Is Bitwarden encrypted?
Yes. Only you can read your Bitwarden vault, and only the people you share with can read shared items. Bitwarden says its team can't see your passwords.
Checked on 25 October 2026 against 4 sources.
Made by Secria. We grade every app by the same rules. How we check
- Your passwordsOnly youSealed on your device before it syncs, with a key made from your master password.1, 2
- Shared passwordsOnly you and the people you share withFree plans can share with one other person through a free organization, sealed so Bitwarden can't read it.1, 3
- Post-quantumNot yetNo post-quantum protection announced as of 25 October 2026; Bitwarden says it is investigating options.2
- Who holds the keys
- Your devices, using a key made from your master password. Bitwarden never has it.
- What Bitwarden can still see
- Your email address, name, IP address and other account details, but Bitwarden says it can't access your vault data.
Email is worth checking next: Gmail, Outlook and iCloud Mail can all read your mailbox. See which email services can.
Can Bitwarden see my passwords?
No. Bitwarden says it always encrypts your data on your device before sending it to its servers, so its team members can't see your passwords1. Your master password is turned into a key on your device, and that key protects your vault1, 2.
What Bitwarden does hold is account information, such as your email address, name and IP address1.
Can I share passwords for free with Bitwarden?
Yes. A free organization lets two people share items in up to two collections3. Shared items are locked with the organization's key, and each member gets their own copy of that key, locked to them, so Bitwarden can't read it1.
Bitwarden Send lets you send something to anyone with a link. The key sits in the part of the link that's never sent to Bitwarden's servers4.
Is Bitwarden quantum-safe?
Not yet. Bitwarden's own page says it is investigating post-quantum options2. Sharing and emergency access rely on RSA keys, which a large quantum computer could break1, 2. No post-quantum protection was announced as of 25 October 2026.
How Bitwarden compares
Sorted by how many parts are sealed by default, then by how many can be. Ties go A to Z.
Sources
- Bitwarden Security Whitepaper, Bitwarden. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- Encryption Protocols, Bitwarden. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- Organizations Overview, Bitwarden. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- Send Encryption, Bitwarden. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
Changes to this answer
- First published.