Bitwarden Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Bitwarden costs Free to $47.88 per user/month as of May 2026. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
Yes, Bitwarden offers a forever free plan as of May 2026. The free tier includes 8 features with limits on usage. Paid plans start at $1.65/user/month (Premium). Pricing verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Bitwarden's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Unlimited passwords, notes, cards, and identities
- Access on unlimited devices
- Password generator
- Secure password sharing (one-to-one)
- Two-factor authentication (authenticator app, email)
- Encrypted export and import
- Self-host option available
- Open-source and independently audited codebase
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Everything in Free plan
- 1 GB encrypted file attachments
- Advanced two-factor authentication (YubiKey, FIDO2, Duo)
- Bitwarden Authenticator (TOTP) built-in
- Vault health reports (reused, weak, exposed passwords)
- Emergency access
- Priority customer support
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Everything in Free plan or 1 GB encrypted file attachments
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Bitwarden branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Premium Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Premium $1.65/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 8 included | 7+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Bitwarden branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Individuals who want a fully-featured, free, open-source password manager with no device limits | Individual users who want advanced 2FA, built-in TOTP authenticator, and vault health reporting for $19.80/year |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Bitwarden free?
Yes, Bitwarden offers a forever free plan with 8 core features included. However, there are limits on users and features that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Bitwarden's free plan?
Bitwarden's free plan includes: Unlimited passwords, notes, cards, and identities, Access on unlimited devices, Password generator, Secure password sharing (one-to-one), Two-factor authentication (authenticator app, email), and 3 more features. Key limits include basic usage caps.
03 What's NOT included in Bitwarden's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Everything in Free plan, 1 GB encrypted file attachments, Advanced two-factor authentication (YubiKey, FIDO2, Duo), Bitwarden Authenticator (TOTP) built-in, Vault health reports (reused, weak, exposed passwords). You'll also have Bitwarden branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Bitwarden's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Everything in Free plan or 1 GB encrypted file attachments, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $1.65/user/month.
05 Is Bitwarden's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Bitwarden's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.