Layer 3 · self-hosting reality check
What it actually takes to self-host Vaultwarden
The docs say 128 MB. In practice you want 512 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 Vaultwarden is one of the picks.
| RAM — documented minimum | 128 MB |
|---|---|
| RAM — what it really needs | 512 MB |
| CPU | 1 vCPU |
| Disk | Under 1 GB unless you store file attachments |
| Monthly cost | $6/mo, and it will happily share a box with other small services |
| Setup time | 30 minutes including TLS |
| How you install it | single container behind a reverse proxy — HTTPS is mandatory, the clients refuse plain HTTP |
| Ongoing maintenance | Low, but the stakes are high. Update promptly when advisories land; this is your password vault. |
| Where it stops scaling | Hundreds of users on tiny hardware. It is a Rust rewrite of the Bitwarden server and it is extremely light. |
The thing that catches people out
Your backup strategy IS your disaster plan, and most people get it wrong. Losing the SQLite database plus the `attachments` and `sends` folders means losing every credential — the clients hold a cache, not a recoverable copy. Automate an encrypted off-box backup on day one and restore it once, to prove it works, before you migrate anything real.
When not to self-host Vaultwarden
You are not confident about running an internet-facing service reliably. A password manager that is down when you need a credential, or exposed because a reverse proxy was misconfigured, is worse than paying Bitwarden.
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 3 self-hosting guides
Common questions
- How much RAM does Vaultwarden actually need?
- 512 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. 1 vCPU alongside it.
- What does self-hosting Vaultwarden cost per month?
- $6/mo, and it will happily share a box with other small services This is commodity VPS pricing and excludes your time, which is the larger cost for most people — budget for low, but the stakes are high. Update promptly when advisories land; this is your password vault.
- How long does it take to set up Vaultwarden?
- 30 minutes including TLS, via single container behind a reverse proxy — HTTPS is mandatory, the clients refuse plain HTTP.
- When should I NOT self-host Vaultwarden?
- You are not confident about running an internet-facing service reliably. A password manager that is down when you need a credential, or exposed because a reverse proxy was misconfigured, is worse than paying Bitwarden.
- What is the most common mistake when self-hosting Vaultwarden?
- Your backup strategy IS your disaster plan, and most people get it wrong. Losing the SQLite database plus the `attachments` and `sends` folders means losing every credential — the clients hold a cache, not a recoverable copy. Automate an encrypted off-box backup on day one and restore it once, to prove it works, before you migrate anything real.