Bitwarden vs Dashlane: Comparing Password Managers

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Bitwarden and Dashlane are two popular password managers that offer business plans in addition to their products for individuals. Bitwarden offers support for Linux devices, relatively low pricing, and the option to self-host. Dashlane has plenty of basic and advanced features, as well as email, phone, and chat support. 

I’ve compared these PM solutions, including their pricing plans and key features, to help you select the better fit for your team.

• Bitwarden: Better for pricing, basic features, administration, and security (pricing starts at $4 per user per month, billed annually) 
• Dashlane: Better for advanced features and customer support options (pricing starts at $20 per 10 users per month, billed annually)  

Bitwarden vs Dashlane at a glance

In my analysis of these two password managers, Bitwarden is the better overall product, with extensive support for operating systems and browsers and the option to self-host. However, Dashlane is still a great choice for businesses.

Continue reading for my comparison of Bitwarden and Dashlane’s features, or skip down to see how I evaluated them. 

SEE: Password Management Policy (TechRepublic Premium)

Bitwarden overview

Overall rating: 4.2/5

• Pricing: 4/5
• Core features: 4.4/5
• Advanced features: 3.5/5
• Security: 4.5/5
• Usability and administration: 5/5
• Customer support: 3.4/5

Bitwarden is a popular business password manager with features like user management, custom session length, and integrations with SIEM products. It’s one of the most affordable enterprise PM solutions, with team pricing starting at $4 per monthly user. 

Bitwarden also allows teams to host the solution on their own infrastructure, a nice perk for security teams that want greater control over their password manager. 

Dashlane overview

Overall rating: 4.1/5

• Pricing: 3.7/5
• Core features: 4.3/5
• Advanced features: 4/5
• Security: 4.1/5
• Usability and administration: 4.2/5
• Customer support: 3.5/5

Dashlane is a business password manager ideal for teams that want dark web and breach monitoring capabilities. Like Bitwarden, it offers plenty of features, including biometrics, passkeys, and integration with Active Directory. 

Dashlane is more expensive than Bitwarden, at $8 per user per month for its Business plan. But teams that can afford that price receive a plethora of password security features.

For more detail and instructions, read our guide to using Dashlane next.

Better for pricing: Bitwarden

Bitwarden is one of the more affordable enterprise password managers, starting at $4 per user per month with its Teams plan. The Enterprise plan costs only $6 per user monthly. However, remember that if your business is on the larger side, you might need to request a quote — Bitwarden gives teams that option, too.

The only downside to Bitwarden’s pricing is its lack of a startup or smaller teams plan, which many PM solutions have (for example, $20 for 10 users, like Dashlane). Bitwarden offers a free seven-day trial if you’d like to explore its features before committing.

Dashlane’s pricing is more expensive for PM products, costing $8 per user monthly if you purchase the Business plan. Its Standard plan is typically priced at $20 per 10 users per month. 

However, remember that Dashlane has many features, so you’re paying for enterprise-level password management with the Business plan. Dashlane offers a 14-day free trial.

Better for core features: Bitwarden

Bitwarden’s selection of basic PM features includes basic reporting, two-factor authentication (2FA), and a strong password generator. It integrates with Active Directory, Microsoft’s user management directory service. Teams can view their event logs, which show timestamps and users for specific security events. Bitwarden also supports data importing and exporting if you need to move your passwords.

Dashlane has many core features, like 2FA, single sign-on (SSO), and browser autofill. It also allows Business plan users to manage their family members’ password management plans. Like Bitwarden, Dashlane integrates with Active Directory and allows users to import and export password data.

Better for advanced features: Dashlane

Bitwarden’s more advanced password management features include passkeys, customizable security options for administrators, and offline mode. It integrates with security information and event management (SIEM) solutions like Splunk and Microsoft Sentinel.

Dashlane’s advanced PM tools include offline mode, passkeys, and an integration with Splunk. Where Dashlane wins this category is its dark web and data breach insights. The Dark Web Insights dashboard shows IT admins data breaches and potential threats to their organization’s users. 

Better for usability and administration: Bitwarden

Bitwarden wins this category because it can be used on Linux devices. Aside from Linux, Bitwarden supports Windows and Mac computers and Android and iOS mobile devices. It’s usable on most of the major browsers you could want, including DuckDuckGo and Tor. Developer solutions include a command line interface and an API. 

Dashlane supports multiple major operating systems, like Bitwarden, but it doesn’t yet support Linux devices. It’s usable on major browsers and additional Chromium browsers. Its tools for developers include a command line interface, a GitHub Action for continuous integration and deployment, and an API. 

Better for security: Bitwarden

Bitwarden is transparent about undergoing security audits, listing the types of security assessments and linking the reports so customers can read them. Bitwarden uses a zero-knowledge approach to storing data, in which decryption is only available on a client’s device and not on the vendor’s cloud servers. 

