Bitwarden

Main Window

Bitwarden's main window uses the three-column layout common to many password managers. At left you choose a folder or data type. The middle displays matching items. And the remainder of the window displays the selected item's details.

Online Vault

You can also access your data by logging in to your Bitwarden vault online. Some actions, such as importing from other password managers, require use of the online vault.

Update Password

When you log in, create an account, or update a password, Bitwarden slides in a banner at the top of the page offering to save your details.

Available Passwords

The Bitwarden toolbar icon displays the number of logins matching the current page. To log in automatically, you click the button and click the desired login.

Password Generator

By default, Bitwarden generates 14-character alphanumeric passwords. We advise raising the length to at least 16 and checking the box to include special characters.

Two Step Authentication

You can configure Bitwarden for two-factor authentication using a code sent via email, or one generated by Google Authenticator (or a workalike). Other two-factor choices require a premium account.

Cards and Identities

Bitwarden lets you store any number of credit cards and personal data identities. To fill a web form, you click the toolbar button and click the desired identity, card, or both.

New Organization

Secure sharing with Bitwarden requires creation of an organization. A free organization can only have two users and can only organize passwords into two collections.

Invite User

When you invite a new user to your organization, you can select one of four user types and also control the user's access. In a home situation, you'll most likely make the other user a co-owner.

Fingerprint Phrase

To be sure there's no man-in-the-middle attack subverting your sharing, Bitwarden advises comparing the fingerprint phrase via phone or text message.

Bitwarden on Android

Android users get the full range of Bitwarden features, with the addition of some mobile-specific bonuses like fingerprint authentication.

Bitwarden on iOS

Bitwarden's iOS app lags behind the Android offering. It lacks some features, and the only way to view a list of all your items is to start a search, as shown here.

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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