In this guide
Before you start.
- Note the Next charge date on the Subscription page before you cancel. That is the date the paid features stop, and the date up to which you can still reinstate.
- Export the vault anyway if you are leaving Bitwarden entirely rather than dropping to free. The export is the thing that survives a forgotten master password, not the subscription.
- Bitwarden warns that unencrypted exports should not be stored or sent over insecure channels such as email, and should be deleted immediately after use. A .json or .csv export is plaintext.
- Cancel in the web app rather than hunting through the mobile app or your phone's subscription list. Bitwarden's iOS and Android apps carry no in-app purchases, so a Bitwarden plan will not appear in Apple or Google Play subscriptions and cannot be cancelled there.
- Pick the export format for what you need to keep. Bitwarden states that only the .json formats include cards, identities, passkeys and SSH keys, that CSV excludes them, and that only a .zip export includes file attachments.
- If the purchase is less than 30 days old, deal with the refund at the same time. Bitwarden states that a subscription under 30 days old can be refunded by contacting it, and that older subscriptions cannot.
- Check the two-step login you use. Bitwarden states that the advanced options such as YubiKey and Duo are paid features, so a free account cannot use them, and losing them without a fallback method configured is how people lock themselves out.
FOLLOW THE RIGHT BILLING ROUTE
Cancel Bitwarden, step by step.
Cancel a Families or organization subscription
A Families plan is an organization, not an individual Premium subscription, so it is cancelled somewhere else: the Admin Console rather than personal Settings.
- Sign in to the Bitwarden web app and open the Admin Console for the organization.
- Open Billing, then Subscription.
- Note the Subscription expiration date shown there.
- Scroll down and select Cancel subscription.
Bitwarden states the organization shows as Pending cancellation until the expiration date, that members stay in the organization but lose the paid features, and that organization-owned items are not deleted.
What happens next?
- The paid features run to the next charge date, then the account reverts to the free plan.
- Bitwarden states that after a subscription ends you lose access to the paid features but the account or organization is not deleted, and that you will not be locked out of your vault. This is the important difference from most password managers: the vault stays usable rather than becoming read-only.
- What you lose on an individual plan is the advanced two-step login options such as YubiKey and Duo, file attachment uploads and downloads, and emergency access contacts.
- On an organization, Bitwarden states that members remain in the organization and organization-owned items are not deleted.
- Bitwarden states that a subscription less than 30 days old can be refunded on request, and that subscriptions older than 30 days cannot be. Cancelling is not itself a refund request.
WHEN IT DOES NOT WORK
If you get stuck.
I cancelled but the subscription still says active
That is the expected state. Bitwarden shows Pending cancellation until the next charge date, and the paid features keep working until then. If the page says Pending cancellation, the renewal is already stopped. The one to watch for is the opposite: a page that still offers Cancel subscription means the cancellation did not register.
There is no cancel option in Settings, Subscription
Two common causes. A Families plan is an organization and is cancelled in the Admin Console under Billing, Subscription, not in personal Settings, so check you are in the right place. The other is the account: an organization can only be cancelled by an owner, and a member sees no billing controls at all. Bitwarden is not sold through the app stores, so a missing option is never explained by a store purchase.
I lost my two-step login when the plan ended
YubiKey and Duo are paid two-step options, so they stop working on the free plan. Set up a free method such as an authenticator app and write down the recovery code before the subscription lapses. Bitwarden's recovery code is the way back in if the second factor is gone, and it is worth having regardless.
I am past 30 days and want the money back
Bitwarden states that only subscriptions less than 30 days old can be refunded. Past that point the practical outcome is that the plan runs to the end of the term you paid for, and the useful action is cancelling the renewal so it does not repeat.
My attachments disappeared after downgrading
File attachments are a paid feature, so uploading and downloading them stops on the free plan. Download anything you need while the subscription is still active, or use a .zip export, which Bitwarden states is the only format that includes attachments.
Still not cancelled?Common reasons a subscription will not cancel
GOOD TO KNOW
Questions, answered.
Do I lose my passwords if I cancel Bitwarden Premium?
No. Bitwarden states that when a subscription ends you lose the paid features but the account is not deleted and you are not locked out of your vault. The account drops to the free plan, which still stores and syncs passwords.
Can I get a refund on Bitwarden Premium?
Bitwarden states that a subscription less than 30 days old can be refunded if you contact it, and that older subscriptions cannot. Contacting Bitwarden is the only route, because Premium is bought on its website rather than through an app store.
How do I export my Bitwarden vault?
In the web app, use Tools, then Export, choose the data source and a file format, and confirm with your master password. Bitwarden warns that unencrypted exports are plaintext and should be deleted immediately after use.
Can I undo a Bitwarden cancellation?
Yes, up to a point. Bitwarden states that a subscription in Pending cancellation can be reinstated by selecting Reinstate subscription before the next charge or expiration date. After that date it has to be bought again.
Provider resources
Instructions reviewed .
Subex is independent of Bitwarden. Availability and cancellation terms can vary by plan, billing provider and country.
