How to Migrate from 1Password to Bitwarden

1Password costs $3-8/user/month. Bitwarden is free for personal use and $4/user/month for teams — or completely free with Vaultwarden (self-hosted). Here's how to switch.

Step 1: Set Up Bitwarden

Option A: Bitwarden Cloud (free)

1. Sign up at bitwarden.com
2. Verify email

Option B: Vaultwarden (self-hosted, free)

docker run -d \
  --name vaultwarden \
  -v vw-data:/data \
  -p 80:80 \
  -e ADMIN_TOKEN=your-admin-token \
  vaultwarden/server:latest

Vaultwarden is a lightweight, Rust-based Bitwarden server that uses the official Bitwarden clients.

Step 2: Export from 1Password

1. Open 1Password desktop app
2. File → Export → All Items
3. Choose format: 1Password Unencrypted Export (.1pux) or CSV
4. Authenticate and save the file

⚠️ Security: The export file contains all your passwords in plain text. Delete it immediately after import.

Step 3: Import to Bitwarden

1. Log in to Bitwarden web vault
2. Tools → Import Data
3. Select format: 1Password (1pux) or 1Password (CSV)
4. Upload the export file
5. Click Import Data

What imports:

• ✅ Logins (username, password, URL, notes)
• ✅ Secure notes
• ✅ Credit cards
• ✅ Identities
• ✅ Folders/vaults → Bitwarden folders
• ⚠️ Attachments — need manual re-upload
• ⚠️ TOTP seeds — check they transferred correctly
• ❌ Watchtower alerts — not applicable

Step 4: Install Clients

Platform	Client
Browser	Bitwarden extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
Desktop	Bitwarden desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux)
iOS	Bitwarden iOS
Android	Bitwarden Android
CLI	bw command-line tool

For Vaultwarden: use the same official Bitwarden clients, just point them to your self-hosted URL.

Step 5: Configure Autofill

1. Browser extension → Settings → enable auto-fill on page load
2. Mobile → Settings → set Bitwarden as autofill provider
   • iOS: Settings → Passwords → AutoFill Passwords → Bitwarden
   • Android: Settings → Autofill → Bitwarden

Step 6: Verify and Clean Up

1. Check TOTP codes — verify 2FA codes still work for critical accounts
2. Test logins — try logging into your top 10 most-used sites
3. Delete export file — securely delete the unencrypted export
4. Disable 1Password — remove browser extension, sign out of apps

What You'll Gain

• Free personal use — Bitwarden's free tier is generous
• Self-hosting option — Vaultwarden runs on a $5 VPS
• Open source — audit the code yourself
• Send — share text/files securely (like 1Password sharing)
• Emergency access — trusted contacts can access your vault
• CLI access — script password management
• Bitwarden Authenticator — built-in TOTP

What You'll Lose

• Watchtower (1Password's security monitoring) → Bitwarden has reports but less polished
• 1Password's slightly more polished desktop UX
• Travel mode (hide vaults at borders)

Cost Comparison

Plan	1Password	Bitwarden	Vaultwarden
Personal	$3/month	Free	Free (self-hosted)
Family (5)	$5/month	$3.33/month	Free
Team (10)	$80/month	$40/month	Free
Business (50)	$400/month	$200/month	Free

---

Compare password managers on OSSAlt — security features, platform support, and pricing side by side.