New Deployment Option for Self-Hosting Bitwarden
Update: as of the February 2023 release, the Bitwarden unified deployment also supports deployment with an SQLite database and custom database ports.
For those who have the resources to install, run, and maintain hardware, Bitwarden is pleased to offer a new, flexible deployment option for self-hosted environments. The Bitwarden unified self-hosted deployment joins the existing standard deployment option as a lightweight option for those who choose to deploy and manage their password management solution on their own private network or infrastructure.
Warning: This is a beta release, which means that this deployment option may be unstable and have issues. If you manage a Bitwarden organization vault, we recommend using the officially-supported, standard deployment option.
The Bitwarden unified self-host option, initially available in an open beta, supports a streamlined and flexible set-up, allowing users to choose from multiple database and environment options while being resource-efficient.
The unified deployment option offers:
A simplified Docker deployment with all services running in a single Docker container.
Database flexibility and portability so that users can more easily utilize different types of database solutions to host their Bitwarden server — including Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL.
Bitwarden is excited to partner with the Bitwarden community in this open beta. If you decide to deploy the unified self-host option, please report any issues you discover in GitHub.
Learn more about how to get started with the unified deployment in this demo with Bitwarden founder, Kyle Spearrin.
The standard self-host deployment has been available since the beginning of Bitwarden and supports hosting on Linux, macOS, and Windows machines. Configured to use a Microsoft SQL Server database, the standard deployment utilizes multiple Docker containers orchestrated via Docker Compose for self-hosting Bitwarden servers. Deployment is also available via a DigitalOcean droplet for users interested in a one-click cloud-based solution.
See the core differences between the unified and standard deployment options in the table below:
Standard deployment | Unified deployment | |
|---|---|---|
Database supported | Microsoft SQL Server | Multiple database providers including Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite |
CPU architecture | x64 | x64, ARMv7, ARM64 |
Deployment solutions supported | Docker DigitalOcean | Docker Note: more deployment solutions will be available in the future |
Docker architecture | 11 containers via Docker Compose | 1 container |
Other helpful articles and resources for deploying a Bitwarden self-hosted server:
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