Bitwarden vs Vaultwarden
Both are alternatives to 1Password. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Vaultwarden vs Bitwarden — same comparison, one verdict.
Vaultwarden keeps your data local by default and Bitwarden keeps it in the vendor's cloud — for most teams that single fact decides it.
Bitwarden
TOP PICKOpen-source and free forever — the easy pick for most people.
Bitwarden is a mature, audited, open-source password manager. Use its low-cost hosted plan or self-host the server for full control, with clients on every platform.
Vaultwarden
A lightweight, self-hosted Bitwarden-compatible server.
Vaultwarden is a resource-light server that speaks the Bitwarden protocol, so you run your own vault backend and use the official Bitwarden clients against it. It fits on the smallest VPS or a homelab box.
Side by side
10 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Bitwarden | Vaultwarden | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 88 | 95 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | No | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 (clients) / AGPL (server) | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Generous free tier; paid from about $1/month; self-host free | Free / self-host |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | 4 GB for the official self-hosted stack | 512 MB |
| Realistic running costWhat the box costs each month if you run it yourself. | $20–35/mo — which is more than the hosted plan costs | $6/mo, and it will happily share a box with other small services |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | 2 hours | 30 minutes including TLS |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | Moderate, and non-negotiable. Security updates are not optional here. | Low, but the stakes are high. Update promptly when advisories land; this is your password vault. |
Bitwarden is Macrostack's recommended 1Password alternative, so it's our pick here.
Weighing both against staying on 1Password? Is 1Password free? What it actually costs →
Bitwarden
Strengths
- +Independently audited
- +Cross-platform clients
- +Self-host option
Trade-offs
- −Official self-host stack is heavier than Vaultwarden
- −Cloud plan still a third-party host
Vaultwarden
Strengths
- +Runs on tiny hardware
- +Works with official Bitwarden apps
- +You fully own the vault data
Trade-offs
- −You are responsible for backups and TLS
- −Unofficial (community) server
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Bitwarden
if independently audited.
Choose Vaultwarden
if your data should stay on machines you control, and runs on tiny hardware.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — official self-host stack is heavier than Vaultwarden, and you are responsible for backups and TLS. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
What it takes to run these yourself
Real requirements and honest running costs, not the vendor quickstart.
Bitwarden vs Vaultwarden — common questions
Is Bitwarden a better fit than Vaultwarden for password managers?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Vaultwarden scores 95 to Bitwarden's 88 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Bitwarden earns its place on a different axis — independently audited. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Vaultwarden keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. Bitwarden is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host Bitwarden or Vaultwarden?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are Bitwarden and Vaultwarden both alternatives to 1Password?
Yes — both appear in our 1Password comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off 1Password and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
Related alternative guides
Facts verified 2026-07-04. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.