May 29, 2025 7 min to read

Understanding and Installing Vaultwarden - A Self-Hosted Password Manager

A comprehensive guide to Vaultwarden deployment on Kubernetes

Introduction to Vaultwarden

Vaultwarden is a lightweight, open-source alternative to the official Bitwarden server implementation. Written in Rust instead of .NET, it offers significantly reduced resource requirements while maintaining compatibility with all official Bitwarden clients, making it ideal for self-hosting password management solutions for individuals and small teams.

What is Vaultwarden?

The Self-Hosted Password Management Solution

Vaultwarden (formerly Bitwarden_RS) provides a self-contained, efficient implementation of the Bitwarden API that enables:

Full Control: Complete ownership of your sensitive password data
Privacy: No reliance on Bitwarden’s cloud infrastructure
Simplicity: Simplified deployment with minimal resource consumption
Compatibility: Works with all official Bitwarden clients and browser extensions

Vaultwarden retains core functionality while consuming a fraction of the resources needed by the official Bitwarden server, making it accessible for home labs and small environments.

graph LR A[Vaultwarden] --> B[Secure Password Storage] A --> C[Client Compatibility] A --> D[Resource Efficiency] A --> E[Self-Hosting Features] B --> B1[AES-256 Encryption] B --> B2[Zero-Knowledge Model] C --> C1[Browser Extensions] C --> C2[Mobile Apps] C --> C3[Desktop Clients] D --> D1[Low Memory Footprint] D --> D2[Single Binary] D --> D3[SQLite Support] E --> E1[Custom Configuration] E --> E2[Backups Control] E --> E3[Custom Domain] style A stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#f5f5f5 style B stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7 style C stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#64b5f6 style D stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#ffcc80 style E stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#ce93d8

Key Features and Capabilities

Feature	Description
Lightweight Architecture	Written in Rust for performance and security Minimal RAM requirements (< 10MB idle) Small CPU footprint (suitable for ARM devices) Containerized deployment for easy management
Seamless Compatibility	Supports all Bitwarden clients (iOS, Android, desktop) Compatible with browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) Directory connector functionality Implements the complete Bitwarden API
Storage Flexibility	SQLite database by default (low overhead) Optional MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL support Efficient attachment storage Configurable backup solutions
Security Features	Two-factor authentication (2FA) WebAuthn/FIDO2 support Emergency access options Admin console for user management

Vaultwarden vs. Official Bitwarden

Key Differences

Community Support: Relies on community, not official Bitwarden support
Enterprise Features: Some advanced features may be limited or unavailable
Update Cycle: May lag behind official server updates when API changes occur
Licensing: Free for all features, no license requirements

For most personal and small team use cases, these differences are acceptable trade-offs for simplified deployment and reduced resource requirements.

graph LR subgraph "Vaultwarden" A1[Rust Implementation] A2[Single Container] A3[SQLite Default] A4[Low Resource Usage] end subgraph "Official Bitwarden" B1[.NET Implementation] B2[Microservices Architecture] B3[MS SQL Default] B4[Higher Resource Requirements] end C[Common Features] C --> C1[Password Storage] C --> C2[Client Compatibility] C --> C3[Password Generation] C --> C4[2FA Support] style A1 stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7 style A2 stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7 style A3 stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7 style A4 stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7 style B1 stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#64b5f6 style B2 stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#64b5f6 style B3 stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#64b5f6 style B4 stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#64b5f6 style C stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#f5f5f5

Deployment on Kubernetes using Helm

Deploying Vaultwarden on Kubernetes provides the benefits of container orchestration, including scaling, automated recovery, and simplified updates. The Helm chart approach streamlines the installation process and provides a consistent deployment method.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Kubernetes Cluster: A working cluster (local or cloud)
Helm: Helm 3 installed and configured
Storage: Default StorageClass for persistent volumes
Ingress Controller: NGINX or similar for external access
DNS: Domain name pointing to your ingress (for production)

Preparation Steps

1. Setting Up the Helm Repository

# Clone charts repository
git clone https://github.com/gissilabs/charts.git

# Add Helm repository
helm repo add gissilabs https://gissilabs.github.io/charts/

# Prepare values file
cd ~/charts/vaultwarden
mkdir values
cp values.yaml values/mgmt.yaml

sequenceDiagram participant User participant Helm participant K8s as Kubernetes User->>Helm: Add repository User->>Helm: Create values file User->>Helm: Install chart Helm->>K8s: Create deployment Helm->>K8s: Create service Helm->>K8s: Create ingress K8s->>K8s: Provision storage K8s-->>User: Deployment complete

2. Configuring Backup Templates

Setting up proper backup procedures is critical for password managers.
Create a CronJob and PersistentVolumeClaim for regular Vaultwarden data backups.

