Published version update in app stores
community.bitwarden.com
Hello everyone! Starting in the next release, the Bitwarden apps published to the various stores will be the commercially licensed builds. No action is needed, and the apps will work exactly as they do today. Bitwarden remains committed to open source security and transparency The GPLv3 OSS licensed version continues to be updated and published on GitHub All current features are available in both versions License details are on GitHub Bitwarden remains committed to a robust, free forever plan...

cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/57178743

RyanL Bitwarden Employee

Hello everyone!

Starting in the next release, the Bitwarden apps published to the various stores will be the commercially licensed builds. No action is needed, and the apps will work exactly as they do today.

Bitwarden remains committed to open source security and transparency
The GPLv3 OSS licensed version continues to be updated and published on GitHub
All current features are available in both versions
License details are on GitHub
Bitwarden remains committed to a robust, free forever plan for everyone

If you have any questions, please ask them in this thread. Thanks all!

EDIT:

Bitwarden is not going closed-source
You can still fork Bitwarden
No change to self-hosting, the licensing change affects those who are repackaging and reselling Bitwarden
The free plan is here to stay permanently
    • Derpgon@programming.devEnglish
      0·
      2 days ago

      Depends. It all stands on the shoulders of the client. My guess is Vaultwarden will fork and go with their own UI and plugin.

  • PushButton@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    That was written in the sky…

    Open-Source is literally used as marketing tool for the under dogs until they reach a critical mass of users.

    People were fighting on social media, defending the product, suggesting it, “it’s open source”, people were doing the marketing for them.

    No wonder why people feel like they got raped, after all the hard work they have done for them…

    But at least they didn’t contribute code, did you? Not me, because I am old enough to never use such products, it’s a classic rug pull, bait and switch.

    Open source doesn’t mean it’s good, it must be hold by a bunch of strangers in T-shirt, not in full suite…

    Corpo in disguise…

  • miadidi@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    Bitwarden’s front-end (Apps, Extensions) must be hard forked before it is too late.

  • 4grams@awful.systemsEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    Goddamnit, enshittification comes for ALL paid services eventually. Looks like I have another service to start self hosting…

  • Fmstrat@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    Does this mean I will, or won’t be able to install the FOSS version through GitHub? Trying to stop repackagers from selling your project is one thing, but killing the source available installs would be another.

  • mrdrew@lemmy.todayEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    “bitwarden apps will be the commercially licensed builds.” I don’t understand how this is going to change anything.

    I self-host vaultwarden. I use the official Bitwarden app, it works swimmingly. Going the self-hosted route you get enterprise features (I don’t use em).

    Doesn’t the licensing stuff connect with the backend not the app?

    https://hub.docker.com/r/vaultwarden/server

    • Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      0·
      1 day ago

      All current features are available in both versions

      They will start making changes exclusively to the propriety app, and eventually the proprietary app will be completely incompatible with the FOSS app. They’re doing what Google did with AOSP.

    • FG_3479@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      2 days ago

      The commercial licensing is on the clients. You must switch to the Github versions immediately or proprietary code will be installed.

  • youmaynotknow@lemmy.zipEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    It just blows my mind how so many comments use the term ‘purchase’ as if this new enshitification step still allowed for the dictionary meaning of the word.

    I used to suggest bitwarden to everyone, now it’s basically ‘start using KeePass, keep a copy of your db in a USB drive in your safe, have fun’.

    • Croquette@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      0·
      2 days ago

      The fact that bitwarden raised 100 millions from venture capitalists for “acceleration” and small changes towards a closed license for premium features is a steady step towards enshittification.

      The writing is on the wall and every announcement like that is a step further into enshittification to provide value for shareholders at the expense of thrle consumer base.

      I still haven’t switched yet because life is going fast and I didn’t come around to do my backup file server yet, but I would suggest anyone reading this to look for an alternative because it will get worst.

    • StateMachine@lemmy.zipEnglish
      0·
      2 days ago

      Yep, have been using KeyPass or KeyPassX for at least a decade now and just syncing across all machines (via syncthing). 100% reliable in my experience.

  • NekoBeko@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    So, will you still be able to use the builds with the free license? Does that mean that the App Store builds will be locked down?

  • Guanlin@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    0·
    3 days ago

    Pretty much seen it coming when the new CEO came in and removed the words “Transparency” and “Always Free” from the official marketing.

    • Zagorath@quokk.auEnglish
      0·
      2 days ago

      Whether you believe it or not is another matter, but this very post still includes the words “transparency” and “always free”.

      Bitwarden remains committed to open source security and transparency

      Bitwarden remains committed to a robust, free forever plan for everyone

      and a bonus:

      The free plan is here to stay permanently

      • nomy@lemmy.zipEnglish
        0·
        2 days ago

        You can already see them positioning themselves to start removing features with the phrase “free plan.”

        Nothing stopping them from limiting the number of passwords available in “the free plan” or something, pressuring users into “the pay plan.”

        But I’m pretty cynical.

        • rumba@lemmy.zipEnglish
          0·
          2 days ago

          Lastpass limited the number of device types, phone OR desktop

          I’d find it more likely they remove passkeys and TOTP from the free plan.

          My fam will not like moving password managers again, but it might be time.

          Need PC, Mac, Linux, Android, IOS, Passkeys, TOTP, Granular Permissions, keepass ain’t gonna cut it. Getting off my ass and making something isn’t impossible, but i’m not looking forward to figuring out passkeys, copy, paste and accessiblilty on IOS.

          • Zagorath@quokk.auEnglish
            0·
            1 day ago

            Lastpass limited the number of device types, phone OR desktop

            The thing that shit me about LastPass doing that is that they used to do that. And I actually paid for it back when they did. Then they made it free for several years. And then they brought back the restriction, only at like 5x the price.

            And in the meantime, quality of life of the service remained flat. I regularly had to go into the LastPass app and manually copy/paste because the autofill functionality didn’t work properly on Android. There was just no way it was a service of a quality that’s worth paying for. Bitwarden’s UX is incredible by comparison.

            • rumba@lemmy.zipEnglish
              0·
              1 day ago

              yeah talk about going out in a blaze of glory stupidity.

              Fuck over the free users (features)

              Fuck over the pay users (cost)

              Fuck over the corporate users (over report the actual level of encryption, several vulnerabilities that exposed easy exfiltration, third party trackers running in zero-trust code)

              Fuck over everyone, their DevOps dude running Tatuli on Plex got RCE’d and exposed their entire vault

        • giant_smeeg@feddit.ukEnglish
          0·
          2 days ago

          Aslong as it stays source available at a bare minimum for the paid offering/options I think I can live with that.

      • PushButton@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        2 days ago

        I never understood the 9000iq move to give all your credentials to someone else…

        That’s why I use “pass” as password-store.

        • rumba@lemmy.zipEnglish
          0·
          2 days ago

          Because some people need non-technical people to share password solutions. Keepass is all or nothing for security and pass is ad administration headache for a family.

        • Zarobi@aussie.zoneEnglish
          0·
          2 days ago

          Bitwarden has much better enterprise options. KeePass is kind of dinky by comparison; even for a single user you immediately run into the problem “how do I sync my new password to my phone automatically?” Bitwarden was just an app that worked.

          That being said ~ I see the writing on the wall, and will be going back to the dinky option. Again. This isn’t the first time I’ve been burnt, but I never seem to learn. Self-hosting seems to be the only sustainable long-term option after all. Hopefully the migration isn’t too painful.

          I highly recommend anyone reading this get your export out while they still have a good export tool. First thing companies do in enshitification 101 is make it difficult to leave and trap you via inconvenience.