How to switch from LastPass to Bitwarden password manager

Bitwarden's free tier offers almost all of the features available on LastPass at the moment - and it works on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Windows, Mac, Linux, and more.

Switching to Bitwarden is easy - if you have a desktop browser handy, it will only take a few minutes. (HT Tech)

After years of offering a feature-rich free password management service, LastPass announced on Tuesday that they were going to severely limit users on the free tier to using either the desktop client or the mobile app. While LastPass' decision is certainly understandable, many users will not be comfortable with such a limited experience.

While there are several free alternatives available, few can compare to the open-source and secure Bitwarden password manager. The service's free tier offers almost all of the features available on LastPass at the moment - and it works on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Windows, Mac, Linux, and more. And switching to Bitwarden is easy - if you have a desktop browser handy, it will only take a few minutes.

First, you have to export your passwords into a ‘transferable' file from the LastPass Web Vault:

1. Go to the left sidebar and choose Advanced Options.

2. From the menu, choose Export.

Export your vault will prompt for your master password and you should see this new tab. (Bitwarden)

Export your vault will prompt for your master password and you should see this new tab. (Bitwarden)

3. Now you will need to enter your master password before LastPass exports your passwords.

4. You should now see a new tab with a lot of text - select all the information (Ctrl+A or use your mouse) and copy it to a notepad app.

5. Save the file as export.csv - keep in mind that the file should have CSV (comma separated values) instead of TXT for the import to work properly.

 

You may run into an error with the exported file - LastPass can sometimes make a mistake while exporting special characters in your password like ampersand (&) and display it like an HTML value (&) instead. This can affect special characters like &, <, >, etc. according to Bitwarden.

To fix this, just use the Search and Replace option in your favourite Notepad app - for example search for & and replace it with & instead.

 

Once you have done that, it is time to bring the exported file into your Bitwarden vault. Sign up for a new account on Bitwarden if you haven't already, then make sure you are signed in to  Bitwarden Web Vault before performing the following steps:

1. From the top navigation bar, choose Tools.

2. Choose Import Data from the Tools menu.

3. You will now be asked to choose a format - pick LastPass (csv).

4. Browse to your export.csv file and add the file.

5. Hit the Import Data button and you are all set!