Self-hosting server

Self-host Vaultwarden Self-hosted password vault — end-to-end encrypted

Save $800+/year Cloud

Recommended configurations

Vaultwarden is an unofficial Bitwarden-compatible server written in Rust. Extremely lightweight — runs on 512 MB RAM. Uses all official Bitwarden clients (desktop, mobile, browser extension). End-to-end encrypted. The most security-critical tool to back up.

Personal / Family

1–6 users Personal or family password vault
From €3.90/mo
Cloud
Replaces Bitwarden Premium
CPU
1 core
RAM
512 MB RAM
Storage
5 GB SSD
Network
Unlimited bandwidth

Vaultwarden is the lightest self-hosted tool — runs on minimal resources

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Most popular

Team

Up to 50 users Shared team credentials, collections
From €3.90/mo
Cloud
Replaces 1Password Teams
CPU
1–2 cores
RAM
1 GB RAM
Storage
10 GB SSD
Network
Unlimited bandwidth

Recommended — handles team use with collections and shared credentials

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10-person team on 1Password at $8/user = $960/year. Vaultwarden on a $3.90/mo Cloud = $47/year.

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Why self-host Vaultwarden?

Back up daily — no exceptions

Vaultwarden stores your passwords in a SQLite database. Set up automated daily backups to a separate location. This is the single most important operational task for running a self-hosted password manager.

Uses all official Bitwarden apps

Vaultwarden is compatible with every official Bitwarden client — desktop apps, mobile apps, and browser extensions. Users install the official Bitwarden app and simply point it to your server URL.

End-to-end encrypted

Passwords are encrypted client-side before being sent to the server. Even with full server access, the stored data is unreadable without the master password. Security is not compromised by self-hosting.

Lightest self-hosted tool

Vaultwarden uses roughly 10–20 MB RAM at rest. You can run it on the same small Cloud instance as Uptime Kuma or n8n. It is the most cost-efficient tool in this list to self-host.

Frequently asked questions

Is Vaultwarden secure?

Yes. Passwords are end-to-end encrypted with AES-256 before leaving your device. The server stores only encrypted blobs. Even if the server is compromised, passwords remain unreadable without the master password. Enable 2FA for all users.

What Bitwarden clients work with Vaultwarden?

All of them. Desktop apps (Windows, Mac, Linux), mobile apps (iOS, Android), browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge), and the web vault. Users just change the server URL in the Bitwarden app settings.

What happens if my server goes down?

Bitwarden clients cache an encrypted copy of the vault locally. If the server is unreachable, users can still access and use their passwords from the local cache. The vault syncs when connectivity is restored.

Is Vaultwarden an official Bitwarden product?

No. Vaultwarden (formerly bitwarden_rs) is an unofficial, community-developed Bitwarden-compatible server. It is not affiliated with Bitwarden Inc. For official self-hosting, Bitwarden offers an official server — but it requires far more resources.

What are the backup requirements for Vaultwarden?

Vaultwarden uses a single SQLite database file. Back it up daily to a separate location (different server or object storage). Use a script that copies the db.sqlite3 file while the container is paused, or use the built-in SQLite backup command.

Vaultwarden is an unofficial Bitwarden-compatible server written in Rust. It is extraordinarily lightweight — a production Vaultwarden instance runs on 512 MB RAM and barely uses any CPU. It is fully compatible with all official Bitwarden clients: desktop apps (Windows, Mac, Linux), mobile apps (iOS, Android), and browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari). Passwords are end-to-end encrypted — even the server cannot read them. For a 10-person team on 1Password Teams at $8/user/mo, that is $960/year. The same team runs Vaultwarden on a Cloud instance from €3.90/mo ($47/year), saving $900/year. Critical note: always run automated daily backups for Vaultwarden. It is the one service you cannot afford to lose data from.

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