Vaultwarden: A Lightweight, Self-Hosted Password Manager

In an age where cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, managing passwords securely has become more important than ever. Vaultwarden is an open-source, self-hosted password manager designed to help users store, organize, and access their sensitive login credentials with ease, while providing complete control over their data. Built to be lightweight and efficient, Vaultwarden offers a compelling alternative to commercial password managers.

What is Vaultwarden?

Vaultwarden is a community-driven, self-hosted implementation of Bitwarden, one of the most popular open-source password management tools. Bitwarden allows users to store their passwords, generate strong ones, and securely share them across devices. Vaultwarden, however, focuses on providing a lightweight, minimalistic version of the Bitwarden experience, optimized for self-hosting environments.

Unlike Bitwarden’s official cloud-based offering, Vaultwarden can be run on your own server or private infrastructure. This gives you the benefit of full control over your data, ensuring that no third party has access to your passwords and sensitive information.

Vaultwarden can be hosted on a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker, and even low-power devices like Raspberry Pi. It has an API and web-based interface that are fully compatible with Bitwarden clients, meaning you can use official Bitwarden apps (mobile, desktop, browser extensions) to access your password vault.

Key Features of Vaultwarden

1. Password Management: Vaultwarden provides a secure and encrypted vault for storing passwords, logins, credit card information, notes, and other sensitive data. Each entry is encrypted with end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only you have access to the unencrypted content.
2. Cross-Platform Access: Vaultwarden supports clients for various platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. This means you can access your passwords on all your devices, no matter where you are.
3. End-to-End Encryption: Just like Bitwarden, Vaultwarden uses end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for password storage. Your passwords are encrypted on the client side before they are sent to the server, meaning even the server administrator cannot access your data.
4. Password Generation: Vaultwarden has a built-in password generator that creates strong, random passwords for your accounts. You can set specific criteria for the passwords, such as length and character types, ensuring that your passwords are always secure and difficult to guess.
5. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Vaultwarden supports two-factor authentication, adding an extra layer of security to your vault. You can set up 2FA using apps like Google Authenticator, Authy, or any other TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password) app to enhance the security of your login.
6. Password Sharing: With Vaultwarden, you can securely share passwords or login information with other users. This is particularly useful for teams, families, or organizations who need to share access to common accounts while keeping the information encrypted.
7. Self-Hosting Control: One of Vaultwarden’s key advantages is its self-hosting capability. By running the service on your own server, you have full control over your data. This is a major selling point for privacy-conscious users who do not want their sensitive information stored on third-party servers.
8. Web Interface and API: Vaultwarden provides a user-friendly web interface that makes it easy to manage your passwords, organize your vault, and access your information. It also offers an API that developers can use to integrate the service into other applications or automation scripts.
9. Backup and Restore: Vaultwarden supports backup and restore features, so you can securely save your vault data and restore it in case of server failure, migration, or data loss. You can export your vault to a file and import it again when needed.
10. Lightweight and Efficient: Unlike other password managers, Vaultwarden is designed to be lightweight, requiring fewer resources to run. It is optimized for performance and can even be run on low-power devices like Raspberry Pi, making it a great option for DIY users.

How to Install Vaultwarden Using Docker Compose

One of the easiest ways to set up Vaultwarden on a server is by using Docker and Docker Compose, which simplifies the process and allows for a clean, isolated environment for your Vaultwarden instance.

Set Up Docker Compose File

Now, we will define the docker-compose.yml file, which will specify the services (Vaultwarden) and their corresponding certificate files.

Create and open the docker-compose.yml file using your preferred text editor and add the following content to the file

services:
  bitwarden:
    image: vaultwarden/server:latest
    container_name: bitwarden
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - 8080:80
    volumes:
      - ./vw-data:/data
      - ./ssl:/ssl
    environment:
      ROCKET_TLS: '{certs="/ssl/bitwarden.crt",key="/ssl/bitwarden.key"}'

Generating self signed certificates

If you’re planning to run the Vaultwarden container on a public server, it’s recommended to obtain an SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt for enhanced security. However, since we are only running it locally on our Raspberry Pi, we will create a self-signed certificate by executing the following command.

openssl req -x509 -nodes -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout bitwarden.key -out bitwarden.crt -days 365

When creating the self-signed certificate, ensure that the Common Name is set to the IP address or hostname where Vaultwarden will ultimately be hosted.

Once the certificate is generated, copy it to the SSL folder where your docker-compose.yml file is located.

Start the Containers

Now that your docker-compose.yml file is ready, you can start the containers using Docker Compose.

Run the following command from the directory where your docker-compose.yml file is located:

docker-compose up -d

Access vaultwarden

Once the containers are up and running, you can access your Vaultwarden instance by navigating to:

http://<your-server-ip>:8080

Conclusion

Vaultwarden is an excellent option for users who value privacy, security, and control over their data. As a self-hosted password manager, it allows you to securely store and manage your passwords while giving you full ownership of your data. Its lightweight design, ease of use, and compatibility with Bitwarden clients make it an attractive solution for DIYers and those who want to avoid the limitations of commercial password management services.

Whether you’re an individual looking to manage personal credentials securely or a small team in need of a private password management solution, Vaultwarden offers a robust, open-source alternative that’s worth considering.