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Free Bitwarden alternatives
Every pick starts with a genuine free tier, which makes it the easiest way to test a full workflow for zero dollars. Start free and upgrade only when it earns it.
What is the best free alternative to Bitwarden?
Proton VPN is the free Bitwarden alternative we recommend first. Proton VPN is the pick when you want privacy purists, journalists, and proton suite users who want audited open-source apps, plus anyone who needs a free vpn that actually respects them., and it leads on privacy jurisdiction & legal protection. It scores 4.6 in our testing, and at $2.99/mo it keeps the monthly bill reasonable. See the full ranked list below to compare every pick.
3 free alternatives worth your time
Proton VPN
4.6 out of 54.6Open-source Swiss VPN with a genuinely useful free plan, five straight years of no-logs audits, and 20,000-plus RAM-only servers.
Proton VPN is the pick when you want privacy purists, journalists, and proton suite users who want audited open-source apps, plus anyone who needs a free vpn that actually respects them., and it leads on privacy jurisdiction & legal protection.
- Permanent free plan with unlimited data, no ads, and no credit card required.
- Five straight years of independent no-logs audits by Securitum, latest passed in May 2026.
Dashlane
4.3 out of 54.3Password manager with a built-in VPN.
Dashlane is the pick when you want password manager with a built-in vpn., and it leads on ease of use.
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
Proton Pass
4.3 out of 54.3Encrypted password manager from the Proton suite.
Proton Pass is the pick when you want encrypted password manager from the proton suite., and it leads on ease of use.
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
Bitwarden vs the free alternatives
| Tool | Our score | From | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitwarden | 4.7 | $0.83/mo | Yes | Individuals, families, and businesses that want a secure, open-source password manager with no hidden limits. Bitwarden is equally suited for personal use, small teams, and enterprise deployments that need self-hosting or compliance controls. |
| Proton VPN | 4.6 | $2.99/mo | Yes | Privacy purists, journalists, and Proton suite users who want audited open-source apps, plus anyone who needs a free VPN that actually respects them. |
| Dashlane | 4.3 | $4.99/mo | Yes | Password manager with a built-in VPN. |
| Proton Pass | 4.3 | $1.99/mo | Yes | Encrypted password manager from the Proton suite. |
Who stands behind the picks
Bitwarden
- Company
- Bitwarden Inc.
- Founded
- 2015
13 hours of testing 3 review rounds Verified 2026-07-01
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