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Best of in Password managers

The best password managers in 2026

Seven password managers compared on free-plan limits, real prices, encryption and independent audits — each checked against the vendor's own pages.

By Updated 7 apps fact-checked against vendor sources

The short answer

Bitwarden is the best password manager for most people: it's open source, independently audited every year, and its free plan has no limit on passwords or devices. Pick 1Password if you want the most polished paid experience, Proton Pass for built-in email aliases, and KeePassXC if you never want your vault on anyone's server.

  • Bitwarden's free plan covers unlimited passwords on unlimited devices; Premium is $19.80 a year.
  • 1Password has no free plan — it's $3.99/month billed annually after a 14-day trial.
  • Dashlane ended its free plan on September 16, 2025.
  • Apple Passwords is free and end-to-end encrypted, but has no Android app.

Our picks

  1. 1.

    Bitwarden

    Best overall and best free plan

    Bitwarden's free tier is the only one here that combines unlimited passwords, unlimited devices and every major platform — Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, web and a CLI. The code is open source, and Bitwarden publishes a long trail of third-party assessments, including Cure53 and ETH Zurich's Applied Cryptography Group in 2025. Premium adds the built-in authenticator, file attachments and emergency access for $1.65 a month, billed yearly.

    Developer
    Bitwarden, Inc.
    First released
    2016
    Based in
    Santa Barbara, California, USA
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension, CLI
    Free plan
    YesUnlimited passwords, notes, cards and identities on unlimited devices. The integrated TOTP authenticator, file attachments, emergency access and vault health reports need Premium. Send is text-only on Free.
    Open source
    Yes
    • Premium $1.65/mo
    • Families $3.99/mo
    • Teams $4/mo
    • Enterprise $6/mo

    Checked against bitwarden.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Zero-knowledge, end-to-end encrypted vault
    • Unlimited passwords and devices on the free plan
    • Passkey storage and management
    • Bitwarden Send: encrypted sharing via expiring links (files need Premium)

    Limits to know

    • TOTP authenticator and file attachments are not on the free plan
    • Emergency access and vault health reports need Premium
    • Free Send is text-only

    Full Bitwarden fact sheet or visit bitwarden.com

  2. 2.

    1Password

    Best paid experience for families and developers

    1Password adds a 128-bit Secret Key to your master password, so a stolen vault file alone isn't enough to attack. Beyond passwords it has a built-in SSH agent, a CLI and secrets management, which is why developers favour it. The trade-offs: there is no free plan and the app is closed source.

    Developer
    1Password (AgileBits)
    First released
    2005
    Based in
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension, CLI
    Free plan
    No
    Open source
    No
    • Individual $3.99/mo
    • Families $5.99/mo

    Checked against 1password.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Two-key encryption: master password plus a 128-bit Secret Key
    • Watchtower alerts for weak, reused and breached passwords
    • Passkey support
    • Stores and fills 2FA codes

    Limits to know

    • No free plan — only a 14-day trial
    • Not open source
    • First-year promotional prices renew at the regular rate

    Full 1Password fact sheet or visit 1password.com

  3. 3.

    Proton Pass

    Best for privacy and email aliases

    Proton Pass is open source, Swiss-based and encrypts item metadata as well as the passwords themselves. Its stand-out feature is hide-my-email aliases — ten on the free plan — so you can sign up for services without giving away your real address.

    Developer
    Proton AG
    First released
    2023
    Based in
    Switzerland
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension, CLI
    Free plan
    YesUnlimited logins, notes and cards on unlimited devices; 10 hide-my-email aliases; 2 vaults. The 2FA authenticator, dark-web monitoring and attachments are paid.
    Open source
    Yes
    • Pass Plus Not published
    • Pass Family Not published

    Checked against proton.me on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Hide-my-email aliases (10 on Free, unlimited on Plus)
    • Passkey support on every device
    • Built-in 2FA authenticator (Plus)
    • Pass Monitor breach alerts (Plus)

    Limits to know

    • Free plan caps aliases at 10 and vaults at 2
    • Authenticator, monitoring and attachments require a paid plan

    Full Proton Pass fact sheet or visit proton.me

  4. 4.

    KeePassXC

    Best offline, no-cloud option

    KeePassXC keeps an encrypted file on your own disk and never talks to a server. It's free under GPLv3 and its 2.7.9 release earned France's ANSSI first-level security certification. You handle sync yourself, and on phones you'll need a compatible third-party app.

    Developer
    KeePassXC Team
    First released
    2016
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, Browser extension
    Free plan
    YesCompletely free under GPLv3 — no subscription, no ads.
    Open source
    Yes

    Free — no paid tiers.

    Checked against keepassxc.org on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Local encrypted database — no servers involved
    • Native KDBX 4 format, compatible with the KeePass ecosystem
    • KeePassXC-Browser for Firefox, Chrome and Edge
    • Built-in TOTP codes

    Limits to know

    • No official mobile apps (the team points to KeePassDX and Strongbox)
    • No built-in sync — you sync the database file yourself
    • Browser extension covers Firefox, Chrome and Edge only

    Full KeePassXC fact sheet or visit keepassxc.org

  5. 5.

    Apple Passwords

    Best if every device you own is Apple

    Built into iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, Apple Passwords stores passwords, passkeys and 2FA codes for free, and Keychain data is end-to-end encrypted even with standard iCloud protection. It falls short the moment someone in the house uses Android.

    Developer
    Apple Inc.
    First released
    2024
    Based in
    Cupertino, California, USA
    Platforms
    iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS, Windows, Browser extension
    Free plan
    YesFree and built in from iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and visionOS 2.
    Open source
    No

    Free — no paid tiers.

