AliasVault vs Rubywarden
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
AliasVault
End-to-end encrypted password and email alias manager
VS
Rubywarden
Archived
Experimental Ruby implementation of the Bitwarden API
| Feature | AliasVault | Rubywarden |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 11 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,141 | ★ 587 |
| First released | 2024 | 2017 |
| Replaces | 1Password, SimpleLogin | Bitwarden, 1Password |
What are AliasVault and Rubywarden?
AliasVault
AliasVault is a self-hosted, end-to-end encrypted password manager that also generates private email aliases to protect your real address. It combines credential storage with built-in alias mailboxes so you can sign up for services without exposing personal data.
- Zero-knowledge encrypted vault
- Built-in private email aliases
- Browser extensions
- Docker-based self-hosting
Rubywarden
Rubywarden is an unofficial, self-hosted server that implements the Bitwarden API in Ruby, allowing Bitwarden clients to sync against a private backend. It is a lightweight alternative server for personal and small deployments.
- Bitwarden-compatible API
- Works with official clients
- Lightweight Ruby stack
- SQLite storage
AliasVault vs Rubywarden: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Rubywarden's repository is archived and no longer developed, while AliasVault is actively maintained. AliasVault is written in TypeScript, while Rubywarden is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for AliasVault versus MIT for Rubywarden. Rubywarden is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for AliasVault. Rubywarden is the more established project (first released 2017), while AliasVault arrived in 2024. AliasVault has the considerably larger community, at 3,141 GitHub stars versus 587. AliasVault lists first-class Docker deployment; Rubywarden does not.
Why pick each one
Choose AliasVault if…
- Combines vault and alias mail
- Strong encryption model
Watch out for
- Young project
- Requires running mail components
Choose Rubywarden if…
- Simple personal deployment
- Compatible with Bitwarden apps
Watch out for
- Explicitly experimental
- Not recommended for large teams
Frequently asked questions
Is AliasVault or Rubywarden better?
Neither is universally better. AliasVault has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AliasVault and Rubywarden free and open-source?
Yes. AliasVault is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Rubywarden under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AliasVault and Rubywarden with Docker?
AliasVault: yes. Rubywarden: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, AliasVault or Rubywarden?
Rubywarden has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for AliasVault. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.