Download Bitwarden for Windows

Bitwarden ships three Windows builds, all from the same signing certificate. Pick whichever matches how you manage software on your machine.

Three ways to install Bitwarden on Windows

Path 1: traditional installer (recommended)

This is what most people want. The installer drops Bitwarden into %LocalAppData%\Programs\Bitwarden\, registers a Start menu shortcut, and configures the in-app updater. After install, opening Bitwarden lets you sign in or create an account.

Installation steps

1. Click Download for Windows above. Your browser saves the installer.
2. Run it. Windows will show "Bitwarden Setup" with the Bitwarden logo — confirms the signature is valid.
3. Choose install scope (current user or all users). For personal machines, current user is fine.
4. Wait ~30 seconds for the install to finish, then launch Bitwarden.
5. On first run, sign in with an existing account or click Create account.

If SmartScreen blocks the install

This shouldn't happen — Bitwarden's signing certificate is well established. But if you see a blue screen saying "Windows protected your PC":

1. Click More info on the SmartScreen dialog.
2. Verify the publisher line says Bitwarden Inc. If it says anything else, cancel — that's not the real installer and you've downloaded from a phishing source.
3. If publisher matches, click Run anyway.

Path 2: Microsoft Store (UWP)

The Store build is a Universal Windows Platform package. Functionally identical to the standard installer — same vault sync, same UI, same encryption — but installed via Microsoft's distribution channel and updated through Windows Update.

When to choose Store version:

• Managed Windows where you can't install arbitrary executables.
• You prefer your software updates to come through Windows Update rather than per-app updaters.
• You want the sandboxing benefits of UWP isolation.

When to skip:

• UWP cold start is slightly slower than the standard installer (~1-2 seconds).
• UWP has restrictions on filesystem access — affects file attachment paths.
• Some advanced features (system-wide autotype, browser integration setup) work better on the standard installer.

Path 3: portable build

A self-contained executable that runs without installing anything. Stash it on a USB stick or Dropbox folder, double-click, the app launches and stores its data in a folder next to the executable rather than under %LocalAppData%.

Use cases: shared workstations where you can't install software; a tech-support kit on a USB drive; testing Bitwarden without touching the registry; running Bitwarden on a write-protected machine.

Caveats: no file association, no Start menu shortcut, no auto-update — you re-download manually when a new version is out. Ideal as a backup-of-last-resort, not as your daily driver.

Don't forget the browser extension

The desktop app is a vault viewer; the browser extension is what does autofill. If you want Bitwarden to fill passwords on websites — which is 80% of why people install a password manager — the extension is the actual feature you want.

Install both: desktop app from above, plus the browser extension for whichever browser you actually use:

System requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (build 1809 or later) or Windows 11. Windows 7 and Windows 8 are not supported.
• Architecture: x64 (default). ARM64 build available for Windows on ARM devices (Surface Pro X, Snapdragon laptops, Copilot+ PCs).
• RAM: ~150 MB resident at idle (Electron baseline).
• Disk: ~250 MB after install.
• Network: internet on first sign-in to authenticate; vault decryption is local thereafter.
• .NET Framework: not required (Bitwarden ships its own runtime).

Bitwarden on Windows 11 specifically

On Windows 11, Bitwarden integrates with several OS features cleanly:

• Windows Hello unlock — fingerprint, face, or PIN unlocks the vault instead of typing the master password. Enable in Bitwarden Settings → Account Security → Unlock with biometrics. Requires the desktop app installed (extension uses it via browser-integration handshake).
• Snap Layouts — the Bitwarden window participates in Windows 11 snap-zone hover, lets you place the vault viewer alongside browsers in custom layouts.
• Notification Centre — vault sync events appear as standard Windows notifications.
• Settings Sync — if you're signed into Microsoft account, Microsoft Store install version syncs your install across Windows devices automatically.

Bitwarden on Windows 10

Windows 10 (1809 and later) is fully supported until Bitwarden drops it — currently no announcement. Windows Hello works on supported devices (Surface, ThinkPad fingerprint readers, IR cameras for face). Snap Layouts is Windows 11 only; on 10, Bitwarden's window behaves like any standard app.

If you're on Windows 10 22H2 (the final version before 11), everything works identically to 11 except the OS-level UI integrations.

Bitwarden vs Windows built-in password manager

Windows 11 ships with a basic password manager tied to your Microsoft account — primarily through Edge\'s autofill and Authenticator app TOTP storage. Comparison:

If you live entirely in the Microsoft ecosystem (Edge browser, Windows-only, no mobile), the built-in suffices. For everyone else — multiple browsers, multiple OSes, family sharing — Bitwarden is the better choice.

Enterprise / Group Policy deployment

For IT admins deploying Bitwarden across Windows fleets:

• Silent install: Bitwarden-Installer-X.X.X.exe /S (NSIS standard).
• Custom install path: /D=C:\Path appended (no quotes, no equals after /D).
• Group Policy ADMX: Bitwarden publishes ADMX templates for centralised policy management.
• Microsoft Store via Intune: the UWP package can be deployed via Intune as a line-of-business app.
• SSO integration: requires Bitwarden Enterprise tier; supports SAML 2.0 and OIDC.

Windows-specific tips

Browser integration on Windows

For biometric unlock to work between desktop app and browser extension, the browser-integration handshake uses native messaging on Windows. Sometimes blocked by aggressive antivirus — if biometric unlock fails, whitelist the Bitwarden folder in Defender / your AV software.

Windows Defender SmartScreen

Bitwarden\'s installer is signed by "Bitwarden Inc." with a well-established Authenticode certificate. SmartScreen will recognise it and allow install without warnings. If you see a SmartScreen warning, you\'re downloading from a wrong source — verify the publisher line says Bitwarden Inc. before proceeding.

Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC)

If your enterprise uses WDAC for app whitelisting, Bitwarden\'s signing certificate ("Bitwarden Inc.", Microsoft Authenticode) typically maps to a publisher rule. Verify against your WDAC policy before deployment.

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

If you use WSL for development, the Bitwarden CLI inside WSL works the same as on native Linux — install via npm install -g @bitwarden/cli or the Linux native binary. The WSL CLI session is separate from your Windows desktop app session; sign in once per environment.

Windows install — frequently asked questions