    Checked against support.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Passwords, passkeys and verification codes in one app
    • Built-in 2FA code generation and autofill
    • Shared groups for families and teams
    • Weak, reused and leaked password alerts

    Limits to know

    • Requires iOS 18 / macOS Sequoia or later
    • No Android or Linux app
    • Not open source

    Full Apple Passwords fact sheet or visit support.apple.com

  6. 6.

    NordPass

    Best modern cipher choice

    NordPass encrypts vaults with XChaCha20 and holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications. Its free plan is unusually restrictive, though: it doesn't sync across multiple devices.

    Developer
    Nord Security
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension
    Free plan
    YesOne user; autosave and autofill only. Multi-device access, Password Health, the breach scanner, authenticator and attachments are Premium.
    Open source
    No
    • Premium Not published
    • Family Not published

    Checked against nordpass.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • XChaCha20 encryption, zero-knowledge architecture
    • Password Health and Data Breach Scanner
    • Email masking
    • Passkey storage and sharing

    Limits to know

    • Free plan doesn't sync across multiple devices
    • Not open source
    • Advertised prices exclude VAT

    Full NordPass fact sheet or visit nordpass.com

  7. 7.

    Dashlane

    Best bundle with a VPN

    Dashlane Premium includes a VPN, dark-web monitoring and AI scam protection. It no longer has a free plan, and there is no Windows or Linux desktop app — you use it through the browser extension.

    Developer
    Dashlane
    Platforms
    macOS, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension
    Free plan
    NoDashlane discontinued its free plan on September 16, 2025.
    Open source
    No
    • Premium Not published
    • Friends & Family Not published

    Checked against dashlane.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Unlimited passwords and secure sharing
    • AI-powered scam protection
    • Dark-web monitoring
    • VPN included with Premium

    Limits to know

    • No free plan since September 2025
    • No Windows or Linux desktop app — desktop use is through the extension or web app
    • VPN is not available to Friends & Family members

    Full Dashlane fact sheet or visit dashlane.com

Comparison table

The best password managers in 2026. Facts verified against each vendor's own pages on Oct 6, 2026.
App Best for Free plan Paid from Platforms Open source Vault encryptionPublic third-party audit
Bitwarden Best overall and best free plan Yes $1.65/mo Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web Yes AES-256-CBC + HMACYes — annual (2025 latest)
1Password Best paid experience for families and developers No $3.99/mo Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android No AES-256-GCM + Secret KeySOC 2 Type 2; reports in Trust Center
Proton Pass Best for privacy and email aliases Yes See vendor Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web Yes AES-256-GCM (incl. metadata)Yes — Cure53, 2023
KeePassXC Best offline, no-cloud option Yes Free Windows, macOS, Linux Yes AES-256 or TwofishANSSI CSPN (v2.7.9)
Apple Passwords Best if every device you own is Apple Yes Free Windows, macOS, iOS No End-to-end (Keychain)None app-specific
NordPass Best modern cipher choice Yes See vendor Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web No XChaCha20Yes — Cure53, 2021
Dashlane Best bundle with a VPN No See vendor macOS, iOS, Android, Web No AES-256-CBC-HMAC, Argon2dIn Trust Center

How to choose a password manager

Three questions narrow the field quickly:

  1. Do you need it free? Bitwarden, Proton Pass, KeePassXC and Apple Passwords all have usable free options. NordPass’s free plan is limited to one device at a time, and 1Password and Dashlane have no free plan at all.
  2. Which devices do you use? If anyone in your household uses Android, Apple Passwords is out. If you use Linux, Dashlane is out — it has no Linux app.
  3. Where should your vault live? Every option except KeePassXC stores an encrypted copy of your vault in the vendor’s cloud. KeePassXC keeps it on your disk, and syncing is your job.

What “audited” actually means

A third-party audit is a paid review of a product’s code or infrastructure by an outside security firm. It’s a snapshot, not a guarantee. What matters is frequency and whether the reports are public. Bitwarden publishes a list of assessments by year; Proton published its Cure53 audit of Pass in 2023; 1Password and Dashlane keep current reports in trust centres that you request access to.

Passkeys are now table stakes

Bitwarden, 1Password, Proton Pass, NordPass and Apple Passwords all list passkey support on their own feature pages. If you’re moving to passwordless sign-in, make sure the manager you pick syncs passkeys across all your platforms — not just one ecosystem.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free password manager?

Bitwarden. Its free plan stores unlimited passwords and syncs across unlimited devices on every major platform. Proton Pass is the runner-up: also unlimited, plus ten email aliases, but capped at two vaults.

Is 1Password better than Bitwarden?

1Password is more polished and adds a Secret Key on top of your master password, but it costs $3.99 a month (billed annually) with no free plan. Bitwarden is open source, audited every year, and free for most people's needs. See our full Bitwarden vs 1Password comparison.

Does Dashlane still have a free plan?

No. Dashlane discontinued its free plan on September 16, 2025, and moved free users to a Premium trial.

Is the Apple Passwords app safe enough?

Apple says Keychain data, which Passwords uses, is end-to-end encrypted even with standard iCloud data protection. The main limits are platform ones: it requires iOS 18 or macOS Sequoia and has no Android app.

Which password managers are open source?

Of the seven here, Bitwarden, Proton Pass and KeePassXC are open source. 1Password, Dashlane, NordPass and Apple Passwords are closed source.

Sources & methodology

Every price, plan limit and platform on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing, download, security or help pages, checked on the date shown next to each app. We don't publish benchmark scores we haven't measured. Read the full methodology.

Update history

  • : First published. Prices, plans, platforms and audit details verified on vendor pages.

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