I tested Bitwarden using the iOS app, the Chrome browser extension, and the web vault.
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Web Vault
Bitwarden’s web vault has a simple blue-and-white vault interface. Along the left rail, you can access your vault, share passwords and other data via Bitwarden Send, export, generate, and import passwords in the Tools section, view your password hygiene stats in the Reports section, and set up emergency access in the Settings menu.
When you click the New button, you can create a new login, store a credit card number, identity information, a secure note, or an SSH key. To access a website using the credentials you imported to your vault, click the item, choose Launch from the drop-down menu, and Bitwarden will open the website for you to log in.
Browser Extension
The Bitwarden browser extensions are sleek and responsive. In the Appearance section, you can modify the extension window by enabling a compact version.
The Chrome extension worked as expected during testing. I didn’t need to tweak Chrome’s auto-fill settings to access my passwords or log in to the test accounts, which is ideal. Capturing existing logins I didn’t import into the vault also worked as expected.
Password and Username Generators
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By default, Bitwarden’s password generator creates passwords containing uppercase and lowercase letters and digits but not special characters. I advise checking the box to add special characters since many sites require them.
The generator can generate passwords from 5 to 128 characters, but it defaults to 14. I advise increasing the length to 20 characters or more. You can also create passphrases up to 20 words long. Review your password history by selecting the Generator History link at the bottom of the window.
You can also use the username generator to create new usernames for social media websites. When creating a new account, click the Bitwarden icon in the username field, then select the option to generate a username. As mentioned in the security section, you can use the username generator to create email aliases for your accounts as well.
Form Filling and Storage
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Bitwarden stores three types of personal data items: Cards, Identities, and Secure Notes. For each credit card, you record the card number, cardholder name, expiration dates, and CCV. Each Identity is a collection of personal data, including your name, email address, phone number, and even your Social Security number. Remember that you’re saving this data in someone else’s cloud, though. Yes, it’s encrypted, but it’s still accessible on the web if you have your password and MFA. I wouldn’t keep my social security number in my cloud-based password vault, but you do you.
You can also save text in the Secure Note section of the vault. Give each note a name and then paste or type your notes in the text field.
If you want Bitwarden to fill out a form for you, click the extension button within the text field and then choose your desired identity or credit card. I didn’t have trouble filling in forms on shopping websites during the evaluation period.
Password Sharing
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If you have to share credentials, you want the process to be simple and secure. Bitwarden offers two methods: Bitwarden Send and via Organizations. Of the available options, Bitwarden Send is much easier to set up and use.
With Bitwarden Send, you can pass along an encrypted link to anyone (even people who don’t use Bitwarden) using whatever communication method you prefer. During the setup for a Send, you can specify an expiration date, a deletion date, a maximum access limit, and a password. Bitwarden Premium subscribers can share files and texts using Bitwarden Send. Free customers can only share text.
Organizations work a little differently. You don’t use the Organization sharing options to share individual credentials or text directly with other customers. Instead, create an Organization for your account, invite others to it, and share a Collection with them. Bitwarden Families account holders can share credentials with up to six other account members using Organizations.
Free and Premium account holders can create two Collections. If you subscribe to the Family plan, you can create unlimited Collections.
The point of the Collection system is to let you share different passwords with different group members. This sharing setup is best for enterprise customers, and it’s organized in a very “corporate” manner. There are three other levels of access within an Organization: the Admin, Manager, and User, but those distinctions would matter more in a business setting. Suppose you’re using Organizations to share credentials with your family. In that case, all you need to know is that you can limit each person’s access to specific Collections or set the credential access to read-only. If you’re sharing with a partner, it makes sense to give them full access. If the share is more one-sided, perhaps with a child, read-only user access is probably best.
Emergency Access
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Bitwarden allows paid account holders to grant emergency access to their vaults. The owner can approve access manually or set a date for when the vault will be accessible by the emergency contact. Notably, only Premium customers and higher can send emergency access requests, but people on the free plan can be designated recipients. Upon gaining access to the vault, Emergency access contacts either receive read-only access or full control, depending on the settings.
Passkey Support
Bitwarden can create and manage passkeys. If you set Bitwarden as your passkey provider in your device’s Settings menu, the app can generate and use passkeys using your mobile device or a Windows desktop. This function works on browser extensions, mobile devices, and browsers.
