Our verdict
For new buyers, Bitwarden is the safer default: cheaper or equal on price, transparent, and free of LastPass's recent history. Existing LastPass customers should at minimum enforce strong master passwords and rotate critical credentials — and most will be better served by migrating.
LastPass was once the default business password manager; Bitwarden is the open-source challenger that many teams have moved to. LastPass still offers a mature admin console and wide SSO options, but its 2022 security incidents — in which attackers stole encrypted vault backups — changed how many buyers view it. Bitwarden combines low prices with open-source code and regular third-party audits.
Choose LastPass if…
- You already run LastPass and are satisfied with its current controls
- You want its long-established admin policies and reporting
- Your SSO setup is built around LastPass integrations
- You prefer not to run a migration project right now
Choose Bitwarden if…
- Transparency (open-source code, published audits) matters to you
- You want the lowest cost per user for a full business manager
- You may want to self-host your password vault
- You are choosing a password manager for the first time
Side by side
| Criterion | LastPass | Bitwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.4 / 10 | 8.9 / 10 |
| Features & fit | 8.0 | 8.8 |
| Ease of use | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| Value for money | 7.6 | 9.6 |
| Support & reliability | 7.2 | 8.0 |
| Security & privacy | 6.4 | 9.4 |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 8.0 | 8.2 |
| Starting price (indicative) | From around $4–7 / user / month | Free personal plan; Teams from around $4 / user / month |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Organisations already invested in LastPass | Budget-conscious teams |
Feature by feature
| Feature | LastPass | Bitwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Business price (indicative) | Teams ~ $4; Business ~ $7 / user / month | Teams ~ $4; Enterprise ~ $6 / user / month |
| Free plan | No business free plan | Free personal; free 2-person organisation |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Self-hosting | No | Yes |
| Zero-knowledge encryption | Yes | Yes |
| SSO integration | Business tier | Enterprise tier |
| Passkey support | Yes | Yes |
| Notable incidents | 2022 breaches (encrypted vault backups stolen) | None comparable publicly disclosed |
Pricing compared
LastPass
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Teams | ≈ $4 / user / mo | Up to 50 users, billed annually |
| Business | ≈ $7 / user / mo | Billed annually |
Bitwarden
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Up to 2 users · Free organisation for two users |
| Teams | ≈ $4 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Enterprise | ≈ $6 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Team size | LastPass | Bitwarden |
|---|---|---|
| 5 seats | $20 (Teams) | $20 (Teams) |
| 10 seats | $40 (Teams) | $40 (Teams) |
| 25 seats | $100 (Teams) | $100 (Teams) |
Indicative USD list prices; excludes tax, add-ons and promotions. Confirm on each vendor’s site.
Security track record
In 2022 LastPass disclosed incidents in which source code and encrypted customer vault backups were stolen. Vaults remain protected by each user's master password, but weak master passwords became a real risk. Bitwarden has not had a comparable breach and publishes its code and audit reports.
Price
Bitwarden Teams is around $4 per user per month and Enterprise around $6, billed annually. LastPass Teams is around $4 (for up to 50 users) and Business around $7.
Open source and self-hosting
Bitwarden's clients and server are open source, and businesses can self-host. LastPass is closed source and cloud only.
Admin features
Both offer policies, groups, shared folders or collections, reporting and SSO options on business tiers. LastPass's admin console is long-established; Bitwarden's is functional and improving.
User experience
LastPass's interface is polished and familiar. Bitwarden is reliable and clean, though some users find it less refined.
Pros & cons
LastPass
- Mature feature set
- SSO and MFA add-ons
- Many policies
- 2022 breach of vault backups
- Trust concerns among security professionals
Bitwarden
- Excellent value
- Open source and audited
- Self-hosting option
- Interface less refined
- Some admin features on Enterprise
Key features of each
LastPass
- Shared folders. Team credential sharing.
- Policies. Over 100 security policies.
- Dark-web monitoring. Alerts on exposed credentials.
- SSO. Single sign-on add-ons.
Integrates with: Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Google Workspace.
Bitwarden
- Collections. Share items with groups.
- Policies. Enforce MFA and password rules.
- Send. Securely share text and files.
- Self-hosting. Run on your own infrastructure.
Integrates with: Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, OneLogin.
Who should avoid each
Skip LastPass if…
- Security-sensitive organisations
- Buyers prioritising a clean security record
Best for: Organisations already invested in LastPass; Teams needing SSO features; Users familiar with its interface.
Skip Bitwarden if…
- Users wanting the most polished interface
Best for: Budget-conscious teams; Open-source preference; Self-hosted deployments.
Switching between LastPass and Bitwarden
Migration difficulty: Easy
Bitwarden imports LastPass exports directly. The important step after migrating from LastPass is rotating passwords for critical accounts.
- Export vaults from LastPass (admins can export shared folders).
- Import into Bitwarden and recreate collections and groups.
- Rotate passwords for email, banking, admin consoles and other critical accounts.
- Enforce strong master passwords and two-factor authentication.
- Delete LastPass vaults once everyone has confirmed access.
Weigh it your way
Adjust the weights to your priorities to see which tool comes out ahead for you. Print or export the result for your team.
| Tool | Features | Ease | Value | Support | Security | Integrations | Your score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bitwarden | 8.8 | 8.4 | 9.6 | 8.0 | 9.4 | 8.2 | 8.93 |
| 2. LastPass | 8.0 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 8.0 | 7.44 |
Drag the sliders to match your priorities. Scores are our editorial sub-scores; weights start at the values we publish on the methodology page. Nothing you change is stored or sent anywhere.
How our scores and weights work · Add a third tool side by side
Frequently asked questions
Is LastPass safe to use?
LastPass encrypts vaults with your master password, so stolen backups are protected if that password is strong. Its 2022 incidents mean users with weak or reused master passwords should rotate critical credentials.
Can I import LastPass into Bitwarden?
Yes. Bitwarden has a direct LastPass import option.
Is Bitwarden really free?
Bitwarden's personal plan is free, and a free organisation supports two users. Business plans are paid.
Is open source safer?
Not automatically, but published code and independent audits make it easier for experts to check claims.
Does LastPass or Bitwarden have a free plan?
LastPass has a free trial but no permanent free plan; Bitwarden has a free plan. Indicative starting prices: LastPass — From around $4–7 / user / month; Bitwarden — Free personal plan; Teams from around $4 / user / month.
Which is cheaper for a team of 10, LastPass or Bitwarden?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users costs about $40 per month on LastPass (Teams) and about $40 on Bitwarden (Teams), so LastPass is cheaper at that size. Taxes, add-ons and discounts are excluded — and the plan you actually need may be higher.
Which scores higher in our review, LastPass or Bitwarden?
Bitwarden scores 8.9/10 and LastPass 7.4/10 on our weighted rubric. Bitwarden leads on 5 of six criteria. A higher score does not make it right for every buyer — see the “choose if” lists above.
