Bitwarden

Name: Bitwarden
Author: Bitwarden

Open source

Bitwarden

Category: Security
Version: 2026.10.0
Manifest checked: 2026-10-23
Size: ~1 MB
Licence terms: Open source (GPL v3) · free for personal use
Supported OS: Windows 11 · 10
Install method: Automatic install supported
Developer: Bitwarden
Downloads via this site

Download Add to install list

This links to Bitwarden’s own download source. AfterFormat neither stores nor modifies installer files.

Check before installing

Forget the master password and there is no way back — by design, the vendor cannot recover it either.
Before reformatting, write down your master password and recovery code somewhere safe.

What it is

An open-source password manager that keeps every login in one place. It lets you use a different password on every site without memorising any of them, and with the browser extension it fills login forms for you. Free for personal use.

When to pick this

If you use many sites and have been reusing passwords. Saving them in the browser also works, but moving them out when you switch browsers is painful.

Details

Why it matters

Reusing one password everywhere means a single breach opens everything. Using a different one per site, without memorising them, is the point.

The master password

You memorise one. Forget it and there is no way back — by design the vendor cannot recover it either.

Before you reformat

Write the master password and recovery code down somewhere safe. People genuinely lock themselves out after a reformat.

After a reformat

Sign in and you are done — with the master password

Saved passwords are on the server. The vendor cannot recover a master password, so you must know it. With two-factor authentication on, the authenticator app or a recovery code is needed too.