Vaultwarden
Bitwarden’s clients pointed at your own server; unofficial, capable, and now you are the outage.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Hosting Model
- Self-host (your server)
- Platforms
- desktopmobilewebself-hostedextensiondocker to self-host
- Installation
- Docker or Podman container with a persistent /data volume and a reverse proxy for HTTPS
- Operational Setup
- Docker, a domain and HTTPS reverse proxy are the easy part; backups, upgrades and outages become the user's responsibility
- Where Your Data Lives
- Client-encrypted Bitwarden-compatible vault data stored in SQLite by default, or MySQL/PostgreSQL, with attachments and configuration in the persistent volume
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It is unofficial and may lag Bitwarden's proprietary or enterprise features, while support, backups and uptime move to you.
Replaces 4 paid apps
up to $12.88/mo ($155/yr) in subscriptions
Vaultwarden FAQ
Common questions
Is Vaultwarden free and open source?+
Vaultwarden is an open-source tool licensed under AGPL-3.0 that runs on self-host. Bitwarden’s clients pointed at your own server; unofficial, capable, and now you are the outage.
What paid software does Vaultwarden replace?+
Vaultwarden serves as a free replacement for 4 paid SaaS applications: Bitwarden, Keeper, NordPass, RoboForm, saving up to $12.88/month ($155/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Vaultwarden?+
Installation: Docker or Podman container with a persistent /data volume and a reverse proxy for HTTPS. Setup notes: Docker, a domain and HTTPS reverse proxy are the easy part; backups, upgrades and outages become the user's responsibility
What is the catch or trade-off with Vaultwarden?+
It is unofficial and may lag Bitwarden's proprietary or enterprise features, while support, backups and uptime move to you.