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ProtectedShare vs Bitwarden Send

Bitwarden Send is end-to-end encrypted and lives inside the Bitwarden password manager, so you need a Bitwarden account to create one. ProtectedShare also encrypts in your browser, and neither you nor the person you're sending to needs an account.

Create a secure note Send a file

Bitwarden Send and ProtectedShare, feature by feature. Each answer is Yes, No, Partial or Not stated.
Feature	Bitwarden Send	ProtectedShare
Encrypts in your browser before upload
Encrypts in your browser before upload	YesAES-256; the key is in the link after #	YesAES-256-GCM via Web Crypto, before upload
Works without an account
Works without an account	PartialFor recipients only; senders need a Bitwarden account	Yes
Text secrets
Text secrets	YesUp to 1,000 encrypted characters, on every plan	YesSecure Notes and EnvShare
Encrypted file sharing
Encrypted file sharing	PartialPremium or a paid organization; up to 500 MB (100 MB on mobile)	YesUp to 25 MB, with a download limit
Expires after a set time
Expires after a set time	YesDeleted after 7 days by default, about a month at most	Yes1 hour to 30 days
Limit how many times it opens
Limit how many times it opens	YesOptional view limit	YesBurn after one read, or 1 to 100 reads
Password
Password	YesChecked by their server; not part of the encryption	YesCan replace the key in the link
Only specific email addresses can open it
Only specific email addresses can open it	PartialEmail verification, on paid plans	No
See whether it was opened
See whether it was opened	YesAccess count shown to the sender	PartialOpened status and revoke in My links, on the device that made the link
Ask someone to send you a secret
Ask someone to send you a secret	Not statedNot covered in the sources we checked	YesEncrypted to your public key
Open source
Open source	YesServer source on GitHub	YesMIT license
Self-hostable
Self-hostable	YesDocker, per their docs	YesCloudflare Worker + D1, Docker web image

The Bitwarden Send column reflects their public docs and site at time of writing (October 2026). Products change, so check theirs before deciding. Sources: About Send, Create a Send, Send lifespan, Send encryption, Send privacy, Receive a Send, bitwarden/server on GitHub.

No account on either side

Send is part of Bitwarden. You create and manage Sends from the Send view of a Bitwarden app, so you need a Bitwarden account; the person you send it to doesn't. Text Sends are open to every Bitwarden user. File Sends need Premium or a paid organization plan, and a verified email address.

ProtectedShare has no accounts. Open Secure Notes or the file drop, add what you're sending, and copy the link. The trade-off is where your list of shares lives: Bitwarden lets you manage Sends from any Bitwarden app you sign in to, while ProtectedShare's My links stays in the browser that made the link.

What the password does

Bitwarden's help center describes the Send password as purely an authentication method. The link always carries the encryption key, and their server checks the password before it returns the Send.

A ProtectedShare note can carry the key in the link too, or the password can be the key. Leave the key out and the note is encrypted with a key derived from your password (PBKDF2-SHA256, 600,000 iterations), so the link alone opens nothing. Send the password another way, by phone or a different app, and pick a strong one: a weak password can be guessed. The security page covers both modes.

Files: 500 MB or 25 MB

With a paid plan, Send takes files up to 500 MB (100 MB from mobile). ProtectedShare's file drop stops at 25 MB, enough for documents, keys, configs and screenshots, but not video. Files are encrypted in your browser in 1 MiB chunks, each bound to its position, and file names are encrypted too. You choose 1 to 100 downloads and an expiry of up to 30 days.

Try it on ProtectedShare

Free, with no account. Each tool encrypts in your browser before anything is uploaded. The security model lists exactly what the server stores.

Questions

Do you need a Bitwarden account to use Bitwarden Send?

To create a Send, yes. Sends are made and managed from the Send view in a Bitwarden app, and file Sends need Premium or a paid organization plan. Recipients don't need an account to open one. ProtectedShare needs no account to create or open a share.

Is Bitwarden Send end-to-end encrypted?

Yes, according to Bitwarden's help center. Each Send gets a new key, its contents are encrypted with AES-256 on your device, and the key travels in the link after the #, which isn't sent to the server. ProtectedShare works the same way at that level: AES-256-GCM in your browser, with the key after # or derived from a password.

Is Bitwarden Send free?

Text Sends are available to every Bitwarden user, up to 1,000 encrypted characters. File Sends, and Sends that only open after an email verification, need a paid plan. ProtectedShare's notes, EnvShare secrets, file drops up to 25 MB and secret requests are free, with no sign-up.

How long does a Bitwarden Send last?

Every Send has a deletion date: 7 days by default, and at most 31 days according to Bitwarden's Send lifespan page (another of their pages says 30). You can also set an earlier expiration date and a view limit. ProtectedShare links last from 1 hour to 30 days, and can burn after one read or allow 1 to 100 reads.

Does a Bitwarden Send password encrypt the Send?

No. Bitwarden describes Send passwords as purely an authentication method: their server checks the password before returning the Send, and the encryption key is in the link. In ProtectedShare's Secure Notes the password can be the key instead, so the link on its own can't open the note.