Like Bitwarden, Dashlane uses zero-knowledge encryption and alerts users of suspicious activity. Dashlane’s data breach alert system is more thorough than Bitwarden’s, especially with the Dark Web Insights dashboard that’s available to customers. Dashlane doesn’t make third-party audits or assessments available to customers or indicate that it’s undergone recent ones.

Better for customer support: Dashlane

Bitwarden’s support team primarily uses email to communicate with customers and solve their technical issues. Like many password managers, it doesn’t have phone or chat support. For demos, you can contact Bitwarden for a standard business demo or watch a 10-minute how-to video.

Dashlane wins this category because it offers chatbot support and phone call options in addition to email, an unusual offering for PM solutions. This is ideal for admins looking for more rapid support channels. You can request a demo from Dashlane, but the vendor doesn’t offer an official demo through YouTube.

How I compared Bitwarden and Dashlane 

I used a product scoring rubric to compare Bitwarden and Dashlane, focusing on six major categories that password manager buyers consider. Each category was weighted based on its importance and had multiple subcriteria. For example, SSO and browser autofill are individual features in the Core Features category. How well Bitwarden and Dashlane met the subcriteria determined their score. 

Core features – 25%

I considered major password management features, such as browser autofill, strong password generation, and 2FA in this category. Other core features included single sign-on and Active Directory integrations. 

Usability and administration – 20%

This category covered operating systems supported by each password manager, including mobile operating systems and browsers supported. Additionally, I considered documentation in the vendors’ knowledge base and options for developers, like APIs and CLIs. 

Pricing – 15%

I compared Bitwarden and Dashlane’s pricing plans by the least expensive or small-team plans, mid-range business plans, and enterprise offerings. I also looked at availability and length of free trials for the password managers.  

Security – 15%

This category included precise details on encryption methods and procedures that password management vendors should provide. Additionally, I considered whether the software took a zero-knowledge approach to storing data and looked at data exposure alert features and data breach history. 

Customer support – 15%

I looked at the customer support channels Bitwarden and Dashlane offered, including phone, email, and live chat. Then I looked for different product demo options for potential buyers and whether the two providers offered technical account manager (TAM) services. 

Advanced features – 10%

Advanced password management features included passkeys, custom security policies, dark web monitoring, and the option to use the software offline. This category also considered integrations with SIEM solutions like Splunk. 

Top 3 alternatives to Bitwarden and Dashlane

Bitwarden and Dashlane are strong PM solutions, but they won’t fit every business well. If neither of these tools sounds like the right choice, consider 1Password, NordPass, or Keeper instead. 

1Password

1Password is one of the best enterprise password managers on the market. Its features include 2FA, biometric authentication, and group management. It also offers accounts for guest users and travel mode, which neither Bitwarden nor Dashlane has. 

Like Dashlane, 1Password is more expensive — its pricing is almost the same as Dashlane’s. The Teams starter pack costs $19.95 for 10 users per month, and the Business plan costs $7.99 per user per month. I recommend 1Password for any business with the budget for a stellar password management solution.Check out our comparison of 1Password and Bitwarden if you’re deciding between them, or review 1Password and Dashlane if they seem like the two best options for your team.

NordPass

NordPass is a password manager developed by Nord Security, based in the Netherlands. It offers many password management features, including company-wide password health detection, password history, and previous credential restoration. 

NordPass has relatively inexpensive pricing: its Teams plan costs $1.99 per user per month for only 10 users, and the Business plan costs only $3.99 per user per month. If you’re looking for more features, like a Splunk integration and activity log API extraction, look at the Enterprise plan, which costs $5.99 per user monthly.

Keeper 

Keeper is a password manager for small businesses and large enterprises. It offers basic PM features, like 2FA and reporting, and advanced features, like secrets management. Keeper stands out for its add-on security modules, including Secure File Storage and Advanced Reporting and Alerts.

Keeper’s Business Starter plan costs $2 per user per month, and the Business plan costs $3.75 per user per month. If you need an enterprise plan, contact Keeper for specific pricing information. There’s also a privileged access manager that includes multiple Keeper add-on products.Read our guide to Keeper and Bitwarden if you want to compare the two. If you’re leaning more toward Dashlane but haven’t decided, check out our comparison of Keeper and Dashlane. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Bottom line: Bitwarden vs Dashlane 

Bitwarden and Dashlane have similar features, so deciding between them will depend on your business’s needs. If you’re interested in hosting a password manager on your own infrastructure or you need a more affordable business PM plan, consider Bitwarden. If you need multiple support channels, especially phone, consider Dashlane. If neither of these options sounds right, check out our guide to the best enterprise password managers for a couple more options.