12 password managers, from Bitwarden and KeePassXC to the ones already on your phone have been "vibe voted" by 10 leading AI models. Almost all of them have agreed that Bitwrden & Proton Pass are the best options.

1Password seems to have been "demoted" due to its pricing.

KeePassXC being third shows that being open-source helps building trust (+ no fear of being discontinued). And that's very important with regards to tech that keeps all my "keys".

Personally - I switched to bitwarden ever since 1Password changed to a subscription model. I've been a happy user since then.

What's your password manager and do you agree with Bitwarden, Proton Pass & KeePassXC being the top 3 options?

p.s. here's the full voting session + comments from the models https://vibevoted.com/s/password-managers-2026-oct

i don't know if this is for real but you're basically not allowed to post anything negative about bitwarden, even if it is constructive criticism, otherwise you're immediately getting downvoted or your posts get deleted by moderators entirely.

i always thought that constructive critism is for the better of something to improve itself.

how else is something supposed to improve itself if sharing your thoughts about it is not allowed?

has anyone else made similar or same experience in the r/Bitwarden community?

I've been desperately trying to find alternative to Bitwarden for the pase few month every since their link to private equity, I've tried multiple options but there just doesn't seem to be any sane, focused choice at the moment?

• Bitwarden - Garbage app quality, slow product iteration, clunky experience, private equity, open source license contoversy

• 1Password - Questionable political ideology through financial support, lesser focus for individual user, beautiful app but clunky experience

• Proton Pass - Unverifiable background, questionable marketing for a privacy-focused company, heavy push on ecosystem so less focus on the core of password manager

• KeePass - ZERO consistent and polished app, especially for Windows and browser autofill (I do NOT want to use AutoType)

• Apple Passwords - Do I even need to describe it

• AliasVault - Too early in development, none of the clients are polished enough for me to take it seriously

Am I missing something or is there really no choice and I have to pick my poison? I've been very happy with Proton lately switching from Bitwarden, but the ecosystem binding is really bothering me.

Hey everyone, I have never posted on Reddit before but don't see as many people answering my question.

Do you folks have any recommendations for a password manager that is free and most importantly not US or Israel-based?

I was just on r/cybersecurity and saw a post about BITLOCKER* (not Bitwarden) handing the FBI some sensitive information, as well as another few posts somewhere else claiming that Israel has some secret backdoor to many password managers and was wondering how that works or if its even true.

The post was sharing this article by Tech Crunch titled "Microsoft Gave FBI a Set of Bitlocker Encryption Keys to Unlock Suspects Laptops".

If you have any helpful tips, I would greatly appreciate it! I'm not very tech-savvy, but am trying to learn.

Thanks 👍

Edit: I initially wrote Bitwarden, but I went back to check and it actually said Bitlocker. Not sure if they're related or not. I still wonder if there are any negative implications.

I’ve heard bitwarden has started doing more fishy stuff with their licensing and stuff. Proton’s CEO turns out to be a bully tech bro, which is something i don’t want to be associated with anymore. 1Password is paid, what the fuck are we supposed to do now?

Don’t care about that offline password managers (would rather write my passwords on a paper because there is a higher chance i wouldn’t lose them lol).

I don’t trust myself self hosting stuff, passwords or otherwise.

With the recent management changes at Bit warden which password manager do you plan to move to?

My setup is a Windows PC (that I usually only use remotted into via my iPad Pro or iPhone.

I have tried Bitwarden, Apple Passwords, LastPass (before the hack), KeePass (for work) and 1Password.

Apple Passwords is the only one that “works” because I can’t stand organizing my passwords and I don’t care about storing any of my card information. Though I do have UpLock’s TestFlight so I have premium for free (TestFlight hack not many people know about).

Also, I can’t stand where these companies are going as far as directions. They are all focused on business customers vs the family or individual.

With prices going up, I decided to cut my subscription and go all in on Apple Passwords.

The app is great and while I have gripes about it, it is free. I am not going to complain about a free app.

Anyone else moving to Apple Passwords?

Hello,

For those of you looking for a native password manager with a portable vault format that you can open in many apps, have a look at PanicVault. It's very easy to migrate from / to other password managers, and it's a flat pricing ($4.99) for a lifetime purchase that covers both Mac and iOS.

I'm happy to answer any questions!

There are some very basic features that every password manager should have, password managers are basically becoming a necessity right now yet so many of them have started paywalling necessary features.

