Vaultwarden hosting for your own password vault
Keep the passwords, notes and two-step codes of your family or team on a server you control. Vaultwarden is a lightweight server written in Rust that speaks the Bitwarden API, so the Bitwarden apps and browser extensions connect to it. Run it on a HyperDC VPS, preinstalled as an app option or installed with our guide.
- Works with the Bitwarden apps and browser extensions
- Organizations and collections for families and teams
- Light enough for the smallest server
- Admin page, invitations and two-step login
- Install
- Docker image vaultwarden/server
- Stack
- Rust · SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL
- Default portBrowsers allow the web vault’s cryptography only on secure pages, so put a reverse proxy with a TLS certificate in front of the container.
- 80 in the container, served over HTTPS
- Minimum
- None published; runs on the smallest plans
- Your data
- One data folder: database, attachments and keys
- Official docs
- github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden/wiki
Works with
- Bitwarden browser extensions
- Bitwarden mobile apps
- Bitwarden desktop apps
- Bitwarden CLI
- Bitwarden Send
- Emergency access
- TOTP
- WebAuthn
- YubiKey
- Duo
Facts from the project’s official website, documentation and repository, checked in October 2026.
Vaultwarden plans are being prepared
Tell us how many people will use the vault, and our team will reply with the right server. Or start today on a Linux VPS and install Vaultwarden with our guide.
How big a server does Vaultwarden need?
Vaultwarden itself is small. The size is set by attachments, the database you choose and the other apps you run next to it.
| Feature |
Personal
You and your family
|
Recommended Team
A company of up to 50 people
|
Shared server
Vaultwarden next to other apps
|
|---|---|---|---|
| vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server. | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system. | 1 GB | 1 GB | 2 GB+ |
| DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups. | 10 GB | 20 GB | 40 GB+ |
| DatabaseSQLite is the default and fits most installations; MySQL or PostgreSQL suit larger teams. | SQLite | SQLite or PostgreSQL | PostgreSQL or MySQL |
-
Personal
You and your family
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 1
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 1 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- 10 GB
- DatabaseSQLite is the default and fits most installations; MySQL or PostgreSQL suit larger teams.
- SQLite
-
Recommended
Team
A company of up to 50 people
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 1
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 1 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- 20 GB
- DatabaseSQLite is the default and fits most installations; MySQL or PostgreSQL suit larger teams.
- SQLite or PostgreSQL
-
Shared server
Vaultwarden next to other apps
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 2
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 2 GB+
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- 40 GB+
- DatabaseSQLite is the default and fits most installations; MySQL or PostgreSQL suit larger teams.
- PostgreSQL or MySQL
Vaultwarden publishes no hardware minimum and is known for a small footprint. These sizes leave room for the operating system, a reverse proxy and local backups.
A password vault you own
The apps your people already know, on a server where you decide the rules.
Bitwarden apps, your server
In the Bitwarden app or extension, choose a self-hosted server and enter your Vaultwarden address. Everything else works as people expect.
Families and teams
Share logins through organizations and collections, with roles that decide who can see and edit what.
Two-step login
Protect accounts with an authenticator app, email codes, FIDO2 security keys, YubiKey or Duo.
Admin page under your control
Invite users, turn off open sign-ups and change settings on the /admin page, protected by a hashed admin token.
Root access, your rules
Every Linux VPS, VDS and dedicated server comes with full root access: you choose the versions, the add-ons and the security settings.
Backups included
Free weekly and monthly backups come with every VPS and VDS plan. For data that changes every day, keep copies of your own as well.
Locations on three continents
Run your server in the United States, Europe or Asia, close to the people who use it. The order form estimates the latency from where you are to each location.
Preinstalled or with our guide
Choose the app as an option when you order and it is installed for you, or set it up yourself with our step-by-step guide.
Set up Vaultwarden in four steps
Order the app preinstalled on your server, or install it yourself with our guide.
-
Choose your server
Pick a VPS, VDS or dedicated server in the size from the table above and the location closest to your users.
-
Install Vaultwarden
Choose Vaultwarden as an app option, or run the vaultwarden/server image with Docker Compose and a data volume using our guide.
-
Add your domain and TLS
Point a subdomain such as app.example.com at the server’s IP address and serve the app over HTTPS with a free Let’s Encrypt certificate.
-
Create your account and lock sign-ups
Create the first account in the web vault, then set SIGNUPS_ALLOWED to false and invite everyone else from the admin page.
Step-by-step setup guides
Install, secure and update the app with our guides, written for current Ubuntu and Debian releases.
-
How to self-host Vaultwarden with Docker Compose and HTTPS
Deploy Vaultwarden in Docker on your own server, serve it over HTTPS with Caddy, lock down registration and the admin page, and back up the vault the way the project documents it.
35 min Intermediate -
How to install Docker Engine on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04
Install Docker Engine, Buildx and Compose from Docker's official apt repository on Ubuntu LTS, run it without sudo, rotate logs and keep published ports private.
15 min Beginner -
How to set up Caddy as a reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS
Install Caddy from the official repository, point your domains at the server and serve every self-hosted app over HTTPS with a two-line site block, plus headers, password protection, logs and backups.
30 min Beginner
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Learn moreFrequently asked questions
Is Vaultwarden the same as Bitwarden?
No. Vaultwarden is an independent, community-built server that implements the Bitwarden client API; it is not made or supported by Bitwarden, Inc. The Bitwarden apps and extensions connect to it, but questions about the server go to the Vaultwarden project rather than to Bitwarden’s support.
Why does Vaultwarden need HTTPS?
The web vault encrypts and decrypts your data in the browser with the Web Crypto API, which browsers allow only on secure pages. Without HTTPS the web vault does not load. Put a reverse proxy such as Caddy or Nginx with a free Let’s Encrypt certificate in front of Vaultwarden.
How do I stop strangers from creating accounts?
Create your own account first, then set SIGNUPS_ALLOWED=false and restart the container. Invite other people from the admin page or an organization; invitations need working email settings. You can also allow sign-ups only for your own email domain.
How do I protect the admin page?
The /admin page is turned on by setting ADMIN_TOKEN. Use an Argon2 hash of a long password, which the vaultwarden hash command creates, instead of a plain token. When the setup is done you can remove the token to turn the page off again.
How do I back up the vault?
Everything lives in the data folder: the database, attachments, sends, the RSA keys and config.json. With SQLite, use the sqlite3 .backup command for a consistent copy of the database, copy the rest of the folder, and keep an encrypted copy off the server.
Can I import my passwords from another manager?
Yes. The web vault imports the export files of Bitwarden, 1Password, LastPass, KeePass, browser password managers and many others. Delete the plain export file after the import.
What happens if the server is unreachable?
The Bitwarden apps keep an encrypted copy of the vault on each device, so you can still read your entries. Changes sync once the server is back. Keep regular backups so you can restore the server itself if needed.
Does Vaultwarden need email?
Not to run, but invitations, email verification, email two-step codes and emergency access need it. Add the SMTP settings of your mail provider in the admin page or as environment variables.
Ready to own your password vault?
Tell us what you want to run and for how many people, and we will help you pick the right server.