When comparing Bitwarden vs KeePassXC, the Slant community recommends KeePassXC for most people. In the question“What is the best cross-platform password manager?” KeePassXC is ranked 1st while Bitwarden is ranked 2nd. The most important reason people chose KeePassXC is:
Free. No hidden tracking. 100% Open Source.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Open source
Bitwarden is open source and can therefore easily be reviewed and checked for security. Its Github repository is accessible here.
Pro Free
It is easy to start as the majority of features are on the free version.
Pro Cross-platform syncronisation
Automatically synchronises across various devices and platforms. Passwords get fully encrypted locally before leaving the computer.
Pro Clean interface with no ads
No ads, no tracking.
Pro Native mobile apps for iOS and Android
Pro Many browser plugins
There are plugins for Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, Edge, Vivaldi and Tor Browser.
Pro Strong, easy to use built-in password genarator
No need to think of individual passwords. This can be easily accomplished with an easy to use built-in password manager.
Pro Extremely strong encryption algorithm
End-to-end AES-256 bit encryption, salted hashing, and PBKDF2 SHA-256.
Pro Two-step authentication
Offers 2FA with Authy, Google Authenticator or via email.
Additionally, the Pro Version has Duo Security with Duo Push, SMS, phone call, and U2F security keys: YubiKey (any 4 series device or YubiKey NEO) and FIDO U2F (any FIDO U2F certified key).
Pro Web vault
Possibility to manage passwords without installing the app or the browser plugin.
Pro Supports multi-logins on one site
You can store multiple logins on the same website.
Pro Multifactor authentication
Pro Secure notes
Very easy to add personal notes.
Pro Command line interface
You could retrieve passwords in the scripts.
Pro Auto-fill remembers last user
When a site has multiple credentials (like I have for some brokers and banks), then the most recently used is automatically populated (if auto-fill is opted). This feature is unique (to my knowledge) and spectacular (especially for sites that log you off frequently and re-logging in is required).
Pro Digital unlock works fairly well
Android app is a little slow and buggy, but it works well and has been improving.
Pro Self-host your own server
Host your own server via Docker for small installations or by package for multiple servers.
Pro Almost complete free version
The features included in the free version are totally sufficient for most personal uses. No limitation of devices synching.
Pro Dark theme
Pro Easy to use
Pro Use hardware based biometrics to unlock Bitwarden
You can use Windows Hello or Apple's TouchID on PC to unlock desktop applications and browser extention.
Pro Nested folders
Folders can be created within folders.
Pro Regular expressions can be used in URIs
It can also be used for sites where the domain changes frequently.
Pro Easy import/export
Just copy CSV text.
Pro Save data on the web
Save data on the web.
Pro Enterprise ready
Using enterprise subscribtions you can share password entries among your colleagues via 'collections' or with other companies that are connected to yours. You decide if it's your personal entry or a companies.
Pro Auto-fill by specifying the form with the selector of css
Auto-fill by specifying the form with the selector of css.
Pro It is free and open source
Free. No hidden tracking. 100% Open Source.
Pro Active development
Pro Cross platform autotype
Autotype available for all apps.
Pro Strong end-to-end Encryption
Zero-knowledge. Military-grade AES-256 & Argon 2 unbreakable encryption algorithms.
Pro New secure browser integration plugins
Official Browser plugins for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and all other Chromium or Gecko based browsers.
Pro Passphrase generator
Pro Easy to use
It has a really clean looking design, unlike Keepass. Makes it really friendly to get into.
Pro Good UI
User-friendly and straightforward. Easy to use.
Pro Better than KeePassX
KeepassX discontinued in 2017.
Pro Support for time-based one-time passwords (TOTP)
Pro Stores passwords locally instead of in the cloud
Don't trust anyone.
Pro Support for adding/removing SSH keys in system key agent
Pro Import and export to different file formats
Pro Available web browser extension (keepassxc-browser)
Pro Outrageous better than some paid password managers
It has plenty tweaks which lets you feel under control of your data.
Pro Portable, Tails and Whonix come loaded with it too
The preferred choice of Qubes users as well. Long story short, it's no coincidence that every one of the Linux distros renowned for it's security and anonymity features comes standard with a massive neon, blinking arrow pointing right at this full-featured, OSS, cross-platform password manager. The Slant community even lauds it as the category's second-only to what is essentially a command-line tool with a title someone could have picked out of a random spoonful of alphabet soup. Approved for Ages 8-78!
Pro File attachments and custom attributes
Pro YubiKey challenge-response support
And onlykey*
Pro Database reports (password health, HIBP, and statistics)
Pro Solid
Pro KeeShare shared databases (import, export, and synchronize)
Cons
Con Password generator only uses 8 special characters !@#$%^&*
Whereas a desktop keyboard has 30+ special characters. This greatly reduces the possible passwords that can be generated.
Con Unable to remove duplicates
If you import more than one times, it will store its duplicates and there is no duplicate remover on these apps.
Con Passwords cards can be tricky for newbies
The fields can be difficult to understand for newbies. For example, some login pages can add a field for the password name differently at the same time as the password's field will contain a password. When changing the password, they sometime end corresponding and can give headaches to some users.
Con Cloud-based
You're storing your passwords on servers and you have to trust them.
Con Cannot update data while offline
Requires Internet connection.
Con Saving new credentials isn't as easy as it should be
When registering on a new site, Bitwarden pops up a button to ask if you'd like to save credentials (as most equivalent products do). But the button disappears VERY quickly, so often requires manual entry of passwords
Con Input of new login needs a 'signed-up with e-mail = 'example@wherever.org' functionality
Often sites won't be able to reset your password if the corresponding e-mail used in sign-up is unknown.
Con Lack of communication between instance opened in one session
If you use the client's desktop's app, multiple browsers extensions; they all work almost totally independently. Using more RAM as database is opened each time and asking for login more often. Some other passwords managers use desktop's client to open the database and extensions communicate with it in this case. If there's no desktop's, they'll work as standalone extensions.
Con The autofill sucks
The autofill is tedious - many clicks/taps required to trigger it. It doesn't help that the extension is slow to open.
Con Cannot store images of ID card, etc
Attachments available in premium.
Con Web browser extension doesn't recognise login required
User has to scroll/search for web site login details as it is not found automatically.
Con Doesn't autofill 2FA in pass fields
Con Dark theme on macOS needs some work
The tabs for multiple databases and about menus are unreadable in dark mode on macOS.
Con Qt dependency hell
Con Browser plugin doesn't always connect to KeepassXC on the first attempt
Restarting the Browser or restarting KeePassXC fixes the integration.
Enabling "Automatically reconnect to KeePassXC" option in KeepassXC Browser Extension fixes this problem permanently.