Password manager comparison
Tell it how many people, how many years and what you refuse to compromise on. It removes what does not fit and prices what is left.
Your needs
Result
Best fit for these needs: Proton Pass Free (Free)
Free includes 10 email aliases and 2 vaults. Built-in 2FA codes need Plus (35.88 USD per year).
| Manager | Plan | Total over 2 year(s) | Per person per year | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton Pass | Proton Pass Free | Free | Free | Fits |
| Bitwarden | Bitwarden Free | Free | Free | Fits |
| KeePassXC | KeePassXC | Free | Free | Fits |
| NordPass | NordPass Premium | €59.76 | €29.88 | Fits |
Prices read on the vendors' own pages on 2026-10-18 (NordPass: 17 October). Taxes may apply at checkout.
Proton Pass and NordPass links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Bitwarden and KeePassXC pay us nothing. The ranking ignores commissions.
How the comparison works
Each requirement you tick is a hard filter. A manager that cannot meet it is not ranked lower, it is set aside with the reason written next to it, so you can see exactly which box removed it.
What is left is sorted by the total you would pay over the horizon you chose, for everybody in the household. For one person, the free plans of Proton Pass and Bitwarden cover unlimited devices, so the answer is often zero: the tool says so rather than pushing a paid plan. NordPass is priced with its renewal, because its first year is cheaper than the years that follow.
Prices are shown in the currency each vendor displays (USD for Proton and Bitwarden, EUR for NordPass). Proton charges the same number in EUR and USD.
Where each number comes from
Every figure was read on the vendor's own pricing page or billing API. We list the date because prices move, and a comparison is only as good as its last check.
- Proton Pass (read 18 Oct 2026 from Proton's billing API): Free with unlimited devices, 10 email aliases and 2 vaults; Plus 35.88 USD per year (4.99 monthly); Family 59.88 USD per year for up to 6 people. proton.me/pass/pricing
- Bitwarden (read 18 Oct 2026): Free with unlimited devices; Premium 19.80 USD billed yearly; Families 47.88 USD billed yearly for up to 6 users. Open source, and self-hosting is officially supported. bitwarden.com/pricing/
- NordPass (read 17 Oct 2026): Free plan limited to one active device at a time; Premium 23.88 EUR the first year on the 1-year plan, then 35.88 EUR per year; Families 44.28 EUR the first year, then 71.88 EUR per year for 6 members. nordpass.com/pricing/
- KeePassXC: free and open source (GPL), stores your vault in a local .kdbx file. No official mobile app; third-party apps such as KeePassDX or Strongbox read the same file. keepassxc.org/
What this tool does not judge
It compares price and a handful of verifiable features. It does not score apps on ease of use, autofill quality or support, because those depend on your devices and habits more than on a spec sheet. If two options are left, try both free plans for a week: moving between them later is an export and an import.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest password manager for a family?
Over one year, NordPass Families is the cheapest of the four at 44.28 EUR for 6 members, but it renews at 71.88 EUR. From the second year on, Bitwarden Families at 47.88 USD per year costs less in total. Proton Pass Family is 59.88 USD per year. Set the horizon to 2 or 3 years in the tool to see the crossover.
Is a free password manager enough?
For one person, often yes. Proton Pass Free and Bitwarden Free both sync unlimited passwords on unlimited devices. What you give up is mostly extras: Proton Pass keeps its built-in 2FA codes for Plus, Bitwarden keeps them for Premium. NordPass Free logs your other device out when you sign in on a new one.
Which password manager keeps my vault off someone else's cloud?
KeePassXC stores everything in a file you control, and Bitwarden can be self-hosted on your own server. Proton Pass and NordPass are hosted services: your vault is end-to-end encrypted, but it lives on their servers.
Do you earn money from this comparison?
Yes, from two of the four. We have affiliate agreements with Proton Pass and NordPass, and the links to them are marked as sponsored. Bitwarden and KeePassXC pay us nothing and are ranked by the same rules. The order comes from your answers and the prices, never from the commission.