Bitwarden Is My Password Manager
Written on May 28, 2026
Despite my misgivings about using third-party services, Bitwarden is my password manager. It works almost as well on my phone as it does on my computer. I'm willing to take chances with it because my most important websites use multifactor authentication.
The Bitwarden Password Manager
The first password manager I ever used was the one that came with my web browser many years ago. The first third-party service I used was LastPass, and that was many years ago. I stopped using LastPass after the service suffered from multiple attacks and then changed hands more than once.
I switched to self-hosting a KeePass compatible database with the KeeWeb desktop application. It worked fine until every web browser extension I used stopped working with the desktop application. I exported the database and then imported it to Bitwarden a short time later.
The web browser extension worked immediately after I installed it and logged in with the master password. I installed the Bitwarden application on my Android phone, and it worked almost as well as the web browser extension.
Web Browser Password Managers
What's worse than a third-party service? A password manager integrated directly into a particular web browser. The Chrome password manager doesn't work with Firefox, for example, and vice-versa. That's the reason I switched to LastPass in the first place.
I wish I didn't have to use a password manager at all, kind of like some people I know. They use the same passwords everywhere, only using unique passwords for finance-related sites. I like unique passwords everywhere. It's a pain, but I feel safer that way.
You Should Always Use a Password Manager
You should always use a password manager of some kind because you shouldn't use the same password on multiple websites or for multiple applications. If you do, a hacker can get into all of your accounts after breaking into only one of them. The same thing goes for PINs and bank accounts.
Your password manager can be installed as a web browser extension, as a portable application on a USB flash drive, or even something much simpler. As long as you are the only person who can get into your password manager, you're about as secure as you can get.
I'm teaching a friend of the family to use a password manager on her laptop. She has dozens of usernames, passwords, access codes, and more in a small notebook she carries in her handbag. It's one or more security breaches waiting to happen.
The Best Password Manager
If you only need to remember a few, and you can memorize them, your memory is the best password manager. Otherwise, you should always use a password manager secured with a master password. That way, you don't have to remember the other passwords.
Your master password should be complex, yet easy to remember. It should be protected using multifactor authentication because once someone gets the master password, they get everything. You should also use multifactor authentication with every website that supports it.
Good applications will "remember" your device, so you don't have to use anything but passwords after authenticating that way once. In some cases, a "passkey" alone will suffice.
Image by Bitwarden, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons