Padloc vs Bitwarden
Last updated October 2026
Looking for a European alternative to Bitwarden? Here's how Padloc compares, on EU hosting, GDPR and what it does.
Our pick for a European buyer: Padloc. We weight data residency, GDPR and EU jurisdiction above everything else — that is the constraint this directory exists to solve.
What it is
Open-source password manager with end-to-end encryption and EU hosting
Open-source password manager for individuals and businesses.
Headquarters
🇩🇪 DE
🇺🇸 US · 2016
EU data residency
Yes, for all customers
Available on some plansEU data residency available on Enterprise plans or by request.
DSGVO / GDPR
Yes
Yes
Certifications
No
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3
Price from
$3.49/user/mo
$10/yr
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Integrations
SCIM, YubiKey, Google Authenticator, Authy, Google Chrome +1
Browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, Brave), Mobile apps (iOS, Android), Desktop apps (Windows, macOS, Linux), SSO (SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0), Command-line interface (CLI) +1
Where each one wins
Padloc
Strengths
- +Modern, uncluttered and intuitive interface for non-technical users
- +AGPL-3.0 open-source architecture with zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption
- +Publicly available third-party audit reports
- +Cross-platform support for Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS and web
- +Flexible vault organization with custom fields, rich text notes, tagging and attachments
- +Simple setup for shared team vaults and access delegation
Limitations
- −Poor or missing browser and mobile autofill functionality
- −Strict free-tier limits (e.g., 50 items)
- −Higher pricing relative to feature depth compared to alternatives
Bitwarden
Strengths
- +Open-source transparency and auditability
- +Strong zero-knowledge encryption model
- +Affordable pricing for teams and enterprises
- +Cross-platform support
Limitations
- −Self-hosting requires technical expertise
- −Limited customer support on free plan
- −No built-in password inheritance feature
- −Occasional sync delays reported
Data residency & compliance
Padloc
Bitwarden
EU data residency
Yes, for all customers
Available on some plansEU data residency available on Enterprise plans or by request.
Transfer mechanism
Not required — data stays in the EU
EU-US Data Privacy Framework
Certifications
No
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3
Pricing
Padloc
- Free $0 / month Free tierUnlimited vault items · Unlimited devices · Basic password management
- Premium $3.49 / month or $34.90 / year per user / month or per user / yearAll Free features · MFA and built-in authenticator/OTP · Up to 1GB encrypted file storage
- Family $5.95 / month or $59.50 / year per family / month or per family / yearAll Premium features · Sharing for up to 5 users · Up to 5 Shared Vaults with 1GB encrypted file storage
- Team $3.49 / user / month or $34.90 / user / year per user / month or per user / yearAll Premium features · Up to 20 Shared Vaults and 10 groups · Up to 5GB encrypted file storage
- Business $6.99 / user / month or $69.90 / user / year per user / month or per user / yearAll Team features · Up to 50 Shared Vaults and 20 groups · Up to 20GB encrypted file storage
- Enterprise Price Upon Request Custom / AnnualAll Business features · Unlimited encrypted file storage · Unlimited vaults and groups
30-day free trial available for all paid plans.
Bitwarden
- Free Free ForeverUnlimited passwords on unlimited devices · Password generator · Secure notes
- Premium $10 Year1 GB encrypted file storage · Additional 2FA options (YubiKey, FIDO2) · Priority customer support
- Families $40 YearUp to 6 premium accounts · Unlimited collections and sharing · 1 GB encrypted file storage per user
- Teams $4 User/MonthUnlimited users · Unlimited collections · 1 GB encrypted file storage per user
- Enterprise $6 User/MonthAll Teams features · SSO integration · Advanced 2FA options
Enterprise plan offers EU data residency on request. Pricing is billed annually for Premium and Families plans.
Features
Padloc
- Password & Data Management
- Secure storage for passwords, credit cards, banking data, documents, notes, and license keys, Predefined item templates (e.g., Website/App) with customizable fields, Tags for organization and item favoriting, Built-in random password and passphrase generator
- Collaboration & Access Control
- Organizations with shared vaults, Role-based access control (Owner, Admin, Regular Member), Permission management via user groups, Multi-user item/vault sharing with cryptographic invite workflows
- Security & Authentication
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) with hardware keys (YubiKey) and TOTP apps (Google Authenticator, Authy), Built-in authenticator/one-time password (OTP) generation, Biometric unlock (FaceID/Fingerprint), Active session and trusted device management, automatic app locking
- Data Integrity & Storage
- Item revision history and version restore, Encrypted file attachments and storage, Rich-text note formatting with Markdown support
- Cross-Platform Access & Usability
- Native apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, Mobile apps for iOS and Android, Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox with auto-fill and drag-and-drop support, Browser-based web application
Bitwarden
- Security
- Zero-knowledge encryption, End-to-end encrypted vault, Two-factor authentication (2FA), Password breach monitoring
- Collaboration
- Secure password sharing, Role-based access control, Team and enterprise folders, Audit logs
- Deployment & Integration
- Self-hosting option, Browser extensions, Mobile and desktop apps, SSO integration
- Compliance
- ISO 27001 certified, SOC 2 Type II compliant, HIPAA compliant, GDPR compliant