Recommended by Solida
Bitwarden, the password manager we recommend
What it is, how your team will use it, and how Solida manages it.
Bitwarden gives each person an encrypted vault for the logins they use at work. They remember one master password and Bitwarden fills in the rest.
- Open source
- Encrypted on your own device
- Stored in the EU
Why we recommend it
Plenty of password managers do the job. These are the reasons we settled on this one.
Open source
Independent security researchers can and do review how it works.
Built for business
The business edition includes central administration and account recovery.
We use it ourselves
We run it within Solida and across our client base.
Support that knows it
Bitwarden is the one we know in depth, which means faster and more reliable support for your team.
- 1 master passwordis all each person has to remember
- 2 vaultsone for the company, one for each person
- EU regionyour data is covered by European data regulation
The basics
What Bitwarden is
A password manager. One master password unlocks the vault.
- 18 characters
- Upper and lower case
- Numbers
- Special characters
Bitwarden is a password manager. It gives each person an encrypted vault for the logins they use for websites, business systems and apps, such as Xero, Revenue, supplier portals and email. Staff unlock it with a single master password, and Bitwarden fills in their logins from there.
It also generates new passwords when needed. These are long and random, and nobody has to remember them because Bitwarden does. People reuse passwords because they cannot remember dozens of different ones. Take away the remembering and the reason to reuse goes with it.
Bitwarden also stores the six digit two factor codes used by Microsoft 365, Xero and similar services, so the code sits beside the password instead of on a separate phone app. It can hold secure notes, payment cards and identity details too, although most businesses use it mainly for logins.
What it keeps safe
- Logins for websites, systems and apps
- Long, random generated passwords
- Six digit two factor codes
- Secure notes
- Payment cards
- Identity details
Day to day use
One click in a login field
Staff rarely need to open Bitwarden itself. It appears whenever a login is required.
At a desk
A staff member logs into Windows as normal and opens Xero in their browser. A Bitwarden icon appears in the login field, and one click fills in their username and password. If the site asks for a two factor code, Bitwarden has already copied it, so they paste it in and carry on.
On a phone or tablet
Phones and tablets work the same way. When someone opens Outlook or Teams, Bitwarden offers to fill in the login. It asks for the master password, a fingerprint or face recognition at the first use of the day, then stays unlocked for the rest of the working day.
In the background
Staff rarely need to open the Bitwarden app itself. It runs in the background and appears whenever a login is required.
How it is organised
Company and individual vaults
Each staff member works with two areas in the same app.
- Controlled by the business
The company vault
This holds every login the business owns. The business pays for it and controls it. We organise it into groups by role, so the accounts team sees finance logins and the administration team sees administration logins. Staff only see the logins their role requires.
- Private to one person
The individual vault
This holds logins that only one person needs, such as their own accounts for systems they alone use. Other staff cannot see these items. The account is tied to the staff member's company email address, so it stays under the business's control.
Sharing logins securely
Some logins are used by more than one person, such as a courier account, a supplier portal or the office Wi-Fi. These live in a shared group within the company vault, and everyone in that group has access. Nobody sends passwords by email, posts them in Teams or keeps them in a spreadsheet any more.
We manage access by individual or by team. When someone changes role, we move them to the right groups. When you need to send sensitive information to someone outside the business, Bitwarden Send creates a secure link that expires once it has been opened.
- Shared groups by role or team
- Access moves with the person when their role changes
- Bitwarden Send for secure links to people outside the business
- No passwords in email, Teams or spreadsheets
Common scenarios
What happens when...
The four situations that come up most, and what we do in each.
A new staff member joins
We create their account and add them to the groups their role requires, and they install the apps. They set their master password with us during onboarding. From then on, every shared login they need is available to them straight away, with no passwords handed over on paper.
A staff member leaves
On their last day we remove them from the company vault. Their access to every shared business login ends immediately, and those logins stay with the business for their replacement. We have a full record of which shared passwords they could see, so we can change any that need it. Any logins in their individual vault that the business still needs are moved into the company vault before the account is closed.
Someone forgets their master password
Account recovery is enabled on the business plan. We reset the password and they get back into their account with everything in it intact. A forgotten master password does not mean lost data.
A site asks for a two factor code
Bitwarden generates the code alongside the login and copies it automatically. Some sites accept it with no further action. For others, the user pastes it in. Nobody has to find a phone or type a code before it expires.
Security and data protection
Bitwarden stores your passwords but cannot read them
Everything is encrypted on your device first. What reaches Bitwarden's servers is unreadable without the master password.
- Your deviceencrypts with the master password
- In transitonly encrypted data travels
- Bitwardenstores it, cannot read it
Encrypted before it leaves the device
Passwords are encrypted on the user's own device before they are sent anywhere, using the master password as the key. Bitwarden never holds that key. If Bitwarden's servers were ever compromised, the attacker would only get encrypted data they cannot read.
Stored in the EU
We set up your organisation in Bitwarden's EU region, so your data is stored under European data protection law.
One strong master password
The master password protects everything else, so it needs to be strong. We give guidance on choosing one. A memorable short phrase is more secure in practice than a complex string that ends up written down.
Getting started
Moving your existing passwords
Existing passwords can be imported instead of re-entered by hand. Smaller teams often do this themselves using our guidance. For larger teams, Solida can carry out the migration as an optional service.
- 1
Export from browsers
Most businesses already have passwords saved in several places, such as Chrome, Edge, spreadsheets or notebooks. Browser passwords can be exported on each computer and imported into the correct place in Bitwarden.
- 2
Add the rest
Anything held in spreadsheets or on paper can be added at the same time. Any passwords that are missed get captured the next time the user logs into that site, because Bitwarden offers to save them.
- 3
Turn off browser saving
Once the migration is complete, password saving in the browsers should be disabled. This stops two incomplete password lists from building up side by side.
Supported devices
Works on the devices your team already uses
Windows, Mac and Linux
Browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, plus a desktop app for logins outside the browser.
iPhone and iPad
App from the App Store. Fills logins in Safari and other apps. Unlocks with Face ID or Touch ID.
Android
App from the Play Store. Fills logins in Chrome and other apps. Unlocks with fingerprint or face.
Shared or temporary computers
Log into the Bitwarden website from any browser. No installation required.
What Solida provides
Every deployment includes setup. The rest is up to you.
Smaller teams often read this guide and adopt Bitwarden themselves. Larger organisations usually benefit from hands-on help with migration and a training session.
- Always included
Setup
Create the company vault, configure security policies and groups, and set the EU data region.
- Optional
Migration
Export passwords from each computer's browsers and any existing lists, import them and remove duplicates.
- Optional
Training
One session of about 30 minutes, on site or via Teams. Each person installs the apps and sets their master password with our guidance.
- Optional
Ongoing management
Add and remove staff, reset forgotten master passwords, answer questions and keep security policies up to date.
Pricing
A fixed monthly fee per user
Plus a one off setup charge. Migration and training are priced separately and only apply if you choose them.
Type a number or use the buttons.
- Bitwarden licence€6 per user, per month
- SetupOne off, priced by users and setup level
- Migration and trainingOptionalOne off, priced by number of users
Questions this guide does not answer?
Send us a message and we will be happy to talk them through. We can also give more technical detail on any section.