Vaultwarden: Self-Hosted Password Manager

Vaultwarden is a lightweight, unofficial Bitwarden-compatible server written in Rust that implements the Bitwarden API, allowing you to use all official Bitwarden client apps with your own self-hosted backend. With over 54,000 GitHub stars, it is the most popular way to self-host a full-featured password manager. Vaultwarden supports password storage, TOTP generation, file attachments, organizations, and emergency access.

Self-hosting Vaultwarden means your encrypted password vault lives entirely on your own server — no third-party service ever has access to your credentials, even in encrypted form.

Key Features

• Full compatibility with all official Bitwarden clients (browser, desktop, mobile, CLI)
• Password vault with autofill, notes, cards, and identity storage
• Built-in TOTP authenticator for two-factor authentication codes
• Organizations and collections for sharing credentials across teams or families
• File attachments for storing sensitive documents alongside passwords
• Emergency access that lets trusted contacts access your vault in emergencies
• Admin panel for managing users, invitations, and server settings
• Written in Rust for minimal resource usage compared to the official Bitwarden server

Why Self-Host Vaultwarden?

Your credentials, your server. Password vaults contain the keys to your entire digital life. Self-hosting means your encrypted vault data never touches a third-party cloud. Even if a cloud service is breached, your data is not affected because it was never there.

Premium features at no cost. Vaultwarden enables all Bitwarden premium features — TOTP generation, file attachments, emergency access, and unlimited vault items — without requiring a paid subscription. You get the full feature set by simply running the server yourself.

Lightweight and efficient. Unlike the official Bitwarden server stack (which requires MSSQL and multiple containers), Vaultwarden runs as a single container with SQLite. It uses roughly 10 MB of RAM at idle, making it perfect for small VPS instances.

Full administrative control. The built-in admin panel lets you manage user registrations, disable sign-ups, configure SMTP for email notifications, and enforce security policies. You decide who can create accounts and how the server operates.

System Requirements

Resource	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	1 vCPU	1+ vCPUs
RAM	256 MB	1 GB
Storage	5 GB SSD	10 GB SSD
OS	Ubuntu 22.04+	Ubuntu 24.04

Vaultwarden is extremely efficient. A single Rust binary serves the API, web vault, and admin interface. Even a $5/month VPS handles dozens of users comfortably. Storage needs grow primarily with file attachment usage.

Getting Started

The fastest way to deploy Vaultwarden on your VPS is with Docker Compose through Dokploy. Our step-by-step deployment guide walks you through the full setup, including persistent storage, environment configuration, and SSL.

Deploy Vaultwarden with Dokploy →

Alternatives

• Bitwarden — Official Bitwarden server with enterprise features and full audit logging
• Passbolt — Team-focused password manager designed for collaboration and sharing
• KeeWeb — Web-based KeePass-compatible password manager with offline support
• Padloc — Modern password manager with a clean interface and cross-platform apps

FAQ

Is Vaultwarden as secure as official Bitwarden? Vaultwarden implements the same encryption model as Bitwarden — your vault is encrypted client-side with your master password before being sent to the server. The server never sees unencrypted data. However, Vaultwarden has not undergone the same third-party security audits as the official server.

Can I use the official Bitwarden apps with Vaultwarden? Yes. All official Bitwarden clients (browser extensions, desktop apps, mobile apps, and CLI) work with Vaultwarden. You simply point them to your self-hosted server URL during setup.

How do I migrate from Bitwarden cloud to Vaultwarden? Export your vault from Bitwarden cloud as a JSON file, then import it into your Vaultwarden instance through the web vault interface. The process takes seconds and preserves all your passwords, notes, and organization data.

What happens if my Vaultwarden server goes down? Bitwarden clients cache your vault locally, so you can still access passwords offline. However, new entries and changes will not sync until the server is back. Regular backups of the Vaultwarden data directory ensure you can restore quickly.

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Recommended VPS Providers

Looking for the best VPS to run Vaultwarden? Read our Best VPS for Vaultwarden guide — we compare top providers for performance, pricing, and reliability.

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App data sourced from selfh.st open-source directory.