Bitwarden
Password manager with a webapp, browser extension, and mobile app.
Bitwarden vs Vaultwarden
Two self-hosted Password Managers apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Bitwarden | Vaultwarden | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Password manager with a webapp, browser extension, and mobile app. | Lightweight Bitwarden server API implementation written in Rust. |
| GitHub stars | 20,570 | 70,263 |
| Forks | – | 3.4k |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | – | 90 |
| Commits (12 months) | 1.7k | 217 |
| Last activity | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Latest release | v2026.10.1 (2026-10-28) | 1.37.5 (2026-11-01) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | Docker, C# | Rust, Docker |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU | ~512 MB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $5/mo | $3.5/mo |
| Categories | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Vaultwarden is more popular on GitHub: 70.3k stars vs 20.6k for Bitwarden.
- Bitwarden had more commits in the last 12 months (1,663 vs 217).
- Vaultwarden published a release more recently (1.37.5 on 2026-11-01; Bitwarden's latest is v2026.10.1 on 2026-10-28).
- Bitwarden is licensed under AGPL-3.0, Vaultwarden under GPL-3.0.
- Bitwarden is written in C#; Vaultwarden in Rust.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Bitwarden: Docker; Vaultwarden: Docker.
- Our rough hardware estimate is lighter for Vaultwarden (~512 MB server) than Bitwarden (~1 GB); this is an estimate from the stack and category, not a benchmark.
Summary: Bitwarden leads on commit activity; Vaultwarden leads on GitHub popularity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bitwarden or Vaultwarden more popular?
Vaultwarden has more GitHub stars (70,263 vs 20,570 for Bitwarden, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Bitwarden or Vaultwarden?
Bitwarden had more commits over the last 12 months (1,663 vs 217). Both had repository activity on 2026-11-04. Releases in the past year: Bitwarden 10+, Vaultwarden 10+. Our health labels: Bitwarden is “Active”, Vaultwarden is “Active”.
What licenses do Bitwarden and Vaultwarden use?
Bitwarden: AGPL-3.0. Vaultwarden: GPL-3.0.
Can I run Bitwarden and Vaultwarden with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for Bitwarden and Vaultwarden. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Vaultwarden
Lightweight Bitwarden server API implementation written in Rust.
Browse all self-hosted Password Managers apps.