
Vaultwarden
Lightweight Bitwarden-compatible server
The Lens
Vaultwarden is a lightweight, unofficial Bitwarden-compatible server written in Rust. It uses the same Bitwarden apps and browser extensions but runs on a fraction of the resources. A Raspberry Pi handles it fine.
AGPL v3. Implements the Bitwarden API so all official Bitwarden clients (desktop, mobile, browser extensions, CLI) connect to it without issues. Supports organizations, password sharing, TOTP (two-factor codes), file attachments, and the Send feature, all features that Bitwarden's official server gates behind paid plans.
Fully free to self-host. No paid tier. Features that cost $10/year on Bitwarden's hosted service (TOTP, emergency access, vault health reports) are free on Vaultwarden. Premium features unlocked for everyone. Setup: Docker container with a SQLite database. Takes 10 minutes. Runs on 50MB of RAM. Ops: minimal. Update the container occasionally, back up the SQLite file.
Solo and family use: this is a no-brainer if you're comfortable with Docker. Small teams: works great with organizations feature. The catch: it's an unofficial implementation. Bitwarden could change their API and break compatibility (hasn't happened in years, but the risk exists). There's no commercial support. And if you lose your server without backups, your passwords are gone. Backups are not optional. Automate them.
Free vs Self-Hosted vs Paid
fully freeFully open source under AGPL v3. No paid tier. Features that cost $10/year (individual) or $40/year (family) on Bitwarden's hosted service are all free. Self-hosting cost: a VPS ($3-5/mo) or any machine you already have. Storage is minimal. SQLite file measured in megabytes.
Free. Saves you $10-40/year vs Bitwarden's hosted plans while unlocking all premium features.
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