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BitLocker vs VeraCrypt: catalog facts
BitLocker	VeraCrypt
Paid Included with Windows; the full feature set requires the Pro, Enterprise or Education…	Free Free and open source, funded by donations.
Windows	Windows, macOS, Linux
Built into Windows with nothing extra to install Encrypts entire volumes	Encrypted container files that mount like an ordinary drive Full partition and full system encryption, with pre-boot authentication on Windows
Windows only Full feature set limited to certain Windows editions	Mounting a volume needs administrator rights and a driver on every platform Forget the password or lose the header backup and the data is gone
Operating system	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: Apache-2.0 and TrueCrypt-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.