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Freedom251 › Blog › Bitwarden

How to Migrate Your Passwords From a Paid Password Manager to a Free Alternative

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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Short answer: Create and secure the free password manager first, export the richest format your old manager supports, import it, test representative items on every important device, and only then close the paid account. Treat every unencrypted export as a temporary copy of your entire digital identity: keep it offline and delete it from the computer, recycle bin and temporary folders immediately after verification.

Choose the free destination before exporting anything

Your destination determines which export format preserves the most information and whether you will have cloud synchronization or a local file to manage. Set up the new account, install its apps, and confirm that you can unlock it before creating an export from the old service.

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Destination Storage and access Best fit Important limitation
Bitwarden Bitwarden’s 2024 plan document says core individual features are 100% free, with unlimited storage of logins, notes, cards and identities and access on any device. People who want a cloud-synced vault and a broad set of guided imports. Some special items need separate work after import; KeePass attachments must be uploaded individually and Bitwarden Sends must be recreated.
Proton Pass The Proton Free plan lists unlimited logins, notes and credit cards, plus unlimited devices and apps. Users who want a cloud service with a simple import screen and unlimited device access. Field mapping depends on the source format; verify folders, custom fields, OTPs and attachments rather than assuming a perfect match.
KeePassXC A local, encrypted KDBX database that you control on your own storage. People who prefer local control and are comfortable providing their own safe synchronization and backups. There is no hosted sync service included. A careless cloud folder, email attachment or removable drive can expose the database or its key.

Cloud versus local control

Bitwarden and Proton Pass keep an encrypted vault available through cross-device apps. That removes the need to design your own synchronization process, but you must protect the account used to unlock the service and test each app you rely on. KeePassXC stores a local database instead. You choose where it lives and how it is synchronized, so you also assume responsibility for conflict handling, backups and recovery.

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Check the free plan against your item count

Bitwarden’s documented free plan covers unlimited core items, while Proton Pass documents unlimited logins, notes and credit cards and unlimited devices. Those statements do not automatically guarantee that every premium feature, sharing workflow or special item is free. Before migrating, list any shared collections, family accounts, advanced reports or business controls you currently use and confirm that the destination’s current plan supports the specific feature.

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Prepare both accounts and protect the export

  1. Update both applications. Install the current release of the old manager and the destination apps. Import menus and supported formats can change between versions.
  2. Sign in and unlock each vault. Confirm the old account’s master password, recovery method and any required second factor. Open the new vault and make sure you can unlock it on at least one desktop or mobile device.
  3. Pause unencrypted backup and sync. 1Password specifically advises turning off backup software before exporting because anyone who obtains the file can read the passwords. Apply the same precaution to cloud backup, file-indexing tools and automatic photo or document synchronization.
  4. Choose a private working folder. Use a local folder with access restricted to your user account. Do not save the export in Downloads, a shared drive, email, chat, a USB stick that other people use, or a folder synchronized to several services.
  5. Inventory special data. Note which entries contain passkeys, one-time-password (OTP) seeds, attachments, shared collections, folders, identities, payment cards, custom fields and secure notes. These are the fields most likely to need manual repair.
  6. Keep the paid account active. Do not cancel billing yet. You may need the original vault to recover an item, recreate a passkey or repeat an import after correcting a mapping error.

Export the richest format your old manager offers

A generic CSV is widely accepted but usually carries less structure than a manager-specific export. Prefer the richest format that your destination explicitly supports, and keep the file in the private working folder only for the duration of the migration.

1Password

1Password 8 offers 1PUX and CSV exports. 1PUX captures more data than CSV, so use it when the destination can import it; otherwise select the destination’s documented CSV layout. 1Password warns that anyone with access to an exported data file can read the passwords. Export only after pausing backup and synchronization, and never leave the file in a shared folder.

