I could not find an answer to my question, hence I’m posting here:
is it possible to run bitwarden in a local-only installation with no cloud involved?
Also without any internet involvement?
Seems like most password managers nowadays use cloud-based storage.
Hello @Luftwaffle - welcome!
To answer your question, yes, you can host your own instance of Bitwarden so that you don’t have to store your information in the cloud. However, it does help to have some familiarity with running server apps. See more here:
Thanks, that is very useful. It certainly wouldn’t pose a problem, as I’m already running a few servers and also a Linux installation.
However it is the exposure to the internet and also the Docker installation which I would classify as a risk.
Ideally I was looking for an app running on an air-gapped standalone machine.
Never messed with Bitwarden hosting, though I certainly plan to. Is there any reason you couldn’t run two VMS on the machine. One for hosting Bitwarden and the other for logging in?
I currently self host vault warden in docker that’s only accessible on the local network. I have the app on my two phones. It works fine. My question is, if I’m offsite, can I add sites and note and have it save to the phone then sync when I’m back on my network?
This would be a client application feature requirement. Currently the Bitwarden clients do not support offline editing, or versioning (beyond the simple password history)
The feature has been added to the roadmap and so hopefully better offline editing and management will be available soon.
Otherwise without ports open on the firewall (port forwarding) you would need a VPN to get access back to your network if you want internal only access.