LastPass vs Bitwarden

LastPass was once the default password manager, and many people still use it. Bitwarden grew as the open-source, low-cost alternative, and in recent years it has pulled ahead for many users. If you are choosing between them, or deciding whether to stay with LastPass, this comparison covers price, free plans, security history and ease of use.

Price snapshot

Prices on this page are rounded list prices from published sources in 2026, including the price changes made earlier this year. Plans, trial lengths and family limits change often, so confirm the current price on each provider’s own site before you subscribe.

Free plans compared

The free plans are where the two differ most. LastPass limits its free plan to one device type, so you can use it on computers or on phones, but not both. If you need passwords on your laptop and your phone, you must pay or pick something else. Bitwarden’s free plan has no such limit. It offers unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, with sharing between two people and basic two-factor options. For many users that is all they need.

Paid plans

Bitwarden Premium costs $19.80 a year after a price rise in January 2026, which is a published price. LastPass displays pricing dynamically, so compare the current checkout totals for the same billing period before deciding. Premium adds extras such as built-in authenticator codes, vault health reports, file attachments and emergency access. LastPass Premium adds features such as dark web monitoring and emergency access. On family plans, Bitwarden Families is listed at $47.88/year for six users. LastPass Families also covers six, but compare the live annual quote before deciding which costs less.

Security and trust

Both encrypt your vault so the company cannot read it. The difference is track record and transparency. In 2022 LastPass disclosed a breach in which attackers copied encrypted backups of customer vaults. The vaults were encrypted, so the risk depends on the strength of each user’s master password, but the incident led many people to switch. Bitwarden publishes its source code and has independent security audits, which lets outside experts examine how it works. Neither company can promise perfect security.

Ease of use

LastPass has a familiar, simple interface and strong autofill, which is part of why it became popular. Bitwarden’s interface is plainer, and autofill can occasionally miss a field, though it is reliable for most sites. If you want the smoothest autofill of all, 1Password is the stronger pick; see 1Password vs Bitwarden.

Extra features

• Bitwarden: self-hosting for people who want to run their own server, passkey support and a generator for passwords and passphrases.
• LastPass: a familiar dashboard, emergency access and sharing folders in paid plans.

Who should pick which

• Pick Bitwarden if you want a free plan that works everywhere, the lowest paid price or open-source code.
• Pick LastPass if you already use it, are happy with it and the one-device-type limit does not matter.
• Consider other options if you want a more polished app. See best password managers.

Switching from LastPass to Bitwarden

1. Create a Bitwarden account with a strong, unique master password and turn on two-factor authentication.
2. In LastPass, export your vault. The export is a plain file, so treat it carefully.
3. In Bitwarden, choose the import option and select the LastPass format.
4. Check that your logins, notes and folders came across.
5. Delete the export file from your computer and your trash.
6. Change the passwords for your most important accounts, starting with email and banking, as a precaution.

What if a password company is breached?

Reputable managers encrypt your vault with a key derived from your master password, so a stolen copy should be unreadable without it. That is why a long, unique master password matters so much: it is the main defense if encrypted data is ever taken. After any breach announcement, change your master password and the passwords for your most sensitive accounts, and turn on two-factor authentication wherever you can.

Three example users

Anita uses a laptop and an Android phone. LastPass’s free plan would limit her to one of them, so Bitwarden’s free plan fits better. Greg has used LastPass for years and has a strong master password. He can stay, but may prefer Bitwarden for price and openness. Sam wants to self-host. Bitwarden supports it, LastPass does not.

Questions to ask before you choose

• Do I need my passwords on both phone and computer?
• Do I care that the code can be inspected by others?
• How much do I want to spend a year?
• Do I need to share logins with family?

Is your master password strong enough?

A good master password is long, unique and not based on personal details. A phrase of four or five unrelated words is easy to remember and hard to guess. Avoid anything you have used on another site, and never share it. If you are staying with LastPass and chose your master password years ago, consider changing it to something longer, and make sure two-factor authentication is turned on.

Apps and browser extensions

Both services offer apps for phones and computers and extensions for the major browsers, so you can fill logins wherever you work. The practical difference is the free plan: with Bitwarden you can use all of them at no cost, while LastPass’s free plan limits you to one device type. Test autofill on the sites you use most before you commit, since that is what you will notice every day.

Official sources and references

Use these first-party pages to verify current plans, prices, features and eligibility. Offers and terms can change by country, billing period and date; confirm the details that apply to you before buying. Links below are provider documentation, not independent endorsements.

• LastPass plans and pricing
• Bitwarden pricing
• Bitwarden security FAQs