LibreAI / Self-Hosted / Vaultwarden
// selfhosted · dani-garcia/vaultwarden

Vaultwarden

Vaultwarden — an unofficial Bitwarden-compatible server in Rust: the full password-manager experience, including premium features, on a tiny self-hosted footprint

★ 69.2k stars⑂ 3.3k forksAGPL-3.0updated 2026-10
▦ visual — this project's README ships no embeddable screenshot,
so here's a placeholder. The guide below is complete regardless.
// project facts

Project facts

Vaultwarden is an open-source self-hosted project by dani-garcia (dani-garcia/vaultwarden on GitHub). It has 69,193 GitHub stars and 3,337 forks, is released under the AGPL-3.0 license, and was last updated on GitHub on 16 October 2026.

GitHub stars
69,193
Forks
3,337
License
AGPL-3.0
Last updated on GitHub
16 October 2026
Category
Self-Hosted
Listing
Full install guide
Official site
Project wiki
// how it works

How it works

  1. Run the container

    Start Vaultwarden with Docker, storing its data in a persistent /data volume, per the project README.

  2. Put it behind HTTPS

    The web vault requires a secure context: put a reverse proxy (Caddy, Nginx, Traefik) with a real certificate in front, and set the DOMAIN env var to your public URL.

  3. Connect the official apps

    Create your account, then point the Bitwarden mobile apps, desktop apps and browser extensions at your server URL in their self-hosted settings.

// features

Why people love it

Official clients, your server

Works with the genuine Bitwarden apps and extensions — only the server changes.

Tiny footprint

A single Rust binary in one container; runs on a Pi where the official stack wants a fleet.

Premium features included

Organisations, attachments, built-in TOTP, emergency access and collections without a per-user subscription.

Full API compatibility

Implements the Bitwarden API surface, including the web vault, so migrations from the cloud service are painless.

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// run it

Run it yourself

  1. Docker run

    The README quick start, bound to localhost behind your reverse proxy.

    docker pull vaultwarden/server:latest
    docker run --detach --name vaultwarden \
      --env DOMAIN="https://vw.domain.tld" \
      --volume /vw-data/:/data/ \
      --restart unless-stopped \
      --publish 127.0.0.1:8000:80 \
      vaultwarden/server:latest
  2. Data lives in /data

    Back up this one volume and you have backed up the vault database, attachments and config.

    /vw-data/ (host) -> /data/ (container)
  3. Admin panel (optional)

    Set an ADMIN_TOKEN env var and visit /admin to manage users and settings; disable it again if you do not need it.

    https://vw.domain.tld/admin
// use cases

What you can build

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// faq

Questions, answered

Who makes Vaultwarden?

Daniel García and contributors (dani-garcia/vaultwarden on GitHub). It is a community project and is not affiliated with Bitwarden, Inc.

Is Vaultwarden free?

Yes — AGPL-3.0 licensed, with the features Bitwarden gates behind paid plans available to all users.

Is it safe to trust with passwords?

Vaults are end-to-end encrypted by the official clients exactly as with Bitwarden cloud; the server stores ciphertext. The real responsibilities are yours: HTTPS, updates and backups of /data.

How does it compare to a well-known alternative?

Against the official Bitwarden self-hosted server, Vaultwarden is dramatically lighter — one container instead of many — and unlocks premium features free; the official server wins on vendor support. Against KeePass, Vaultwarden adds seamless multi-device sync with the familiar Bitwarden apps.

How do I get started?

docker run the vaultwarden/server image with a /data volume, put HTTPS in front of it, then set your server URL in the Bitwarden apps.

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// alternatives

Alternatives in Self-Hosted

The most-starred other Self-Hosted projects in the LibreAI catalogue — the realistic shortlist if Vaultwarden is not the right fit.

Get Vaultwarden

Free and open — grab the source, star the repo, and start creating.