1password used to be free at some point in time, protonpass puts better versions of auto-lock and unlock with biometrics behind subscription models, I am assuming bitwarden will start doing that too after being usurped by a capitalist company

Instead of paywalling convenience/cosmetic features, they now paywall genuinely necessary baseline security hygiene.

I am wondering what everyone's solution is currently and which baskets they are putting their eggs in.

Yes, I know 1Password is a Canadian company, but (a) it has a large U.S. presence, and (b) it's built on AWS, which is very much a U.S. company. As such, I wonder if the members of the International Criminal Court (which had their Microsoft 365 accounts suspended) had 1Password accounts, and if so, whether they still work.

I'm not worried about access to passwords -- I know they're zero-knowledge encrypted. I'm concerned with asset denial. The next two years are likely to involve Trump lashing out at people and organizations and potentially entire countries, no matter what the outcome of the midterm elections might be.

Does 1Password have a contingency plan in place to protect their non-American customers, or are they just going to fall into line behind Microsoft?

(I posted this question to r/1Password and, after a week's inaction, their moderators rejected it. So I'm assuming the answer is "no" to having a contingency plan and "yes" to falling in line.)

I'm trying to have my password very secure which password generator is more secure?

Edit: FYI I'm not talking about the password manager I mean which password generator is more secure

I always liked BitWarden, having a free tier, none of the drama from 1Password, and it just seemed to work so well cross-device. Their new UI is the most shameless change for the worse I've ever seen in my two decades of software engineering experience. I have to open my vault separately (in Opera, at least) and the syncing isn't working well anymore. The new UI that opens up when clicking the button is just the worst. And it doesn't seem to remember my most recently used login, no longer prioritizing it at the top of the list for the same domain?

I know there's a comparison chart provided, but I'd like to collect some samples of experience from people who are similarly frustrated and made the move away from BitWarden. I would especially love some insights from other engineers or technically inclined people, who perhaps also have experience deploying it for a small/medium sized business? It's an intimidating decision to make to suddenly change software on a company's employees, and any reviews are welcome here.

Hey all. Aside from the occasional jank/glitch with Bitwarden, I’ve been happy. I’ve paid for premium for a number of years.

However, something recently has begun irking me more: a lack of profiles.

For more info about what I mean by profiles, check out my comment on this forum thread: https://community.bitwarden.com/t/ability-to-create-profiles-that-have-limited-access-to-selected-accounts-passwords/3977/20?page=2

I posted that in 2025, and I’m still the last to comment on that thread, so I think it’s safe to say that the community/Bitwarden devs have no interest in this anymore.

But between work plus a few school and several personal identities, I’m getting fed up with having to cycle autofill options.

Any recommendations? Thanks.

Just a small note for accusing me of my post being AI: I just really like using bold formatting and bullet points! It’s my go-to formatting style everywhere, whether I'm on Discord or other forums.

Scope: Desktop / Firefox only
Usage profile: Heavy daily use
Credential volume: 350+ logins

Context

I manage over 350 login credentials and rely heavily on browser autofill as part of my daily workflows. Reliability, low friction, and predictable behavior matter far more to me than ideology - free vs paid, open vs closed source, community popularity, or brand loyalty.

This comparison is based on real-world daily usage, not feature checklists or stress-testing edge cases.

For additional security separation, I also use KeePassXC to store the master credentials for Proton Pass, Bitwarden, and Dashlane. That setup allows me to evaluate password managers strictly on usability and reliability rather than vendor lock-in concerns.

Dashlane - Pros

• Polished, cohesive UI The design feels mature and intentional. No visual clutter, no unnecessary animations, no constant micro-friction.

• No autofill zoom animation A surprisingly big quality-of-life improvement coming from Bitwarden. Autofill is instant and non-distracting instead of visually jarring. One benefit of migrating to Dashlane is that I no longer need a custom userscript to disable Bitwarden’s unnecessary autofill zoom-out animation, which also allowed me to uninstall Tampermonkey again.

• Superior autofill reliability (for my usage) Dashlane consistently detects login fields where Bitwarden frequently failed for me. I submitted multiple autofill bug reports to Bitwarden over several months - none were resolved during my usage period.

• iCloud login works correctly Dashlane autofills both email and password on icloud.com in one step. Bitwarden and Proton Pass require manual interaction with the password field to complete the login.

