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Overview

This project delivers three ready-to-use Bitwarden password manager deployment configurations covering a range of needs from lightweight personal use to small-team sharing:
  • Vaultwarden: A community Rust reimplementation with minimal resource consumption, ideal for personal or home use
  • Bitwarden Lite: Official image in a minimal service configuration
  • Bitwarden Standard: Full official configuration including statistics and administration console
All three configurations use Docker Compose and route through Cloudflare Tunnel for HTTPS access, with zero open ports and no host IP exposure to the public internet.

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Tech Stack

  • Password manager: Bitwarden (official), Vaultwarden
  • Database: SQLite (Vaultwarden), MSSQL (Bitwarden Standard)
  • Network tunneling: Cloudflare Tunnel (Zero Trust)
  • Containerization: Docker Compose
  • TLS: Terminated by Cloudflare, no self-managed certificates required

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Key Features

  • Three configurations for different scale requirements, choose as needed
  • Cloudflare Tunnel with zero open ports, no Nginx reverse proxy or Let’s Encrypt required
  • Complete .env.example templates with inline documentation for every required key
  • Compatible with all official Bitwarden clients (desktop, browser extension, mobile)
  • Optional admin panel activation per configuration

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Configuration Comparison

ItemVaultwardenBitwarden LiteBitwarden Standard
Image sourceCommunity (Rust rewrite)OfficialOfficial
DatabaseSQLiteMSSQLMSSQL
Memory usageVery low (~50 MB)MediumHigh
Admin panelBuilt-inOptionalFull
Target audiencePersonal, homeSmall teamOrganization

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Deployment Layout

bitwarden-server/
├── vaultwarden/
│   ├── docker-compose.yml
│   └── .env.example
├── bitwarden-lite/
│   ├── docker-compose.yml
│   └── .env.example
└── bitwarden-standard/
    ├── docker-compose.yml
    └── .env.example
Security noteThe admin panel (/admin) should be gated with a Cloudflare Access Policy or disabled in production. .env contains database passwords and admin tokens. Never commit it to version control.

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GitHub

Source code: github.com/felimet/bitwarden-server