Proton Pass vs Bitwarden: which Free plan fits?

Proton Pass Free is worth considering if you want email aliases built into your password manager. Bitwarden Free already covers unlimited saved logins across devices, so choose by the limits that affect your daily use.

This is a documentation-based comparison of the Free plans. The screenshots show public help pages; we have not tested a vault migration or compared autofill performance between the two products.

Our Proton link is an affiliate link. A Free signup alone pays no commission; a qualifying paid purchase may earn us one.

1. Compare the Free limits you will actually use

Both Free plans can store unlimited logins and work across devices. You do not need to pay just because you have many passwords. Check the current Proton Pass plan details (opens in a new tab) and Bitwarden plan details (opens in a new tab) before choosing.

Aliases, sharing and export have different conditions, explained below. Open each public plan page and find Proton Free or Free individual. Write down any feature you need that appears only in a paid plan. Use that list to see whether either Free plan meets your needs.

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Proton public plan-help page lists unlimited devices, three two-factor items and ten hide-my-email aliases on Free.

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Cropped Proton help page. Free includes ten aliases and up to three two-factor items. Source: Proton Pass plans explained, linked above.

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2. Count your aliases and authenticator codes separately

If you want a different forwarding address for a handful of online accounts, Proton's 10 included hide-my-email aliases can be useful. If you need more than 10, check the paid limit before relying on it. Our Free alias walkthrough explains the separate email-address task.

Bitwarden can generate forwarded aliases through an external service such as SimpleLogin or Addy.io. Its username-generator instructions (opens in a new tab) say the integration is available to all users, while the external service may require a subscription. If you already use an alias service, that may remove your reason to switch.

Two-factor authentication has two jobs here: protecting access to your password manager, and generating changing login codes for other websites. Bitwarden's Free plan supports two-step login, but its integrated code generator is a Premium feature. Proton Pass Free allows up to three two-factor items; unlimited codes require a paid plan.

Count how many websites need those codes. If the count exceeds three, a separate authenticator is a Free option. Proton Authenticator (opens in a new tab) is a separate, entirely free app, and it does not require a Proton account for local use. Cross-platform sync across Windows, Linux or Android requires an account. The three-item limit still applies inside Proton Pass.

3. Count everyone who needs shared passwords

A vault is a group of saved items. Proton's vault-sharing help (opens in a new tab) says Free users can create and share two vaults, each with up to three people including themselves. You plus two other people fits that limit; you plus three does not.

Bitwarden's Free organization supports you and one other person, with up to two collections for shared items. Its organization guide (opens in a new tab) explains that individual Premium and sharing plans are separate. Paying for individual Premium alone does not expand a Free organization's user count.

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Proton public sharing-help page states two Free vaults and three people per vault including the owner.

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Cropped Proton sharing-help page. The Free limit includes the vault owner. Source: Proton vault-sharing help, linked above.

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4. Check the exit route before moving a vault

Proton documents importing Bitwarden logins and notes (opens in a new tab) using a JSON export. Treat that as a format-specific instruction. It does not promise that every attachment, passkey or other field will transfer.

1. Read the source tool's export instructions. Bitwarden's export guide (opens in a new tab) says a personal-vault export omits organization-owned items, and CSV omits cards, identities and stored passkeys.
2. Check your destination's accepted format before exporting. For Proton's documented Bitwarden route, choose .json in Bitwarden, not .json (Encrypted). In Proton's Import tab, select Bitwarden as the provider and choose that file. Keep an encrypted backup separate from the temporary plaintext migration file.
3. Check how you could leave the new tool later. Proton's export guide (opens in a new tab) uses Settings, then Export, in its browser extension, web app or Windows app. Its mobile apps cannot export.
4. Keep a plaintext export local, avoid email and cloud-sharing it, and delete it after verifying the transfer. Bitwarden warns that unencrypted exports need this care. Keep the old vault until you have checked the important records and working logins in the destination.

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Proton public export-help page lists browser extension, web app and Windows app, and says mobile apps cannot export.

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Cropped Proton export-help page. Plan an export through a supported browser or desktop tool, not the mobile app. Source: Proton export guide, linked above.

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Before migrating, check which file format to use, which device or app can export your data, and which items need to be checked or handled separately. If any of that is unclear, postpone the migration. Do not paste a real password export into an AI chat or an online file converter.

5. Try one fictional item before importing anything

If Proton's included aliases or sharing limit solves a problem for you, use the Free signup link above. If your current manager already fits, you can keep using it. Bitwarden's personal Free plan (opens in a new tab) is also a sufficient starting point for basic password storage.

1. In your chosen manager, save one fictional login or note. For Proton, follow our create-and-save practice guide, which names the web-app controls and uses example.com. This creates a vault entry, not a working account on that website.
2. Reload the app and reopen the item. Check that its title, website and note stayed saved.
3. On another device you intend to use, sign in to the same password-manager account and check that the practice item appears. Try the actual browser or app you need before relying on it for real logins.

These steps are a practice check for you to run. We have not tested a vault migration. Use fictional information until you are satisfied with the controls and can find the item again.

If a Free limit does not fit

If aliases are the only missing feature, compare a separate alias service with switching managers. If integrated codes are the issue, consider a separate Free authenticator. If sharing needs exceed either Free plan, check the relevant paid sharing plan's user count, billing period and renewal price before paying.

For a Free account you will keep as a spare, read Proton's inactive-account policy in its terms (opens in a new tab). Free accounts may lose their data after twelve months of inactivity. Keep an appropriate backup and use the account regularly if you rely on it.

If Proton’s included aliases or sharing allowance fits your needs, start with Proton Pass Free (opens in a new tab) and save one fictional item before importing a vault. Keep your current manager if it already covers the job.

Sources: Proton Pass plans (opens in a new tab), Bitwarden plans (opens in a new tab), and the linked official alias, sharing, authenticator, import and export instructions.