeeperFamilies and files | None, 30-day trial | CSV only, columns mapped by hand |
Vendor list prices in 2026, before tax, in US dollars. Keeper shows no amount on its pricing page. Dashlane, NordPass and RoboForm don't list a readable consumer price, so they don't get a profile here.
Leave Bitwarden in seven steps
Order matters. Each step protects something: your possible discount, your Sends, your passkeys, your two-factor codes, and the file you're about to create.
Weigh the loyalty discount first
Before anythingCheck your Premium or Families renewal date. Existing subscribers get a one-time 25% discount on the next renewal: on $19.80 that brings next year down to about $14.85. If you're on the fence, that may be enough to stay one more year and migrate without rushing.
If you're going, there's still no hurry. Move at your own pace and keep Bitwarden around until the end. You can also drop to the free plan instead of deleting the account while you double-check everything.
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Write down
- renewal date
Rescue what no export includes
TrapNo export format includes trash items or Sends. Open your trash and restore anything you want to keep, and save the contents of your active Sends before you cancel. Also write down how many items are in your vault: you'll use that number to check the import.
Part of an organization (family or team)? Your personal export won't include its items. An admin has to export the organization separately.
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Often missed
- Sends and trash
Pick the right export format
CSV only keeps logins and notes. It drops cards, identities, passkeys and SSH keys. JSON keeps all of those. The .zip is the only format that carries attachments, and only for your individual vault, not from mobile.
If you encrypt, choose “password protected”. An “account restricted” export can only be opened by that same Bitwarden account, so no other app can read it. Simple rule: encrypted JSON for 1Password, JSON for Proton Pass, KeePassXC and Vaultwarden, CSV for Keeper.
- Best format
- password-protected JSON
- CSV
- logins and notes only
Switch to PBKDF2 if you're going to 1Password
If your Bitwarden account uses Argon2id, the 1Password import fails. In your Bitwarden account's security settings, switch the key derivation function back to PBKDF2, then export again.
This only matters for 1Password. The other destinations haven't reported the same block.
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Applies to
- 1Password
Move passkeys separately
Passkeys are in the JSON, but 1Password doesn't import them and Proton doesn't list them. On iOS 26, Bitwarden can hand them app to app through the FIDO Credential Exchange Protocol (CXP), along with passwords and cards, as long as the receiving app supports it too.
Otherwise, list the accounts that use a passkey and create a new one on each site after the move. Don't keep a passkey export as a long-term backup; Bitwarden advises against it.
- Direct transfer
- iOS 26, if both apps support CXP
- Otherwise
- recreate each passkey
Import, count, check TOTP
Import, then compare the item count with your note from step 2. Next, open about ten random entries, TOTP ones first: generate the code and actually sign in. Keep your recovery codes handy until everything checks out.
Check the structure too. With Proton, everything lands in a single vault, so rebuild your vaults from the screenshot you took earlier.
- Time
- about an hour
- Check
- TOTP, folders, custom fields
Destroy the file and cut over
An unencrypted export holds every password in plain text. Never email it, don't leave it in a synced folder, and delete it, trash emptied, as soon as the import checks out.
Then uninstall the Bitwarden extension: two active password managers fight over the same fields. On your phone, change the default autofill service. Keep the Bitwarden account on the free plan for a week to catch anything missing, then delete it.
- Time
- one week in parallel
- If skipped
- plaintext vault on disk
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a Bitwarden exit go wrong
Failed migrations look alike. None of them come down to a bug. They're oversights, and each one costs you lost logins or hours of cleanup.
Exporting as “account restricted”
It's the first encrypted option offered, and it sounds safer. But no other app can open it. Pick “password protected” and keep that password somewhere separate.
Grabbing CSV out of habit
CSV works everywhere, so it's the reflex. The result: cards, identities and passkeys stay behind. Use it for Keeper, JSON everywhere else.
Forgetting Sends and the trash
No export includes them. A Send you used as a temporary file drop disappears with the account. Go through them before you cancel.
