Bitwarden vs Keeper
A source-aware comparison of pricing, documented capabilities and workflow fit.
Short answer
- Price: not directly comparable — Bitwarden is free tier available, Keeper is pricing not verified.
- How to start: Bitwarden is free tier available, Keeper is pricing not verified.
- Where they differ: only Bitwarden has open source / self-hostable; both offer public api, mobile app and sso (saml).
These lines are generated from the pricing we track, not from a paid placement. How we score tools.
What Bitwarden is
Bitwarden is an open-source password manager that can be used as a hosted service or run entirely on your own server, with clients on every major platform. Being open source and self-hostable means the vault can stay on your own server and the client can be audited by anyone. The interface is plainer than its commercial rivals, which is the usual reason non-technical teams pick something else.
What Keeper is
Keeper manages passwords and secrets with strong admin controls and compliance reporting. Its compliance reporting and granular admin controls are why it turns up in regulated procurement rather than on personal devices. The same controls make it heavier than consumer managers for a small team. Procurement teams tend to shortlist it for that reason alone.
Side by side
| Bitwarden | Keeper | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| How to start | Free tiernot a monthly price | Not verifiednot a monthly price |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Open source / self-hostable | Yes | No |
| SSO (SAML) | Yes | Yes |
| Visit | Bitwarden ↗ | Keeper ↗ |
What Bitwarden is built to do
- Open-source clients
- Publishes source for clients and server for independent review.
- Self-hosting option
- Runs the vault server on your own infrastructure.
- Organisation sharing
- Shares credentials through collections with role-based access.
What Keeper is built to do
- Role-based policy
- Enforces vault policies by role across an organisation.
- Secrets management
- Stores infrastructure secrets alongside user credentials.
- Compliance reporting
- Produces access and audit reports for review.
Choose Bitwarden if
- Individuals and teams who want a password manager they can inspect or host themselves.
Choose Keeper if
- Organisations with compliance requirements around credential handling.
Evidence and freshness
Where a claim on this page comes from a vendor page, it is linked here.
Bitwarden: pros & cons
- Open source and independently audited
- Self-hosting is genuinely supported
- Free tier is usable for individuals
- Interface is plainer than commercial rivals
- Self-hosting means you own recovery and backups
- Some polish gaps in the desktop apps
Keeper: pros & cons
- Strong enterprise admin controls
- Secrets management for infrastructure
- Good compliance reporting
- Add-ons priced separately
- Interface less friendly than consumer tools
- Costs more than open-source options
Our verdict on Bitwarden
The best value in password management, particularly if open source matters to you.
Our verdict on Keeper
Solid enterprise choice. Small teams get most of the value from cheaper tools.