Bitwarden vs Padloc (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Bitwarden: it is first in our ranking of password managers, and it grades higher too, 3.8 against 2.8.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bitwarden grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bitwarden
Open-source password manager with a free plan and self-hosting
Padloc
Open-source, end-to-end encrypted password manager with team plans
Which one is for you
Pick Bitwarden if
- Fits if you want a free password manager on all your devices with no limit on logins
- Works for a household of up to 6 at $3.99 a month, or anyone who wants to host it themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free and want two-factor codes, attachments, health reports or emergency access, as all are paid
- Skip it if you share logins with several people but don't want Families, since solo plans share with one other user
- Not for you if you want a VPN or scam warnings bundled in, because Bitwarden sticks to passwords
- Watch out: listed prices assume yearly billing and leave out tax
- Pricey if your company wants single sign-on and policies, which need Enterprise at $6 a user a month
Pick Padloc if
- Fits if you want a free vault across every platform
- Works for small teams that want shared vaults and directory sync
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you store files, as encrypted storage is 1 GB on Premium and Family, 5 GB on Team and 20 GB on Business
- Watch out: shared vaults are capped at 20 on Team and 50 on Business
- Watch out: the page does not say whether Team and Business prices are per user
- Skip it if you want customization, as it is Enterprise only, with no published price
- Watch out: the free plan lists encrypted file storage but not its size
How we grade them
| 3.8GPABitwardenExcellent | 2.8GPAPadlocGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe useful version costs nothing, and Premium is $1.65 a month, billed as $19.80 a year, against $2.99 for the middle of this category and $2.49 where its lowest-priced quarter starts. Families covers 6 people for $3.99 a month. | CPremium is $34.90 a year, about $2.91 a month, level with the middle of password managers. Family is $59.50 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe one free plan in this category with no cap on logins or devices: unlimited logins, passkeys, notes and cards on unlimited devices, with no time limit. File attachments, the built-in authenticator and emergency access are the paid extras. | AFree means unlimited vault items and devices, shared vaults, multi-factor login, a security report and built-in one-time codes. The file storage size is not given. |
| Features | AIt covers the whole job, plus two things none of the paid rivals here offer: the code is open source, and you can run the whole service on your own server. Passwords, passkeys, autofill, a generator, Send for links that disappear, then two-factor codes and 5 GB of encrypted attachments on Premium. | BEnd-to-end encryption, shared vaults, an authenticator, a security report, markdown notes and directory sync. Listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | A4.76 from about 33,500 App Store ratings, the highest in this category. Sign up free and your logins fill in across your devices. The self-hosting is optional and most people will never go near it. | CNo store rating on record. You make an account and move your passwords in. |
| Platforms and integrations | BNo common device is left out: web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. There's no list of integrations and no public API on the listing, though. The only connecting out to other software is directory sync, SCIM and single sign-on, and those are business plans. | BWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and a browser extension, but no API or integrations list. |
| Best for | a free password manager on every device | a password vault with a free plan |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bitwarden and Padloc. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bitwarden starts at $1.65 a month and scores 3.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Padloc starts at $2.91 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Bitwarden scores higher and starts $1.26 a month lower. Of the other password managers on the chart, none scores higher than Bitwarden for less, and 8 score higher than Padloc for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Bitwarden is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Bitwarden also covers passkeys.
- Padloc also covers notes and Markdown.
At a glance
| Bitwarden | Padloc | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $1.65 per month, billed annually at $19.80 (Premium) | $3.49 per month, or $34.90 per year (Premium) |
| Free plan | Free for 1 user: unlimited logins, passkeys, notes, cards and identities on unlimited devices, a password generator and text-only Send. No file attachments or integrated authenticator. | Free: unlimited vault items and devices, shared vaults, multi-factor login, a security report, built-in one-time codes and markdown notes. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the Families, Teams and Enterprise plans, started from the sign-up pages the pricing page links to | 30-day free trial on paid plans |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Bitwarden, Inc. | MaKleSoft UG |
| Price read from | bitwarden.com | padloc.app |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bitwarden
- The free plan leaves out file attachments, the integrated authenticator, vault health reports and emergency access.
