About PassWall
PassWall Server is the core backend of the open-source PassWall password manager platform. It lets you store passwords safely and reach them from anywhere through its clients. It is written in Go, uses PostgreSQL for storage, and is aimed at people and teams who want to run their own password manager backend rather than rely on a hosted vault.
The README lists AES-GCM encryption for stored secrets, a documented RESTful API, JWT-based authentication, automatic database migration and security middleware that includes XSS protection, SQL injection prevention and rate limiting. It can store several kinds of data, including passwords, credit cards, bank accounts, notes and emails. A Docker Compose setup is the recommended way to start, there is also a Docker Hub image, and a Makefile covers common build, development and Docker commands.
Development requires a recent Go version, PostgreSQL 13 or later and optionally Docker. Configuration is handled through environment variables, including admin credentials. The server is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and API documentation is provided in the repository.
Key features
- AES-GCM encrypted secret storage
- RESTful API
- JWT authentication
- Stores passwords, cards, bank accounts and notes
- Docker Compose deployment
- Rate limiting and XSS protection middleware
Good fit for
- →Self-hosting the backend for a team password manager
- →Storing credentials in a database you control
- Built with
- Go
- Tags
- password-manager
- golang
- self-hosted
- encryption
- rest-api
- jwt
- postgresql
- security
PassWall: questions and answers
- What is PassWall used for?
- PassWall is a Go backend server for the open-source PassWall password manager, offering encrypted storage, a REST API, JWT authentication and Docker deployment. It is a good fit for self-hosting the backend for a team password manager and storing credentials in a database you control.
- Is PassWall open source?
- Yes. PassWall is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at passwall/passwall-server and is written mainly in Go.
- Is PassWall free?
- Yes. PassWall is open source, so the software itself is free to use. Paid plans are also available, starting at $1.58 per seat per month.
- Can I self-host PassWall?
- Yes. PassWall can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
- What is PassWall an alternative to?
- PassWall is an open-source alternative to Dashlane, Keeper and NordPass. Other open-source alternatives to Dashlane include AliasVault, KeePassXC and Bitwarden.
- Is PassWall actively maintained?
- The most recent commit to PassWall was on 13 June 2026, and the latest release is v1.2.1, published on 22 August 2022. The project has 768 stars on GitHub.
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SaaS alternatives to PassWall
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1Password
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Password manager that stores vaults locally and syncs through your own cloud account
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