Bitwarden open source code free password manager, can import other password files to support common browsers

Well-known password management tools LastPass announced on the official website to adjust the free plan after March. In the future, free users can only access the password and use the synchronization function on a single device type . LastPass divides the device into a computer (Including all browser plug-ins) and mobile devices (smart phones, smart watches and tablets), this also means that unless you only use one of these devices, you must pay to upgrade to maintain its cross-platform convenience. Of course, almost everyone is inseparable from mobile phones. If your password management tool can only be used on a computer or mobile phone, it is better to use an offline password manager directly, and there is less risk of being hacked and password stolen. .

I have always been a lover of offline password managers. I started to use KeePass Password Safe to store passwords. Later I found that it was troublesome to save the password file, and I had to use other synchronization tools to back it up. The security of the device does not seem to be ideal; a few years ago I switched to Master Password password generator, as long as you remember a set of master passwords, you can generate password combinations for other services , And it can be used without internet. Of course, it is free software and also provides mobile applications.

If you want to find a more suitable alternative to LastPass, the next recommended “Bitwarden” is a good choice. It is an open source password management with a free solution A tool that provides the simplest and more secure way of storing and managing passwords for individuals or teams supports Windows, macOS, Linux desktop software, mobile devices have iOS and Android applications, and if you want to use it in the browser, you also have Chrome , Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari and other applicable extensions. If you prefer to input commands, it also provides Command line (CLI) tools and web version services.

Bitwarden

Bitwarden is mainly divided into two schemes, “individual” and “organization”. If you need to allow multiple people to access the same password library, you must choose the latter to have multiple users. For single use, only a personal plan is required. There is not much difference between free and paid functions. The main difference is “encrypted file capacity” and some advanced functions. For general users, the free plan is actually sufficient for most tasks, including unlimited password storage. Quantity, synchronizing passwords across all devices, password generators, etc. The paid plan is as low as $1 per month, and the family plan is very affordable at $3.33 per month.

Bitwarden

is worth mentioning is because Bitwarden is a open source code project, users can set up a password storage server simple In other words, if you feel that storing passwords in Bitwarden cloud may have security concerns, and you want to manage passwords by yourself, but want to keep the convenience of synchronizing passwords between different devices, you can consider installing and deploying Bitwarden to your own server. Device.

Bitwarden
https://bitwarden.com/

Free download Bitwarden
https://bitwarden.com/download/

Use instruction

STEP 1

After opening Bitwarden, first enter the “Download” download page to see if your usual operating system, browser, and application are within the scope of support. If so, you can download and install it first, and then download it from the official website. Register an account first.

Bitwarden

STEP 2

Enter the price page and click “Create Free Account” under the basic free plan, or click on the upper right corner “Get Started “You can enter the registration page. Although the Bitwarden webpage does not have Chinese, it provides a Chinese interface in the web version or downloaded software and extensions. The operation will be very simple.

Bitwarden

Enter Email, name, and master password to create an account. It should be noted that master password is very important which will affect whether you can access the password management correctly Tool, If the master password is lost, it cannot be restored or reset. If you are worried about forgetting your password, you can enter a password reminder to help you recall the master password when you forget the password.

Bitwarden

STEP 3

After registering and logging in to the Bitwarden console, you will see the password management tool on the web side, and there will be a reminder message to verify the email in the upper right corner. You can click “ Send email ” to Email and click the link in the letter to complete the identity verification.

The main password filters of the Bitwarden password management tool are displayed on the left, including a search function, classification, various password types and folders. Users can manage their own categories and find the passwords and passwords they need in a shorter time. Will be displayed in the password library in the middle.

Bitwarden

STEP 4

did not have any password when using it for the first time, click “Add Item” to add a new password, set account type, name, The user name, password, and website address are sufficient. Since it is a password manager, it will have a password generation function to help users create stronger, more complex and unique password combinations.

Bitwarden

Bitwarden

STEP 5

Of course you may have migrated from LastPass, KeePass, 1Password or other password managers to Bitwarden, and the website is also Provide the function of importing passwords from other tools or services just export the passwords from other password management tools, and then click on the top “Tools” to find “Import data” , You can select the file format (service name) you originally used, and select the imported password file to quickly transfer the password to Bitwarden, which is very useful for transferring data.

Export passwords from LastPass and move to Bitwarden password management tool teaching

If you don’t want to continue to use it in the future, you can also use another “Export Password Library” function to export the password to .json format.

Bitwarden

After successfully importing the password, my password in other managers will be saved to Bitwarden, and each item will have service name, account number and password and other related information. After clicking It will open more detailed information, such as folders, URLs, notes, and validator key (TOTP) tools. The great thing is that Bitwarden integrates two-step verification and it also has a verification code generator. Quickly bring in relevant information when you log in. Unfortunately, this feature is an advanced feature and you must pay to upgrade to use it.

However, users can think from another angle. Will there be a security problem if the password and the two-step authenticator are placed on the same service? Although there are fewer apps, I tend to put eggs in different baskets for safety.

Bitwarden

STEP 6

Click the function behind the password to quickly copy the user name, copy the password or open the webpage. If you want to quickly enter the password on the service through the browser, we can Install extensions in the browser.

Bitwarden

The picture below is the Windows version of Bitwarden. It looks very similar to the web version, and it also has Chinese language.

Bitwarden

STEP 7

Bitwarden In addition to quick access to passwords on computers, mobile phones or other mobile devices, more importantly, also has extended functions (plug-ins) applicable to most browsers for example, I installed the Bitwarden extension on Google Chrome, and after logging in, I can access the password or the data I saved in the toolbar at the upper right corner of the browser.

Bitwarden

When you open the login screen of other services, and the password is saved in the Bitwarden tool, a digital prompt message will appear on the Bitwarden plug-in, and the pre-stored “Login information “, you can click to quickly enter the account and password fields, which is very convenient.

This part of the judgment is based on the “URL” field in the password manager. The login page URL and detection rules can be set.

Bitwarden

In the advanced option of Bitwarden extension, there is a “ Automatically fill in the form when the page loads ” function, this is currently an experimental feature , There may be some risks, but when users enable this option, they will automatically bring in information such as account and password when they encounter the appropriate login field. Friends who are interested can study it.

Bitwarden

STEP 8

Finally, still has to emphasize again that there is no 100% secure service even if there are more encryption technologies or protective measures, users still have to do their best Ability to protect account security (and in Bitwarden stores very confidential passwords), Bitwarden itself also provides two-step verification protection, the free version can be set to Authy or Google Authenticator authenticator The verification code generated by the application, or the verification code received by email, supports YubiKey or FIDO U2F physical security key after payment.

Bitwarden

Three reasons worth trying:

  1. Open source code password management tools, support common platforms and browsers such as Windows, macOS, etc.
  2. You can import existing password files to save data It’s more convenient to move to Bitwarden
  3. Support to deploy Bitwarden to its own server

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