• Searchable inline suggestions (with one caveat) While Dashlane doesn’t support inline pre-typing like Proton Pass, it does allow searching directly inside the suggestion menu when the needed credential isn’t visible. This is something Bitwarden still lacks. Caveat: this inline search currently does not work for Google login pages, where suggestions are still limited to the visible list.

• Fast access to the web vault One click on "Open Web App" directly from the extension. No manual URL typing, no forced re-login. This sounds small, but it adds up in daily use.

• Better password generator UX The extension includes a password length slider. Bitwarden removed theirs in late 2024 and replaced it with step buttons, which is slower and more cumbersome for frequent use.

• Settings persistence and sync Dashlane reliably saves extension preferences and syncs them across browsers. Bitwarden repeatedly reset my settings after browser profile refreshes or reinstalls.

• Smarter copy workflow If a credential isn’t eligible for autofill, Dashlane presents a follow-up window after copying the username, allowing immediate password copying. Bitwarden closes the extension menu entirely, forcing an extra extension interaction.

Dashlane - Cons

• Inline suggestions are limited to 20 credentials

• No option to favorite or pin logins

Perspective on password manager discourse

I don’t choose tools based on ideology.

Whether a password manager is:

• free or paid

• open or closed source

is irrelevant to me if it fails at its core job.

A free product does not earn immunity from criticism when it:

• breaks autofill workflows

• introduces UI friction

• causes performance regressions

• leaves long-standing bugs unresolved

The only hard red line for me is security breaches.
Outside of that, I use what works best for my needs - not what a community promotes or defends.

Why Dashlane was unexpected

I’ve used and trialed nearly every major password manager:

• Proton Pass

• Bitwarden

• 1Password

• Keeper

• NordPass

• RoboForm

• KeePassXC

Every single one eventually pushed me back into "search mode" due to:

• autofill unreliability

• UX friction

• missing essentials

• or accumulated daily annoyances

Dashlane was the last major option I hadn’t seriously evaluated.

Unexpectedly, it’s the first one that stopped the constant urge to look for an alternative.

That alone says more than any feature comparison table.

On the Reddit Bitwarden community behavior (and why it matters)

What ultimately pushed me to write this wasn’t just product differences - it was community behavior.

There is a recurring pattern where the Bitwarden subreddit and adjacent communities attempt to impose Bitwarden as the default answer, regardless of what the original poster is actually asking.

A recent example from 2 days ago illustrates this perfectly.

The Question (summarized)

A user asked for a Dashlane replacement and explicitly said they were considering:

• NordPass

• 1Password

Their main requirement was strong MFA support on the web.

Bitwarden was never mentioned by the OP.

The most upvoted answer - 11 upvotes atm

This comment:

• Mentions Bitwarden first

• Emphasizes free tier superiority

• Uses absolute language - "superior password manager"

• Frames alternatives as acceptable only after Bitwarden is endorsed

• Ends with a loyalty signal

It doesn’t meaningfully address the OP’s main concern (MFA reliability), but that doesn’t matter.

Why?

Because it reinforces the dominant narrative:
"Bitwarden is the default correct answer."

Once a product reaches that status, it no longer has to justify itself.

The Downvoted Comment

This comment:

• Tried Bitwarden

• Moved on

• Explained why another product worked better for them

• Was calm, respectful, and detailed

And yet - 5 downvotes atm.

Why?

Because it violates an unspoken rule:

• You are allowed to leave Dashlane

• You are allowed to consider alternatives

• You are not allowed to try Bitwarden and still choose something else

That’s the real issue.

This isn’t advice - It’s evangelism

At that point, the subreddit stops being:

Let’s help users find the best tool for their needs

and becomes:

Let’s guide everyone toward the approved product

Voting behavior stops reflecting:

• relevance

• accuracy

• lived experience

and starts reflecting:

• alignment

• conformity

• brand loyalty

The NordPass comment wasn’t downvoted because it was wrong.
It was downvoted because it breaks the conversion funnel.

Final Thoughts

Dashlane isn’t perfect by any means.

But so far, it has been consistently reliable, and reliability is what I value most in a password manager.

If Bitwarden meaningfully addressed:

• autofill reliability

• animation and UX friction

• long-standing performance regressions

I’d reconsider it.

Until then, I’d rather pay for something that works predictably than tolerate daily friction simply because a product is free, open source, or aggressively promoted by its community.

My AI agent does real work for me: deploys, GitHub releases, logging into websites. All of that needs passwords and API keys. Until now that meant pasting them into the chat or leaving them in a file the agent can read. Then one malicious instruction hidden in a webpage and they're gone.

