When comparing Bitwarden vs FairEmail, the Slant community recommends FairEmail for most people. In the question“What are the most useful Android phone apps?” FairEmail is ranked 4th while Bitwarden is ranked 5th.
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 Open source
Pro Multiple account support
Multiple identities per account, notifications per account or contact.
Pro Actively maintained
It is actively maintained. The used libraries are up to date and bugs are fixed quickly.
Pro Privacy-Focused
There are no trackers within the app and trackers sent with mails are disabled by default. This app lets you read and compose emails with your privacy in your very own hands.
Pro Fast and customizable
Privacy features are excellent.
Pro Lightweight
~ 20 MB.
Pro Identities support
Pro Two way synchronization
Pro Flat conversation threading
Pro Encryption support
Supports both OpenPGP and S/MIME encryption for total privacy.
Pro Support for safety and low-bandwidth
Allows to configure maximum size of email downloaded immediately.
Pro Can show plain text of html mails
Pro Show links before opening
Some HTML mails may show different links and link texts, this app however will show you the real link before opening, protecting against phishing and scams
Pro Recognize spoofing internationalized domain names
Some domain names may use non-ASCII characters looking similar to the latin alphabet (e.g. some cyrillic characters). This app will show you the punycode representation of the domain, if that is the case and thus protect you against phishing and scams.
Pro Reformat the HTML mail for increased privacy
Some HTML mails may include ressources that can track you. This app doesn't load them by default, but reformats the text, increasing both privacy and readability.
Pro Autoconfiguration with open standards
There are open standards for any email provider to show how an email client should connect to the server. This app supports both RFC 6186 as well as Thunderbird Autoconfiguration standards.
Pro OAuth support for most common mail providers
Supports authenticating with the mail server using OAuth, thus increasing security.
Pro Low RAM usage at the right setings
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 No Microsoft exchange server support
Con UI might be a bit confusing for some
