Vaultwarden
Password ManagersLightweight Bitwarden-compatible password server
Replaces 1Password, LastPass
3 self-hosted Dashlane alternatives
Dashlane is a commercial password manager that stores credentials securely and offers autofill, dark web monitoring, and a built-in VPN. It is subscription-based. These open-source apps let you replace Dashlane with software you host and control yourself.
Best self-hosted Dashlane alternatives
Last reviewed Oct 11, 2026 · 576 words
Replace Dashlane with Vaultwarden. It is a small Rust server that speaks the Bitwarden protocol, so you keep polished, official apps on every phone, desktop and browser while the vault itself lives on your hardware. The directory estimates it at 128 MB of RAM, and the Bitwarden web vault it serves has a Dashlane import format built in. Pick KeePassXC instead only if you want no server at all and are happy to handle sync yourself.
What you gain and what you give up
Gained: no subscription, unlimited devices, sharing through Bitwarden organizations, and features that are paid extras on hosted Bitwarden, such as TOTP code generation, included at no cost. You also gain control over where the encrypted vault sits, which for many people is the point.
Given up: everything Dashlane bundles that is not password storage. Dark web monitoring and the built-in VPN do not come with you. More importantly, you inherit the operations work. The catalogue's own con for Vaultwarden is "self-hosting security is on you", and it means it: if the server is down, your apps keep working from their cached vault, but new devices cannot sign in and changes will not sync until it is back.
| Vaultwarden | KeePassXC | Bitwarden (official server) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Server plus Bitwarden apps | Local encrypted file | Server plus Bitwarden apps |
| Directory's setup estimate | Easy, 128 MB | Easy, 128 MB | Medium, 2 GB |
| Mobile | Official Bitwarden apps | Third-party KeePass apps | Official Bitwarden apps |
| Imports Dashlane directly | Yes, via the web vault | Generic CSV import | Yes |
How the migration actually goes
Export from Dashlane to CSV. Then sign in to your Vaultwarden web vault, open the import tool, choose the Dashlane format and upload the file. Logins, URLs and notes come across; spot-check a dozen entries, including any that hold one-time-code secrets, before you trust the result.
Three things will not travel cleanly. Passkeys are generally not portable through CSV exports, so plan to re-register them on each site. If you stored file attachments in Dashlane, they are not in the CSV, so download them separately. And the CSV itself is your whole vault in plain text: import it, confirm the import, then delete it securely, including from your downloads folder and trash.
On the server side, the catalogue's deploy notes are the checklist. Put HTTPS in front from the first request, because the clients refuse plain HTTP. Set DOMAIN to the exact public URL. Once your own account exists, set SIGNUPS_ALLOWED=false. And back up /data nightly, then test a restore once, because that folder is the vault.
Is KeePassXC a better fit than Vaultwarden?
For one person who mostly works at a desktop, it can be. KeePassXC keeps a single encrypted database file with no server to patch, and its browser extension handles autofill. The cost is that sync is your job, usually through Syncthing or a cloud folder, and phones need third-party KeePass-format apps. Households and anyone who shares passwords should take Vaultwarden.
What I'd do
Run Vaultwarden behind HTTPS, import the Dashlane CSV, and keep Dashlane active for two weeks while you use the Bitwarden apps daily. When nothing has sent you back to it, cancel. The Vaultwarden guide covers backups and hardening, and the Bitwarden vs Vaultwarden comparison explains when the official server is worth its 2 GB.