Free Password Managers
Which password managers a startup team can use for free today, what the free plan covers in devices and passwords, what it allows for sharing with teammates, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Password managers change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before your team moves its passwords there.
Password managers a startup team can use for free today include Bitwarden (Always free, basic password management), 1Password (14-day free trial of Business), Passbolt (Free, with unlimited users), Keeper (Free trial of Keeper Business), and Zoho Vault (Free forever, unlimited passwords). Each of the 10 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, what it allows for sharing, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
A startup's first security problem is shared logins: the domain registrar, the cloud console, the bank, the social accounts, passed around in chat. A password manager fixes that, and several have a free plan.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. A free plan can stop at one device or one device type, allow sharing with only one other person, or be meant for individuals, with team vaults on paid plans. Each password manager below shows what is free, its main limit, what it allows for sharing, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which password managers we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which password managers are listed or where.
Password managers with a free plan
Password managers that stay free, some with sharing for a small team.
- 1
Bitwarden
Individuals who want a free open-source vault
Bitwarden's basic plan is always free, with unlimited devices and passwords. Its free organization lets you share items with one other Bitwarden user, and Premium is $1.65 a month billed yearly.
Start free at BitwardenTerms read on bitwarden.com on Bitwarden: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Passbolt
Teams that will host their own password manager
Passbolt's Community Edition is free with unlimited users, and it has private and shared folders. Its support is community-only.
- 3
Zoho Vault
Individuals who want unlimited passwords with no ads
Zoho Vault's free edition is free forever with unlimited passwords and notes, but sharing with teammates needs a paid plan. Its Standard plan starts at US$0.90 a user a month billed annually.
- 4
Proton Pass
Free plan with unlimited logins and no card
Proton Pass's free plan has unlimited logins, notes and credit cards, with 10 hide-my-email aliases and no credit card required. Secure vault sharing is on Pass Plus, which is $2.99 a month billed yearly.
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: proton.me)
- First paid plan
- Pass Plus: $2.99 a month, billed yearly (source: proton.me)
Start free at Proton PassTerms read on proton.me on Proton Pass: the free allowance and how to start - 5
RoboForm
One-device password manager with a free plan
RoboForm's Free plan gives unlimited passwords on a single device at $0. Premium adds unlimited devices and Secure Shared Folders, and renews at $29.88 a year.
- 6
LastPass
Unlimited passwords on one device type
LastPass's Free plan has unlimited password storage, autofill and basic password sharing. It is limited to 1 device type, so it suits one device.
- 7
KeePassXC
Solo founders who want a local, open-source vault
KeePassXC is free and open source, and it describes itself as ad-free, tracker-free and cloud-free. Its page describes no sharing for teams, so it suits one person's passwords.
- What's free
- Free and open source (source: keepassxc.org)
Start free at KeePassXCTerms read on keepassxc.org on KeePassXC: the free allowance and how to start
Business password managers with a free trial
Team password managers that start with a free trial.
- 1
1Password
Teams that want a 14-day trial before choosing a plan
1Password Business has a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. The Teams Starter Pack is for 10 to 20 users, and Business costs $8.99 a user a month billed yearly.
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: 1password.com)
Start free at 1PasswordTerms read on 1password.com on 1Password: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Keeper
Companies that want a trial before paying per user
Keeper offers free trials for Keeper Business, Keeper Enterprise and KeeperPAM. Keeper Business includes shared team folders and role-based policies.
- 3
Dashlane
Businesses that want a 14-day trial of employee passwords
Dashlane offers a free 14-day trial of its Omnix platform. The Password Management plan includes securely sharing workforce passwords.
Also useful for authentication and security
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers password managers a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each manager's terms. Every term comes from the manager's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on users or devices, or sharing kept for paid plans, can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these managers pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a manager appears, and no manager pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free password manager?
It depends on how many people share it. By the terms each provider states, Bitwarden is always free with unlimited devices and passwords and shares with one other user, Proton Pass's free plan covers unlimited logins, notes and cards, and Passbolt's free edition allows unlimited users with private and shared folders.
Is there a free password manager for teams?
Passbolt's free edition allows unlimited users with shared folders, and Bitwarden's free plan shares with one other user. Zoho Vault and Proton Pass keep sharing for paid plans, and 1Password, Keeper and Dashlane offer business trials.
Is Bitwarden free?
Yes. Bitwarden's free plan is always free for basic password management, with unlimited devices and passwords. Premium costs $1.65 a month, billed yearly.
Is 1Password free?
1Password has a 14-day free trial of its Business plan with no credit card required. Business costs $8.99 a user a month, billed yearly.
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