Bitwarden
Open-source password manager with a free tier that covers unlimited devices.
why this verdict
Keep paying — Google has not replaced it
Google's version overlaps, but does not finish the security job, so this one still earns its $1/mo.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- Browser and OS password managers plus passkeys removing the reason to install anything. Google, May 20, 2025 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers not the job editorial call
- Parts of it. The job still needs the tool to get finished.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 2 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Proton Pass and KeePassXC.
- What the call is worth $12/yr
- $1/mo at the entry paid tier — $12 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- Since
- May 20, 2025
- List price
- $1/mo
- Per year
- $12
The backstory
Bitwarden won on trust and price: the code is auditable, it is independently security-audited, and the free tier is genuinely usable rather than a trial. Chrome, Safari and Android keep absorbing password management and passkeys into the platform, which should squeeze every standalone manager. Bitwarden is the one best positioned to absorb the hit, because cross-platform users and organisations that will not put credentials in a browser vendor's cloud are precisely the people who cannot use the free built-in option.
Escape hatches
More polished experience and stronger business features
1password.com open_in_newPrivacy-focused manager bundled with Proton services
proton.me open_in_newFully offline local vault with no service at all
keepassxc.org open_in_new2 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.