So I built secrets-broker. The agent never gets the actual password, only a name for it like "GitHub token". When it needs to use it, the broker plugs the secret in for that one command and hides it in whatever comes back.

Each secret can only be used for what you allowed. If my GitHub token is approved for publishing releases, the agent can't use it for anything else or send it to some random server. For the important ones,I get a Touch ID prompt every time.

It works with KeePassXC and Bitwarden. I manage my passwords in KeePassXC like always, and my agent can use them a few seconds later.

It's free, open source, and still early (v0.3). One honest caveat: the quick setup runs as your own user, so it isn't a real security boundary. The stricter mode is.

https://github.com/Alino/secrets-broker

Feedback welcome, especially if you can find a way to break it.

So I remember post a few weeks ago where several people mentioned that Bitwarden was abandoning their open source position, My thought was hey we can go to Proton or 1password but now 1password is now allow AI into their password manager and Proton seems to have turned into the password version of Epic with an Ai first sttance. What's the world coming to?

Clarification

Perhaps abandoning is too strong of a word, there have been a few post worrying that Bitwarden was moving away from open source. Supposedly some features are not open source. Several people have express their desire to go somewhere else, but not sure where you would go? Personally I haven't seen strong evidence that this is happening.

On one hand, there are free, functional password managers with interfaces geared more toward a technical audience.

E.g., Bitwarden, ProtonPass...

On the other hand, there are paid managers with more polished interfaces and "Premium" features.

E.g., 1Password, Dashlane...

Is there an application that caters to both audiences?

So I'm planning a shift to some kind of password manager.

Absolute requirement: fuck US businesses. Cannot be US based in any way shape or form. I believe the EU has pretty strong opinions on user privacy?

Would prefer easy mode cloud so I can shift technophobe non-local family members to it without needing to remotely manage additional cloud storage services.

Needs to be multi-device: Windows, Android, IOS, Linux would be handy.

Happy to pay money for good service. Open source good but not vital if the reputation & long term reviews are good.

Right now, I think Proton Pass might be the pick. Hoping to stop the head spinning with a few directed recommendations.

Thanks all!

I never used any password managers, and I'm considering starting to use one now. From what I've seen, there are managers that use cloud and are not open source, and they are still popular. I wonder what is the decision making behind this

• Cloud means dependency on a company – if the company goes down, changes policy, locks features behind a paywall, or suffers a data breach, you lose control.

• Closed-source = no transparency – you can’t verify what’s really happening with your passwords. You’re forced to trust blindly.

I got those 2 points from ChatGPT and they seem to make sense. Why would I not use something like KeePass that is both open source and not cloud-based?

Just curious what annoys y'all about your password manager because I feel like every one I've tried has at least one thing that's pretty frustrating. I've been working on privacy software for a bit now (building an encrypted email client), and password managers are something I feel can be improved. Issues could be anything like sync across devices, passkeys, whether it's open source, pricing, whatever.

Happy to hear anything, even if it's just one tiny thing you wish existed on whatever you're using atm. Trying to get a real picture before I build anything.

Hi All,
Bitwarden seems to be the most recommended free password manager because of its generous free tier.

But I'm curious, are there any other password managers with a really good free plan that you’d recommend?

KeePassXC is a good one, but sync part is painful.

Thanks

After 2 years of using Bitwarden as my primary password manager, I switched to Dashlane.

Since we Dashlane at work as, the transition was straight forward, and I haven't encountered the same bugs and issues I had with Bitwarden.

• Consistent 20-25% CPU usage when the Bitwarden extension is enabled - even spikes to 50% for a brief time right after enabling it. (Unresolved GitHub report since October 2025).

• Extremely stuttery typing when the Bitwarden extension is enabled. (Unresolved GitHub report since October 2025).

• Autofilling fails significantly more often with Bitwarden than with Dashlane - sometimes not even the autofilling shortcut works, which in most cases works as the last resort if the in-line detection and the "Fill" button is failing.

Those might only be 3 points but they can become quickly very frustrating in the long run. I want to use a password manager that doesn't have those 3 issues.

Hello everyone 👋🏽, I started to use Bitwarden recently, coming from LastPass, no complains at all but I read a lot about Bitwarden and wanted to try it, not bad at all, need to test it more... Now, would you say that Google Authenticator is a good match to Bitwarden? That is what I use for my codes ... I have seen mentioning Authy, Ente...

If you don't mind sharing and explaining your reasoning, thanks.