- Individual plans share items with only one other Bitwarden user; unlimited sharing starts with Families.
- Listed prices are based on annual subscriptions, and taxes are not included.
- SSO integration and enterprise policies require the Enterprise plan.
Padloc
- Encrypted file storage is capped by plan: 1 GB on Premium and Family, 5 GB on Team and 20 GB on Business.
- Shared vaults are capped on Team (20) and Business (50); the page does not say whether prices are per user.
- Enterprise has no published price, and customization is only offered there.
- The pricing page lists encrypted file storage on the free plan but does not give its size.
Key features
Bitwarden
- Unlimited free vault
- The free plan stores unlimited logins, passkeys, notes, cards and identities and works on unlimited devices through browser, mobile and desktop apps.
- Open source
- Bitwarden's code is open source, and the company describes its security as independently verified.
- Passkeys, autofill and generator
- Stores and manages passkeys alongside passwords, autofills logins across devices and generates strong passwords and usernames.
- Bitwarden Send
- Shares sensitive information through a link that disappears. Free accounts can send text only; file sharing comes with paid plans.
- Self-hosting
- Bitwarden can be deployed on premises or in a private cloud. Families and Enterprise organizations can be moved to a self-hosted server.
- Business controls
- Teams adds event logs, directory synchronization and SCIM provisioning. Enterprise adds policies, SSO integration and granular access control.
Padloc
- More than passwords
- Stores credit cards, banking details, rich-text notes with markdown, license keys and documents alongside logins.
- End-to-end encryption
- Data is encrypted before it leaves your device, and the vendor says neither it nor anyone else can read it.
- Shared vaults
- Share vaults with family, coworkers or clients. Team and Business plans add groups for permission management.
- Built-in authenticator
- Generates one-time passwords for two-factor logins inside the app, and supports multi-factor login to the account.
- Security report
- A report on stored logins, included on every plan, including the free one.
- Directory sync
- Team, Business and Enterprise plans support directory sync and automatic provisioning of users.
Plans
Bitwarden
Free$0
1 user. Unlimited passwords and passkeys on unlimited devices, a password and username generator, and two-step login.
Premium$1.65
per month, billed annually at $19.80
Adds the integrated authenticator, 5 GB of encrypted file attachments, emergency access, security reports and priority support.
Families$3.99
per month for up to 6 users, billed annually at $47.88
6 premium accounts with unlimited sharing and collections, plus shared organization storage.
Teams$4
per user / month, billed annually
Secure credential sharing for a team, event logs, directory synchronization and SCIM provisioning.
Enterprise$6
per user / month, billed annually
Everything in Teams, plus enterprise policies, passwordless SSO integration, granular access control and self-hosting.
Padloc
Free$0
Unlimited items and devices, shared vaults, encrypted file storage, one-time codes and a security report.
Premium$3.49
per month ($34.90 billed per year)
For one person: adds advanced multi-factor options and up to 1 GB of encrypted file storage.
Family$5.95
per month ($59.50 billed per year)
Shares data between up to 5 users, with up to 5 shared vaults and 1 GB of file storage.
Team$3.49
per month ($34.90 billed per year); per-user basis not shown
Up to 20 shared vaults, up to 10 groups, directory sync and 5 GB of file storage.
Business$6.99
per month ($69.90 billed per year); per-user basis not shown
Up to 50 shared vaults, up to 20 groups, directory sync and 20 GB of file storage.
EnterpriseCustom
Price on request: unlimited vaults, groups and file storage, plus customized appearance and features.
Ways to pay less
Bitwarden
- Other savings
Free Families plan for Enterprise users
Bitwarden's pricing page states that the Enterprise plan includes a free Families plan for all of its users.
Padloc
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs 10 months
On the plans shown, the yearly price is ten times the monthly price, such as $34.90 a year against $3.49 a month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bitwarden or Padloc?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bitwarden is cheaper to start with: $1.65 a month, against $2.91 a month when paid by the year for Padloc. Bitwarden starts at $1.65 per month, billed annually at $19.80 (Premium), and Padloc starts at $3.49 per month, or $34.90 per year (Premium).
Which has a free plan, Bitwarden or Padloc?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Bitwarden and Padloc have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.