Create templates/backup-cronjob.yaml:

Create templates/backup-persistentvolumeclaim.yaml:

Configuration Options

Configuration Area	Available Options
Database	type: SQLite (default), MySQL/MariaDB, or PostgreSQL wal: Write-ahead logging for improved performance connection: Connection string for external databases
Security	verifySignup: Enable/disable email verification for new accounts invitationsAllowed: Control organization invitations admin.enabled: Enable admin interface admin.token: Set administrative access token
Networking	service.type: ClusterIP, NodePort, or LoadBalancer ingress.enabled: Enable ingress for external access ingress.host: Hostname for accessing Vaultwarden ingress.annotations: Custom ingress controller settings
Storage	persistence.enabled: Enable persistent storage persistence.size: Storage size allocation persistence.storageClass: Kubernetes storage class to use persistence.existingClaim: Use existing PVC

Example Configuration File

database:
  type: sqlite
  wal: true

vaultwarden:
  verifySignup: false
  admin:
    enabled: true
    disableAdminToken: false
    token: "Somaz!123"
  
  emergency:
    enabled: true

service:
  type: ClusterIP
  httpPort: 80

ingress:
  enabled: true
  className: "nginx"
  host: "vaultwarden.somaz.link"
  annotations:
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/force-ssl-redirect: "true"

persistence:
  enabled: true
  size: 25Gi
  storageClass: "default"

Deployment Process

Step-by-Step Deployment

Prepare your Helm values file.
Install the chart using Helm.
Verify deployment and access the web interface.

Advanced Configuration

Email Notification Setup (SMTP)

Communication Features

Configuring SMTP allows Vaultwarden to send important notifications:

Account verification emails
Password hint reminders
Organization invitations
Emergency access requests

Add to your values file:

smtp:
  enabled: true
  host: "smtp.office365.com"
  from: "noreply@somaz.link"
  fromName: "Somaz, Inc."
  security: starttls
  port: 587
  timeout: 15
  user: ""
  password: ""

Maintenance and Upgrades

graph LR A[Check Updates] --> B[Back Up Data] B --> C[Update Values File] C --> D[Run Upgrade Command] D --> E[Verify Functionality] style A stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7 style B stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7 style C stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7 style D stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7 style E stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,fill:#a5d6a7

To upgrade your installation:

# Update the Helm repository
helm repo update

# Apply the upgrade
helm upgrade vaultwarden . -n vaultwarden -f ./values/mgmt.yaml

Post-Installation

💡 Accessing Your Vaultwarden Instance

Web Interface
- Access your Vaultwarden instance at your configured domain
- Create your master account and set up your organization structure
- Use the admin panel for system configuration (https://your-domain.com/admin)
Client Setup
- Install Bitwarden clients on your devices
- Configure the client to use your self-hosted URL
- Login with your master credentials
Security Best Practices
- Use a strong, unique master password
- Enable two-factor authentication
- Configure regular data backups
- Keep your Vaultwarden instance updated

somaz v3.1.2

Understanding and Installing Vaultwarden - A Self-Hosted Password Manager

Introduction to Vaultwarden

What is Vaultwarden?

The Self-Hosted Password Management Solution

Key Features and Capabilities

Vaultwarden vs. Official Bitwarden

Key Differences

Deployment on Kubernetes using Helm

Prerequisites

Preparation Steps

1. Setting Up the Helm Repository

2. Configuring Backup Templates

Configuration Options

Example Configuration File

Deployment Process

Step-by-Step Deployment

Advanced Configuration

Email Notification Setup (SMTP)

Maintenance and Upgrades

Post-Installation

References

Docker Layers - A Deep Dive into Dockerfile Build Principles

Somaz

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Understanding and Installing Vaultwarden - A Self-Hosted Password Manager

Introduction to Vaultwarden

What is Vaultwarden?

The Self-Hosted Password Management Solution

Key Features and Capabilities

Vaultwarden vs. Official Bitwarden

Key Differences

Deployment on Kubernetes using Helm

Prerequisites

Preparation Steps

1. Setting Up the Helm Repository

2. Configuring Backup Templates

Configuration Options

Example Configuration File

Deployment Process

Step-by-Step Deployment

Advanced Configuration

Email Notification Setup (SMTP)

Maintenance and Upgrades

Post-Installation

References

Docker Layers - A Deep Dive into Dockerfile Build Principles

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Somaz

Comments