Bitwarden Server by bitwarden
Bitwarden infrastructure/backend (API, database, Docker, etc).
About Bitwarden Server
From the project's README at github.com/bitwarden/server. Lightly cleaned for readability; for the full source see the upstream repo.
The Bitwarden Server project contains the APIs, database, and other core infrastructure items needed for the "backend" of all bitwarden client applications.
The server project is written in C# using .NET Core with ASP.NET Core. The database is written in T-SQL/SQL Server. The codebase can be developed, built, run, and deployed cross-platform on Windows, macOS, and Linux distributions. Developer Documentation
Please refer to the Server Setup Guide in the Contributing Documentation for build instructions, recommended tooling, code style tips, and lots of other great information to get you started. Deploy
You can deploy Bitwarden using Docker containers on Windows, macOS, and Linux distributions. Use the provided PowerShell and Bash scripts to get started quickly. Find all of the Bitward
Health score breakdown
6-dimension composite. See methodology for formula and weights.
Adoption signals
Real-world usage data, pulled from each registry. The bigger the numbers, the more battle-tested the project.
| Signal | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 19k | github.com/bitwarden/server |
| GitHub forks | 1.6k | github.com/bitwarden/server |
Release & maintenance
Is this project actively maintained, or about to die? Check the recency of last commit and last release.
| Project age | 10.5 years | since Nov 2015 |
| Last commit | 2 days ago | May 5, 2026 |
| Releases shipped | 230 | last: 22 days ago |
| Security policy | SECURITY.md | declared by maintainers |
Self-hosting cost across providers
Detected requirements: 4GB RAM, 40GB disk minimum. Cheapest plan per provider that meets the requirement.
| Provider | Plan | Specs | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hetzner | CAX11 | 2c · 4GB · 40GB | $4.13 USD | Deploy → |
| vultr | VC2 | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5 USD | Deploy → |
| linode | Nanode 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5.12 USD | Deploy → |
| digitalocean | Basic Regular 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $6 USD | Deploy → |
Security advisories
CVE-2020-15879. What people say on Hacker News
- Bws-MCP-server – giving AI agents a controlled path to Bitwarden secrets
- Show HN: AbsentKey E2E encrypted vault that releases secrets when you can't
- ETH Zurich audits Bitwarden cryptography against malicious server scenarios
- Vaultwarden – Unofficial Bitwarden compatible server, formerly bitwarden_rs
- Show HN: Fast Masked Mail Creator – Chrome Extension for Fastmail Masked Emails
Replaces these paid SaaS
Bitwarden Server is one of the open-source alternatives to:
Ready to self-host Bitwarden Server?
Spin up a hetzner CAX11 (4GB RAM, 40GB disk) for $4.13/mo and follow the project's official install docs.
Data last refreshed May 7, 2026.
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