How to Install Bitwarden on Ubuntu Linux

Introduction

Bitwarden is a free password manager that keeps all your passwords safe and encrypted in one place. You can easily manage your online accounts across all your devices. If you want your private data to stay under your control on your own hardware, a self-hosted password manager like Bitwarden is a great option.

Why use a self-hosted password manager? This means your private data stays under your control on your own hardware, instead of relying on a third-party cloud service.

What happens when done? You will have a private, secure password vault that you can access from any device.

Bitwarden vs. Vaultwarden

When setting up your own Bitwarden server, you’ll need to choose between the official Bitwarden and the unofficial Vaultwarden. The official Bitwarden is the enterprise version and needs more computer resources. Vaultwarden, on the other hand, is a lighter, unofficial option written in Rust, often recommended for home users.

• Official Bitwarden: This is the enterprise-grade version. It is very powerful but requires more system resources to run.
• Vaultwarden: This is an unofficial, lightweight version written in Rust. It is highly recommended for home-lab users because it uses very little memory and CPU power.

Install Bitwarden on Ubuntu Linux

Installing Bitwarden on Ubuntu Linux is easiest using Docker. Think of Docker as a tool that runs applications in isolated environments, which really simplifies the setup process. First, we create a special user for security, giving them only the Docker permissions they need.

This follows a security practice called the principle of least privilege. Essentially, this means giving the user only the minimum necessary permissions, which helps keep things safe.

sudo useradd -G docker -s /bin/bash -m -d /opt/bitwarden bitwarden
sudo passwd bitwarden
sudo chown -R bitwarden: /opt/bitwarden

Next, grab your installation key from: Bitwarden installation key

Once that’s done, switch to your new user and download the official installation script:

su - bitwarden
curl -Lso bitwarden.sh https://go.btwrdn.co/bw-sh
chmod +x bitwarden.sh

Ready to start the installation?

./bitwarden.sh install

During the setup, the script will ask for your domain name and database settings. For a secure setup, we highly recommend using a valid SSL/TLS certificate. You can obtain one using Let’s Encrypt with Certbot or by placing your server behind a reverse proxy like Nginx Proxy Manager.

Running the Service

After the installation finishes, start the services using the Docker Compose V2 plugin command:

docker compose up -d

What happens when done? The containers will initialize, and your vault will be accessible through your web browser. You can then create your admin account and start saving your passwords.

Conclusion

By hosting your own password manager, you gain full control over your credentials. Whether you choose the official Bitwarden or the lightweight Vaultwarden, you have taken a major step toward better online privacy.