Assuming your personal export has everything
Items shared in an organization aren't in it. In a family, that's often where the Wi-Fi, router and shared accounts live. Ask the admin for that export.
Deleting the account too soon
Drop to free instead of deleting. You keep your vault for a week, long enough to find the forgotten login or the TOTP code that didn't make it.
Choosing on price alone
Bitwarden is still cheaper than 1Password or Proton Pass Plus. If the bill is your only reason, KeePassXC and Vaultwarden are the only exits that actually cost less. Otherwise, choose on experience and vendor, and factor in the 25% loyalty discount.
- Renewal date and 25% discount weighed
- Sends saved, trash checked
- Organization export requested from the admin
- Password-protected JSON export (CSV for Keeper)
- PBKDF2 set if going to 1Password
- Passkeys listed, moved or queued to recreate
- TOTP codes checked on ten entries
- Export file deleted, Bitwarden extension removed
Bitwarden alternatives: frequently asked questions
Is Bitwarden still free?
Yes. The free plan is still there, with unlimited devices and passwords. The “Always free” line was removed from the website and later restored, and Bitwarden says it's committed to a robust free plan. Free Send is text only, and the built-in TOTP authenticator needs Premium. If you keep your TOTP codes in a separate app, free is enough for a lot of people.
Why did Bitwarden raise its prices in 2026?
Bitwarden frames it as an enhanced Premium plan: vault health alerts, password coaching, 5 GB of attachments, up to 10 security keys, and phishing protection on the roadmap. Premium went from about $10 to $19.80 a year, Families from about $40 to $47.88. It's the first increase in ten years. Existing subscribers get 25% off once, on their next renewal.
Is there anything better than Bitwarden?
Better depends on why you're leaving. For polish and autofill, 1Password, at more than twice the price. For a European vendor and email aliases, Proton Pass. For zero cost and zero cloud, KeePassXC. On price alone, nothing paid beats Bitwarden right now; it still tops our ranking at 4.5 out of 5.
What's the best free Bitwarden alternative?
KeePassXC if you're happy to manage your own file and sync: free, open source, no limits. Proton Pass Free if you want a ready-to-use cloud app with 10 email aliases. Vaultwarden if you have a server and want to keep the Bitwarden apps. If your whole household is on iPhone and Mac, Apple Passwords is built in and free, though it handles far fewer item types.
Bitwarden or Proton Pass: which should I pick?
Bitwarden is cheaper on paid plans ($19.80 a year against $35.88 for Pass Plus) and has emergency access. Proton Pass has email aliases, a Swiss home, and an app many former Bitwarden users find nicer. If Europe and polish matter most, go Proton Pass. If price and emergency access matter most, stay.
How do I export my Bitwarden vault?
From the web vault, desktop app or browser extension, open the vault export and pick a format. Choose JSON (it keeps cards, identities and passkeys), encrypted and “password protected” if your destination accepts it. The .zip is the only one that carries attachments, for your individual vault. From the command line the export defaults to CSV; add
--format json --passwordfor an encrypted export.Can I self-host Bitwarden?
Yes, two ways. Bitwarden's Enterprise plan, at $6 per user per month, includes official self-hosting. For individuals, Vaultwarden is a free, unofficial server that works with the Bitwarden apps. Backups, HTTPS and updates are then entirely on you.
Should I leave Bitwarden over security?
The departures we went through are about price, interface, autofill and trust in where the company is going, not a breach. Bitwarden is still open source and first in our ranking. If security is your filter, be more wary of destinations with a heavy history: LastPass, breached in 2022, scores 3.4 out of 5 with us.
Why don't NordPass, Dashlane or RoboForm get a profile?
They rank high in a lot of affiliate lists, but their official pricing pages didn't show a readable consumer amount, and we don't publish a price we haven't read on the vendor's site. Dashlane also dropped its free plan in 2025 and scores 3.9 out of 5 with us. NordPass lists Bitwarden import from CSV or JSON.
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