Layer 5 · self-hosting reality check
What it actually takes to self-host KeePassXC
The docs say 128 MB. In practice you want 300 MB. Here is the honest version — real requirements, real monthly cost, what you will be maintaining, and the one thing that catches people out.
Usually reached from 1Password alternatives, where KeePassXC is one of the picks.
Wondering whether you need to at all? Is 1Password free? — what the free tier actually allows, and where the wall is.
| RAM — documented minimum | 128 MB |
|---|---|
| RAM — what it really needs | 300 MB |
| CPU | Any modern CPU |
| Disk | 200 MB installed; the database is a single file |
| Monthly cost | $0 — it runs on the machine you already own |
| Setup time | 15 minutes |
| How you install it | Platform installer; sync the .kdbx file with whatever you already use |
| Ongoing maintenance | None beyond updates. |
| Where it stops scaling | Any single-user vault — it is one file, and tens of thousands of entries open instantly. |
The thing that catches people out
There is no sync — the database is one file and moving it between devices is your problem. Syncing it through Dropbox or Syncthing works well right up to the moment two devices edit it while offline, at which point you get a conflicted copy and merging password databases by hand is genuinely unpleasant. Pick one device as the writer, or accept the risk deliberately.
When not to self-host KeePassXC
You need multi-device editing and shared vaults. That is what Vaultwarden and Bitwarden exist for.
Every guide here carries this section. A site that only ever tells you to self-host is selling something — the useful answer is sometimes no.
Other Layer 5 self-hosting guides
- Self-hosting LibreOffice2 GB with a large spreadsheet open
- Self-hosting ONLYOFFICE6 GB for the Document Server with a handful of concurrent editors
- Self-hosting Collabora Online4 GB, and roughly 1 GB per 20 concurrent documents
- Self-hosting CryptPad2 GB for a small instance
- Self-hosting Mattermost4 GB for a team of 50 with PostgreSQL on the same box
- Self-hosting Rocket.Chat6 GB with MongoDB on the same machine
Common questions
- How much RAM does KeePassXC actually need?
- 300 MB in practice. The documented minimum is 128 MB, which is the figure at which the process starts rather than the figure at which it works under real use. Any modern CPU alongside it.
- What does self-hosting KeePassXC cost per month?
- $0 — it runs on the machine you already own This is commodity VPS pricing and excludes your time, which is the larger cost for most people — budget for none beyond updates.
- How long does it take to set up KeePassXC?
- 15 minutes, via Platform installer; sync the .kdbx file with whatever you already use.
- When should I NOT self-host KeePassXC?
- You need multi-device editing and shared vaults. That is what Vaultwarden and Bitwarden exist for.
- What is the most common mistake when self-hosting KeePassXC?
- There is no sync — the database is one file and moving it between devices is your problem. Syncing it through Dropbox or Syncthing works well right up to the moment two devices edit it while offline, at which point you get a conflicted copy and merging password databases by hand is genuinely unpleasant. Pick one device as the writer, or accept the risk deliberately.