KeeWeb vs Vaultwarden
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Vaultwarden
Lightweight Bitwarden-compatible password server
| Feature | KeeWeb | Vaultwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 64 · Good | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | HTML | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 12,997 | ★ 68,080 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | LastPass, 1Password | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane |
What are KeeWeb and Vaultwarden?
KeeWeb
KeeWeb is a free, cross-platform password manager compatible with KeePass databases, usable in a browser or as a desktop app. It targets KeePass users who want web access to their vault. It is deployed via Docker or static hosting.
- Reads and writes KeePass files
- Browser and desktop versions
- No backend database needed
- Offline support
Vaultwarden
Vaultwarden is a lightweight, unofficial Bitwarden-compatible server written in Rust that works with all official Bitwarden clients. It targets self-hosters who want Bitwarden without heavy resource use. It is deployed via Docker.
- Compatible with all Bitwarden clients
- Tiny resource footprint
- Organizations and sharing
- Includes premium-equivalent features
KeeWeb vs Vaultwarden: key differences
KeeWeb is written in HTML, while Vaultwarden is built with Rust. Licensing differs — MIT for KeeWeb versus AGPL-3.0 for Vaultwarden. KeeWeb is the more established project (first released 2015), while Vaultwarden arrived in 2018. Vaultwarden has the considerably larger community, at 68,080 GitHub stars versus 12,997.
Why pick each one
Choose KeeWeb if…
- Works with KeePass files
- No server database
- Cross-platform
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- No team features
Choose Vaultwarden if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Works with official apps
- Easy to deploy
Watch out for
- Unofficial, community project
- Self-hosting security is on you
Frequently asked questions
Is KeeWeb or Vaultwarden better?
Neither is universally better. Vaultwarden has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are KeeWeb and Vaultwarden free and open-source?
Yes. KeeWeb is licensed under MIT and Vaultwarden under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KeeWeb and Vaultwarden with Docker?
KeeWeb: yes. Vaultwarden: yes.