Review: BitWarden - the better password manager
I've been a long time user of LastPass - but over the last year, they've abandoned their Linux customers and insisted that users pay to access enhanced security.
Forget that noise! I started looking for a new password manager and, on the recommendation of several friends, started using BitWarden.
Pros
- Open Source!
- Works in the browser - tried in Firefox and Chrome. Fast, and easy to use.
- Linux app - handy, but a little clunky to use. Bonus CLI tool available
- Android app - great at autofilling apps. Can unlock using fingerprint.
- Password sharing - I haven't tried this yet, but useful if you and your family share a common password for things like Netflix.
- Can be self-hosted if you want.
Cons
- Importing old passwords from LastPass was a little tricky - but that's because LastPass makes it deliberately hard.
- The Android app can be a little slow to start. Not much worse than LastPass, but a little annoying.
- If you want YubiKey support, you need to buy the premium version. It's $10/year - that's much cheaper than LastPass's $24/year.
Verdict?
Go for it! Incredibly easy to use, cheaper than LastPass if you want premium features, and works everywhere.
Brenda M. says:
I am a long-time LastPass user as well--going back to at least 2008. But I'm tired of it. The software has too many longstanding bugs, and the service has too many outages that last hours upon hours.
Bitwarden's software, in my experience, is superior. I hope the service itself proves reliable over time.
Thank you for the review.