Passkeys are a special case. 1Password states that passkeys need to be created again on each website after export. An export can provide the account information needed to find the site, but it does not give you a portable passkey that you can simply paste into another manager.

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LastPass

LastPass commonly exports a CSV file. Treat that CSV as plaintext: it contains the vault fields in a form that can be opened by anyone who obtains the file. Save it locally, import it immediately, and do not open or edit it in a spreadsheet program unless you have a specific reason; spreadsheet software can create additional copies and alter fields.

Dashlane

Dashlane offers CSV, a password-protected archive and Credential Exchange. Use Credential Exchange when both the old and new managers participate and the destination supports the same exchange flow; Dashlane documents that this route can include passwords, passkeys and verification codes. If the destination accepts only CSV, export that format and plan a separate check for passkeys, OTPs, attachments and shared items. Record the archive password in a temporary secure note or memorize it, then remove that note after the import.

KeePass and KeePassXC

KeePass and KeePassXC can use KDBX, XML or CSV. KDBX is the preferred choice when supported because it is encrypted and can be protected with a password or key file. XML and CSV are interchange formats; KeePassXC warns that CSV and several other interchange files are unencrypted. Never email them or place them in a synchronized folder. If the destination accepts only CSV, create it immediately before import and delete it as soon as the check is complete.

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Import into the new manager

Bitwarden

  1. Sign in to the Bitwarden web vault.
  2. Open the Tools area and choose Import data (the label may appear as the Import page in some app versions).
  3. Select the old manager and the exact export format, such as 1PUX, CSV or KDBX, rather than choosing a generic format when a specific option exists.
  4. Choose the temporary export file and start the import. Keep the browser window open until the confirmation appears.
  5. Review the imported folders and item types before deleting the file. Bitwarden’s documented KeePass workflow requires attachments to be uploaded individually, and Bitwarden Sends are not recreated by a vault import.

If Bitwarden reports malformed rows or skipped fields, do not repeatedly upload the same file. Keep the original untouched, inspect the error message, and correct a copy only when the destination’s format instructions require it. Repeated imports can create duplicates that are harder to audit.

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Proton Pass

  1. Open Proton Pass account settings.
  2. Choose Import.
  3. Select the old manager from the list, or choose the generic CSV option when no direct connector is available.
  4. Upload the export and wait for the import to finish.
  5. Open several imported items in the desktop and mobile apps and inspect the field mapping before removing the source file.

Proton’s import screen may present different choices depending on the file type and current app version. Select the manager-specific option whenever it matches your file; generic CSV is a fallback, not a richer format.

KeePassXC

Open KeePassXC and use its import function to bring in the source manager’s 1Password, Bitwarden or Proton Pass data when available. Save the result as a new KDBX database, protect it with a strong database password, and verify that the file opens after closing and reopening KeePassXC. Decide how you will synchronize that KDBX file before relying on the database from a second device; a local-only file will not update itself elsewhere.

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Verify the migration before cancelling the paid account

An import confirmation means the file was processed, not that every field survived. Test a sample from every folder and every category on each device you intend to keep.

  • Logins: Open important sites and confirm the username, password and URL are correct. Test at least one login from each major folder and one account with a nonstandard sign-in page.
  • Secure notes: Check multiline text, code blocks, recovery instructions and any custom fields. Compare the beginning and end of long notes, where truncation is easiest to miss.
  • Identities and cards: Verify names, addresses, phone numbers, expiration dates and billing details. Do not assume a card imported as a login contains all payment fields.
  • OTP and verification codes: Open accounts that use time-based codes and confirm that a newly generated code is accepted. If the code does not work, keep the old manager available while you re-enroll the authenticator on the website.
  • Passkeys: Test a passkey-enabled site. When the source manager says passkeys must be recreated, sign in with the site’s recovery method and register a new passkey in the destination manager on each required device.
  • Attachments: Open exported documents, identity scans and license files. In Bitwarden, upload KeePass attachments individually because they are not included automatically.
  • Folders, collections and sharing: Confirm that organization boundaries, shared items and permissions still match your household or team. A personal-vault import does not necessarily reproduce shared collections.
  • Devices and recovery: Lock and unlock the destination on every phone, tablet and computer. Test the account-recovery method before you lose access to the old vault.
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What usually transfers, and what needs manual work

