The migration from 1Password to Bitwarden is well-trodden. Many users have done it for the cost savings, the open-source posture, or both. The process is mostly straightforward but has specific gotchas worth knowing.
This guide is the practical walkthrough.
Why people do this migration
The dominant reason is cost. 1Password Individual is $36/year; Bitwarden Premium is $10/year. For households on the family plan, 1Password Families is $60/year for 5 members; Bitwarden Families is $40/year for 6 members.
The savings over 5-10 years are real ($130-260 in savings for individual, $100-200 for families).
The secondary reason is open-source preference. Bitwarden’s clients and server are open source; 1Password is closed source. Some users specifically value being able to verify what the binary does.
The tertiary reason is self-hosting capability. Bitwarden can be self-hosted via the official server or via Vaultwarden. 1Password cannot be self-hosted.
Migration is generally not driven by 1Password problems; 1Password remains a quality product. The migration is about preferring Bitwarden’s properties.
The migration process
Step 1, set up the new Bitwarden account. Sign up at vault.bitwarden.com. Use a strong master password. Enable two-factor authentication immediately.
Step 2, export from 1Password. In 1Password 8 desktop, File menu, Export, choose All Items, format CSV. The export contains all your vault data in plaintext format.
Critical: the CSV is plaintext. Do not email it. Do not upload it to cloud storage. Keep it on your local machine. Delete it as soon as the import is complete.
Step 3, import to Bitwarden. In Bitwarden web vault, Tools, Import data, select 1Password CSV format, upload the file. Bitwarden previews the import; confirm.
Step 4, verify. Spot-check 20-30 entries to confirm passwords, URLs, custom fields, and notes imported correctly. Pay specific attention to entries with custom fields or unusual structure.
Step 5, install Bitwarden everywhere. Browser extensions on every browser you use. Mobile apps on iOS and Android. Desktop app if you use the keyboard shortcut access.
Step 6, run both side-by-side for two weeks. Use Bitwarden as your primary; keep 1Password installed and unlocked occasionally to verify nothing is missing.
Step 7, after two weeks of confidence, cancel 1Password subscription and uninstall the apps.
Specific gotchas
Custom fields. 1Password supports rich custom field types (passwords, OTP, files, etc.) that may not import cleanly. After import, manually verify custom fields on entries that had them.
Document attachments. If you stored documents in 1Password, the export does not include them by default. You need to export documents separately and add them to Bitwarden manually. Bitwarden Premium supports document attachments; Bitwarden free does not.
OTP codes. 1Password stored your TOTP codes; Bitwarden Premium supports the same. The 1Password export includes the OTP secrets in the CSV; the Bitwarden import recognizes them.
Family vault items. If you used 1Password Families with shared vaults, you need to handle the shared items separately. Each family member exports their own personal vault; shared vault items need to be re-imported into a Bitwarden Organization (Bitwarden’s equivalent of shared vaults).
Two-factor authentication on accounts. Some sites have you re-enroll TOTP when you change password managers. Plan for this; have backup codes ready.
Browser autofill behavior. Bitwarden’s autofill works slightly differently than 1Password’s. Some sites that 1Password autofilled smoothly may need a different approach in Bitwarden. The differences are small but real.
What you keep
Your strong master password discipline. Whatever you used for 1Password should work for Bitwarden.
Your hardware security keys (YubiKey, Nitrokey). Both products support FIDO2; re-register your keys on Bitwarden.
Your two-factor authentication setup. The TOTP codes you stored in 1Password’s vault transfer to Bitwarden’s vault.
What changes
The mobile autofill experience. 1Password’s mobile UX is meaningfully more polished than Bitwarden’s. The difference is real and persistent. If polish matters to you, this is the cost.
The Travel Mode feature. 1Password’s Travel Mode lets you mark vaults as not-available-when-traveling. Bitwarden does not have a direct equivalent. If you used Travel Mode, you need an alternative approach (separate logged-out account when traveling, etc.).
The Watchtower-style breach monitoring. Bitwarden has Reports that surface weak/reused/breached passwords; the depth is similar but UX differs.
The family sharing UX. Bitwarden’s Organizations model is functional but less polished than 1Password Families. For family deployments, this is a real downgrade.
The CLI and developer features. Both products have CLIs; 1Password’s is more polished. For developers who used 1Password’s SSH key management or CLI extensively, the migration involves learning Bitwarden’s equivalents.
When to not migrate
You are using 1Password Family with multiple non-technical members and the polished UX matters more than the cost savings.
You depend on Travel Mode, advanced family vault sharing, or other 1Password-specific features.
You use 1Password’s developer features extensively (CLI, SSH key management, biometric unlock integration).
The $26-30/year savings does not justify the migration time and the small UX downgrade.
When to definitely migrate
You are paying for 1Password but not using its premium features. Bitwarden Premium does what most users actually need at one third the price.
You specifically value open-source software.
You want the option to self-host.
You are technical and willing to accept slightly less polish for the savings.
A specific recommendation
For most individual users currently on 1Password and thinking about migrating: do it. The savings are real, Bitwarden is a quality product, the polish difference is small for daily use.
For families currently on 1Password Families with non-technical members: stay. The 1Password polish for non-technical family members is worth the price difference.
For users who want a hybrid: migrate to Bitwarden but keep 1Password running for 6 months as backup. After 6 months of confidence, cancel 1Password.
For users who specifically want to self-host: migrate to Bitwarden, then later move to self-hosted Vaultwarden.
Related: 1Password versus Bitwarden in 2026, LastPass migration playbook, Self-hosting your password manager