The short list of free options
Four free routes cover almost every reader: Bitwarden Free, NordPass Free, the Passwords app built into Apple devices, and Google Password Manager built into Chrome and Android. 1Password is not on the list because its pricing page shows paid Individual and Families plans with a 14-day free trial and no free tier.
Free plans differ less on encryption than on daily friction: how many devices can be signed in at once, whether you can share with a partner, whether the app can generate two-factor codes, and whether you can attach files such as a scan of an insurance card. Those limits decide whether free stays free for you.
This guide compares the plan pages and help documents each vendor publishes. It is research, not a hands-on test, and every limit below comes from the vendor pages listed in the sources, checked on 30 October 2026.
Free plan limits side by side
The NordPass row is the one that surprises people. Its support article says Free users can install the app and extension on as many devices as they want, but only one session can be active on one device. In practice you sign out on the laptop to use the phone.
| Limit | Bitwarden Free | NordPass Free | Apple Passwords | Google Password Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0, listed as always free | $0, listed as for a lifetime | Included with Apple devices | Included with a Google Account |
| Devices | Unlimited devices and unlimited passwords | Install on as many devices as you want, but only one active session on one device | Apple devices on iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia or visionOS 2; iCloud Passwords in Chrome or Edge on Windows | Android and Chrome where you are signed in to the same Google Account |
| Sharing | Share with one other user (free organization: two users, up to two collections) | Cannot share; can view items others share with you | Shared Groups for passwords and passkeys | Not covered on the help page we read |
| Authenticator (TOTP) codes | Can store keys; generating codes needs Premium or a paid organization | NordPass Authenticator not included | Stores verification codes | Not covered on the help page we read |
| File attachments | Not included; Premium lists 5 GB | Not included | Not listed | Not listed |
| Passkeys | Passkey management and usage listed on Free | Not listed as a plan difference | Yes | Yes, saved to your Google Account |
| Breach or health checks | Data breach report free for all users; other vault health reports need Premium | Password Health and Data Breach Scanner not included | Alerts for weak, reused and leaked passwords | Not covered on the help page we read |
Bitwarden Free: the broadest free vault
Bitwarden lists unlimited devices and unlimited passwords on Free, plus passkey management, Bitwarden Send and sharing with one other user. Its organizations page puts a number on that sharing: a free organization lets two users share in up to two collections, which is enough for a couple who want one shared folder for streaming logins and one for household bills.
What you give up is mostly Premium convenience. Bitwarden says anyone can store authenticator keys, but generating TOTP codes needs Premium ($19.80 a year on its pricing page) or a paid organization such as Families. Encrypted file attachments, emergency access and most vault health reports are also Premium. Bitwarden says its Data Breach report, which uses Have I Been Pwned, is free for all users.
Fits: anyone with a phone and a computer who wants one free vault everywhere, including households that mix Apple, Android and Windows. Skip if you want the vault itself to produce two-factor codes or hold document scans; that is the point where $19.80 a year for Premium earns its keep.
NordPass Free: fine for one device at a time
NordPass Free includes autosave and autofill, the password generator, biometrics, password import, password history and multi-factor authentication for your account, according to the comparison table on its plans page. It excludes Password Health, Data Breach Scanner, NordPass Authenticator, Email Masking, file attachments, secure sharing, simultaneous login on multiple devices and emergency access.
The deciding limit is the single active session. If you only manage passwords on one laptop, or you are comfortable logging out and back in when you switch to the phone, NordPass Free works. If you expect autofill on a phone and a computer during the same day, the friction adds up quickly.
NordPass shows Premium from $23.88 for the first 12 months on its 1-year tab (crossed-out comparison price $35.88), so moving up is cheap in year one. The plans page does not state the renewal price, so check it before you rely on the first-term figure.
Apple Passwords and Google Password Manager
Apple says that starting in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and visionOS 2, the Passwords app manages passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords and verification codes, alerts you to weak or reused passwords and to passwords that appear in known data leaks, and lets you share through Shared Groups. On Windows, Apple points you to iCloud Passwords in Chrome or Edge through iCloud for Windows rather than a Passwords app.
Google says that when you sign in to an Android device or Chrome, Google Password Manager saves passwords and passkeys to your Google Account so they work on all devices signed in to the same account.
Both are excellent free choices when everything you own lives in one ecosystem. They become awkward when a household mixes iPhones with Android phones, or when you want one vault that works the same in every browser.
When free is enough and when to pay
Use this rule: stay free while you need passwords and passkeys on your own devices and, at most, one shared space with one other person. Pay when you need any of the following, because no free tier in this comparison gives all of them.
- Two-factor codes generated inside the vault: Bitwarden Premium, 1Password or NordPass Premium.
- Encrypted file attachments: Bitwarden Premium lists 5 GB; NordPass Premium includes attachments; 1Password lists 1 GB per user.
- Sharing with three or more people: a family plan such as Bitwarden Families (six users) or NordPass Family (six accounts).
- Planned emergency access for a trusted contact: Bitwarden Premium or NordPass Premium.
- NordPass on two devices at once: NordPass Premium.
Why 1Password is a trial, not a free plan
1Password publishes a 14-day free trial for Individual and Families and says no credit card is required. After that the Individual plan is $2.99 a month billed yearly for new customers in the first year (regular $3.99) when bought directly from 1Password.com.
Treat the trial as a structured test, not a free tier: import your passwords, use autofill on your phone and computer for a week, and decide before day 14. If you do not convert, export your data first so nothing is stranded.
Questions before you decide
Is Bitwarden Free really unlimited?
Its pricing page lists unlimited devices and unlimited passwords on Free. The limits are features: TOTP code generation, file attachments, emergency access and most vault health reports need Premium.
Can I use NordPass Free on my phone and laptop?
You can install it on both, but NordPass says Free allows only one active session on one device, so you sign out of one to use the other. Premium allows simultaneous logins.
Does 1Password have a free plan?
No. Its pricing page offers a 14-day free trial of Individual or Families with no credit card required, then paid billing.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Bitwarden: pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Bitwarden: password manager plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Bitwarden: about organizations Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Bitwarden: integrated authenticator Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Bitwarden: vault health reports Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- NordPass: plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- NordPass: Premium vs Free version of NordPass Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- 1Password: password manager pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Apple: use the Passwords app to create, manage, and share passwords and passkeys Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Google: use passwords and passkeys across your devices Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- NordPass: Managing access levels in NordPass Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.