LastPass is a veteran in the password management industry. It is reliable and easy to use. But the free plan of LastPass does not support synchronization between devices. If you are looking for a free LastPass alternative, Bitwarden is the best option. Here’s why.
Compared to LastPass, Bitwarden is the new kid in the block. While LastPass is flashy, Bitwarden is underrated and useful. That said, Bitwarden gets a lot of things right, from its feature-rich free plan to its fair Premium and family plans, while providing the best security.
Bitwarden’s free plan provides support for various devices
As of March 16, 2021, LastPass has changed the way its free plan works. Users of the LastPass Free plan will no longer have access to sync support between different devices. This means that passwords are only available on one device and will not be synced between your PC and mobile clients. To access the cross-sync feature, users must upgrade to the $ 3 / month LastPass Premium plan.
On the other hand, Bitwarden offers support for synchronization on different devices and unlimited password storage in the free plan. In fact, it has almost everything a user needs, including strong password generation, secure card storage, notes and more.
Bitwarden is available on all platforms
LastPass is a first service on the internet and it is shown when you look at the download page. You will find extensions for all popular web browsers, but you will not see a native desktop app (Android, iPhone and iPad only).
For security reasons, there is a need to keep your usernames and passwords away from your browser (which may be used by other members of your family). With Bitwarden, you get access to native apps for Windows 10, Mac and Linux. The Mac app even supports Touch ID. There is also a command line client for advanced users.
Bitwarden has a super-fast automatic login feature
LastPass is designed to be easy to use. You see this when you browse the web client (with large images and buttons) and when you automatically fill in passwords with browser extensions. If available, LastPass presents saved logins right next to the password fields. It is very convenient for beginners.
Bitwarden, on the other hand, takes a more utilitarian approach. It is designed for businesses and power users. If you want to log in to a website with saved passwords, you need to click on the Bitwarden extension and then select the login from the drop-down menu.
But at the time of writing, Bitwarden also has an advanced feature that automatically fills in saved login data as soon as you load the login page. This is an experimental feature that you can configure via Settings> Options> Enable autofill when loading pages.
Once activated, this small feature leaves the LastPass auto-fill feature behind.
Bitwarden is open source
Both LastPass and Bitwarden follow the industry-standard encryption protocols using AES-256 encryption on their servers and during data transfer (which protects you from man-in-the-middle attacks).
Both services do not contain key identifiers. This means that if you lose your master password, there is no access to your safe. On the other hand, it also means that there is no way for LastPass or Bitwarden to access your data (even if the service is hacked, as LastPass did in 2015).
But Bitwarden has a big advantage here, because the product itself is open source. It benefits users in two ways. First, it means that third-party security firms can audit the code and make sure that Bitwarden is not vulnerable to a hack or attack. In 2018, Bitwarden received a clean health insurance from the security firm Cure53.
Second, the open source code of Bitwarden helps third parties and communities to build additional tools and customers. It also means that if Bitwarden ever shuts down, community members can create programs or tools that can still use the Bitwarden database.
Bitwarden’s premium plan is pretty cheap
For most users, Bitwarden’s free plan is enough. But if you like using two-factor authentication from your password manager app (instead of a standalone program like Google Authenticator), you can generate two-factor verification codes from Bitwarden using its $ 10 / year plan.
RELATED: How to enable 2-factor authentication for your Google Account with Google Authenticator
Bitwarden Premium also gives you access to 1 GB of encrypted storage space. You can add more storage by paying $ 4 per month for each additional gigabyte.
This is in stark contrast to LastPass Premium, which costs $ 36 a year. This is the same story if you are considering family or business plans. Bitwarden’s family account costs $ 40 per year with access to six user profiles. LastPass charges $ 48 a year for his family account.
On the business side, Bitwarden offers a free account for two users, and additional users can be added for $ 3 per month for each new user. LastPass charges $ 4 per month for each user and offers no free business plan.
Switching to Bitwarden is pretty easy
For most users looking for a free alternative to LastPass, Bitwarden makes the best sense. It offers the same features at a cheaper price. Plus moving from LastPass to Bitwarden couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is export a CSV file from LastPass and import it into Bitwarden.
Done with LastPass? Make sure you delete your LastPass account.
RELATED: How to delete your LastPass account