Data type Most portable path What to check manually
Logins, notes, cards and identities Manager-specific export such as 1PUX or encrypted KDBX when the destination supports it; otherwise CSV. Field names, URLs, multiline notes, duplicate entries and folder placement.
Passkeys Dashlane Credential Exchange can include passkeys between participating managers. 1Password states that its passkeys must be created again on each website. Test every important account.
OTP or verification codes Credential Exchange may include verification codes when both managers support the exchange. Generate a live code and confirm that the website accepts it; re-enroll if it fails.
Attachments Depends on the source and destination format. Bitwarden’s KeePass import requires individual attachment uploads. Open each critical file after uploading.
Shared items and collections Often tied to the service’s account or organization rather than a basic export. Recreate sharing, permissions and collection membership manually if they are absent.
Bitwarden Sends or equivalent sharing links Not part of a normal KeePass-to-Bitwarden vault import. Recreate each Send and replace any links that were embedded elsewhere.

Delete exposed files and finish the account transition

  1. Confirm the sample tests. Do not proceed on the basis of an item count alone. Resolve missing fields, duplicate folders and failed OTP or passkey tests first.
  2. Delete every export. Remove CSV, XML, JSON, 1PUX and other plaintext files from the working folder, Downloads, desktop, cloud-sync locations, application temporary folders and the recycle bin or trash. Keeper explicitly advises deleting the export after import, and KeePassXC warns that several interchange formats are unencrypted.
  3. Re-enable only safe backups. Once plaintext files are gone, turn normal backup and synchronization back on. Back up a KeePassXC KDBX database only in an encrypted location and retain its database password or key file separately.
  4. Keep the old manager temporarily. Leave the paid account active until you have completed sign-in and recovery tests on all important devices and confirmed that no business, family or shared item is missing.
  5. Revoke the old account last. Remove active sessions and delete the old vault only after exporting any final missing item and confirming that the destination is your authoritative copy.

Troubleshoot the common migration failures

The import creates duplicates

Stop importing and compare the destination’s item count with the original. Delete the incomplete batch if the app supports a safe undo, or mark the first batch clearly and remove duplicates after checking URLs and last-updated dates. Keep the untouched export so you can retry once rather than stacking several uncertain imports.

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Folders or custom fields are missing

Try the manager-specific format instead of CSV. If the destination has no matching field, copy the value into a secure note or a supported custom field and record which entries were changed. Do not discard the original vault until every critical custom field has a confirmed home.

OTP codes fail after import

Check the device clock, then test a newly generated code against the website. If it still fails, use the website’s recovery code or the old manager’s authenticator, disable the old factor only after you have another working method, and enroll a new OTP secret in the destination.

A passkey is not available

This is expected for exports that do not carry passkey credentials. Sign in with a password or recovery method, register a new passkey on the website, and repeat the process for each device that needs one.

KeePassXC works on one device but not another

Verify that both devices can access the same KDBX file and, if used, the same key file. Close the database before synchronization, wait for the sync to finish, then reopen it and resolve conflicts deliberately. Never place the database or key file in an uncontrolled shared location.

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When it is safe to stop paying

Cancel the paid manager only after the destination opens on every required device, important logins work, recovery methods are tested, OTPs and recreated passkeys succeed, attachments are readable, and shared access has been rebuilt. Preserve an encrypted backup of the destination if your chosen service supports one, and retain the old account until the provider’s cancellation and data-deletion terms have taken effect. The migration is complete when you can recover your most important accounts without consulting the old vault or any plaintext export.

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