How To Import LastPass To Bitwarden

LastPass Password Manager changed its free tier policy on 16 March 2021. Now you can only access a free account from a desktop or mobile app, not both. 

While this policy doesn’t affect paid users, free users may find it restrictive. So, you are likely looking into migrating to Bitwarden, which doesn’t have such a policy.

Fortunately, you can easily export your passwords from LastPass and import them to Bitwarden. You only need to perform a few simple steps, which you can find down below.

How to Export Passwords From LastPass

The initial step for transferring passwords from LastPass is to export them to a suitable format. The best way is to use the CSV file format. You can export your passwords from the online vault or use the LastPass extension.

Export Using LastPass Extension

This is the easiest method to export passwords from LastPass. You must have the LastPass extension installed and enabled on your web browser. 

Follow the instructions below to use the extension to export your passwords:

1. Open your browser and click on the LastPass extension icon.
2. Select Account Options and then Advanced.
   
3. Choose Export and then LastPass CSV File.
   

The browser will save the file to your local drive.

Export Through Web Vault

It is also possible to export passwords from LastPass through its online web vault. Some browsers will automatically save a CSV file on your local drive. But some will only display the exportable contents of the CSV file.

1. Log in to your LastPass web vault account.
2. Expand the sidebar menu and select Advanced Options.
3. Under Manage Your Vault and click Export.
   
4. Follow the given instructions by entering your master password or checking your email as required.
5. In case your browser does not support file export, copy the contents displayed and paste it on a notepad or another text editor.
6. Save the file in CSV format. 
7. To so do from the notepad, go to its menu bar, click File and select Save as. 
8. While saving, set Save as type to All Files and add .csv at the end of the filename.
9. Click Save.

How to Import Passwords to Bitwarden

After exporting from LastPass to a CSV file, the next step is to import the file to Bitwarden. There are two ways to do so. You can import from your vault or use the Bitwarden CLI to import the file.

Import Using Web Vault

The usual way to import passwords is through the online web vault. Follow the instructions below to do so:

1. Log in to your Bitwarden vault.
2. From the top navigation bar, click on Tools.
3. Click on Import Data.
   
4. Set Select the format of the import file to LastPass (CSV).
5. Click on Choose file.
6. Navigate to and select the CSV file on your local disk.
7. Click Import Data.

You can also copy the contents of the CSV file or the printed content, displayed on the screen of the LastPass webpage, in the text field instead of choosing the CSV file.

Import With Bitwarden Command-line Interface

You can also use the Bitwarden Command-line Interface to import passwords from the LastPass CSV file. Bitwarden CLI provides many flexible options to manage your Bitwarden vault. Here’s how you can use it to import LastPass passwords:

1. Open your Bitwarden CLI.
2. Type the command bw login and press Enter.
3. Enter your credentials to log in.
4. Then enter the command: bw import lastpasscsv "path of CSV file"
   Here, replace the “path of CSV file” with the file’s path in your local drive. For example, /Users/useraccount/Downloads/lastpass.csv
   

Troubleshooting Issues Related to Password Import

You may encounter a few issues that prevent you from importing passwords to Bitwarden. Some of the errors, along with their solutions, are mentioned below.

Maximum Collections Error

This error can occur while importing to a Free Organization. A Free Organization only supports sharing the data with one extra user. So the maximum number of possible collections, in this case, is two.

You’ll encounter this error if Bitwarden finds more than two distinct values in the grouping field inside the LastPass CSV file.

To fix this issue, you need to edit the contents of the CSV file and delete the grouping column entirely. Also, don’t forget to delete the trailing comma if you edit the contents in a text editor.

Import Errors Due to Exceeding Character Limit

Bitwarden has a character limit of 10000 for any field. You’ll get this error if the character limit is outstripped. Also, while importing, the character count increases by about 30-50% because of encryption. So, you may get this error even if you think the fields are within the character boundary.

The error message also shows where the limit has been exceeded. So, to fix this issue, open the CSV file in a spreadsheet or text editor and decrease the character count of the responsible field.

Data is Not Formatted Correctly Error

There are a few possible reasons for your data in the CSV file having an incorrect format.

You might have missed some characters or lines if you copied and pasted the comma-separated list. So, try again while taking extra care to avoid such cases. 

After Importing From LastPass to Bitwarden

You will want to tie a few loose ends after importing from LastPass to Bitwarden for your password security.

Delete LastPass Account

Since you have migrated from LastPass to Bitwarden, you likely no longer need your LastPass account. So, it’s best to remove your account entirely.

1. Log in to your LastPass web vault account.
2. Head over to the LastPass delete account web page.
3. Click Delete and follow the on-screen instructions.
4. Uninstall the LastPass extension from your browser.

Delete CSV File

The CSV file does not contain encrypted data. So, anyone can view it and gain information about your password credentials. Delete this file as soon as you are done importing the passwords to prevent such a scenario.