Bitwarden vs 1Password: Password manager comparison

With internet users needing to log in to many websites daily, strict password requirements such as numbers and letter combinations, length, capital letters or special characters have made it more difficult for people to remember all their passwords. As a result, password manager tools like Bitwarden and 1Password are becoming more popular among businesses as they help users to keep track of their multiple passwords.

Jump to:

What is Bitwarden?

Bitwarden is an open-source password manager tool with end-to-end AES-256 encryption. This password tool integrates seamlessly with about any browser on desktop or mobile device. With Bitwarden, enterprise users can easily share passwords securely due to its encryption capability. In addition to offering password management services, Bitwarden also helps businesses store sensitive information in an encrypted vault.

This password management software also has advanced options, such as two-factor authentications (2FA), a secure password generator, encrypted file management, vault health reports and optional automated password autofill capabilities to make your logins faster.

What is 1Password?

1Password is a well-known password manager for businesses that encrypt data at rest and in transit. With this password manager tool, admins can create custom groups, roles and temporary guest accounts, and business users have access to shared vaults. In addition, any accounts that may have been affected by a data breach are displayed in custom reports.

1Password works with multiple operating systems such as Windows, Linux and Mac on desktop and mobile. This tool also offers AES-256 encryption and 2FA across all their plans. In addition, this tool comes with keylogging protection, security breach alerts and file storage options for users.

Bitwarden vs. 1Password: Feature comparison

Both Bitwarden and 1Password offer a variety of features common to top password management tools. But, where Bitwarden’s open-source nature allows it to keep up with current password security trends more easily, 1Password offers greater usability and password sharing and recovery features.

SEE: Password breach: Why pop culture and passwords don’t mix (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Security and encryption

Bitwarden adopts end-to-end AES-256 encryption, offering users hard-to-crack encryption with the longest key-length size. It also uses salted hashing, or making an output unique by adding random data, to generate passwords, which makes them more difficult for brute force attacks to crack. In addition, to keep its clients’ data safe, Bitwarden undertakes frequent third-party security assessments and open-source community reviews to contribute to its security.

Comparatively, 1Password also encrypts all user data using AES-256 encryption, which the user can only decrypt. So, backdoor hackers and bad internal players will be unable to access your data due to this. Additionally, 1Password protects data from keyloggers and contains phishing defenses. It also notifies you about security breaches that may include your information. So, if your organization needs a password security tool that is also GDPR and SOC2 compliant, 1Password is a good fit.

Password sharing

While you should keep your passwords to personal accounts to yourself, if you have a business account, password sharing allows employees to have access to shared corporate services, such as accounting software or mobile apps for submitting reports.

To share passwords on Bitwarden, you must first create an organization account, invite users and then share credentials with each person using your vault.

Because it’s easier to use the shared vault to share your credentials with other users, 1Password has a little advantage over Bitwarden. To share a password, all you have to do is move it from your private vault to your shared vault. It’s just as simple to discontinue sharing a password with a user, which you might want to do if an employee leaves or no longer requires access to a shared account.

Usability

With Bitwarden, some customers have issues with the autofill feature, and the interface isn’t very user-friendly. Furthermore, premium users are limited to 1GB of storage by default, which may be insufficient for commercial users. It does, however, include all of the key functions users should look for in a password manager.

Generally, 1Password is simple to use, though the browser extension lacks some of the features included in the web version. Sharing passwords, for example, is not feasible using the browser extension, although it is available via the web version. Logging into accounts on mobile devices may require numerous steps, which appears to be the most common customer issue in terms of usability.

Password recovery

Unless you’re registered in Organization Master Password Reset, there’s no way to restore your account or the data saved in your Bitwarden personal vault if you lose your master password. Your only option would be to delete your existing account and create a new one. This is one drawback of Bitwarden that scares a lot of users.

However, this is not the case for 1Password. If you forget your password or can’t find your secret key, 1Password has a feature that allows your team members to restore your account.

Choosing between Bitwarden and 1Password

Bitwarden and 1Password are two of the best password managers in the market, and with so many features, choosing between them often depends more on your budget and other specific needs.

Bitwarden is more suitable for individuals and businesses who are just starting out with password management. Furthermore, since Bitwarden is an open-source password manager software, business organizations looking for a scalable password security solution can adopt it. However, some users may be put off by its limited usability.

On the other hand, while 1Password has a wider variety of features compared to Bitwarden, it’s easy to use and get started. In addition, 1Password has an option for master password recovery, which is a critical feature when you lose or forget your master password or secret key.