Best offer on record: Vaultwarden software license: free and open source (AGPL-3.0-only), no paid tier. 10 verified findings, checked 2026-10-22.
Offers
Vaultwarden software license: free and open source (AGPL-3.0-only), no paid tier high confidence
Vaultwarden is free of charge under AGPL-3.0-only (Cargo.toml license field and LICENSE.txt in dani-garcia/vaultwarden; README badge says AGPL-3.0). This corrects the workflow note that said MIT. The README calls the project unofficial and states it is not associated with Bitwarden, Inc. It describes no paid tier, trial, credits, startup or education program, and no managed or hosted service. Listed features include Attachments, Send, Organizations, Emergency Access, Authenticator, Email, FIDO2, YubiKey and Duo two-factor, and the admin backend, with no paid gating described. Official images are vaultwarden/server on Docker Hub, plus ghcr.io and quay.io.
Eligibility
Anyone. No .edu email, student status, startup age or funding limit, region limit, or credit card. Students and startups get the same free terms as everyone else.
How to claim
Nothing to claim. Pull vaultwarden/server:latest (per README) or build from source, then run it on your own host behind HTTPS. Support is community-only (Matrix, GitHub Discussions, Discourse); the README asks users not to use Bitwarden's support channels.
Expiry
None. The license is perpetual and has no renewal.
Gotchas
(1) This is not a student or startup program, so there is no eligibility to claim. (2) AGPL network clause: if a startup modifies Vaultwarden and users interact with it over a network, the modified source must be offered to those users. The 1.28.0 release notes (2023-03-26) say unmodified use only needs a pointer to the repository. This is not legal advice. (3) The web vault requires HTTPS per the README, so in practice you need a domain and a TLS certificate. (4) No official hosted service exists; treat third-party 'hosted Vaultwarden' offers as unaffiliated with the project.
Oracle Cloud Always Free: compute and storage to host Vaultwarden (third-party host) high confidence
Per Oracle's Always Free docs, the monthly allowance is: Ampere A1 compute totaling 2 OCPUs and 12 GB RAM (1,500 OCPU-hours and 9,000 GB-hours); 2 VM.Standard.E2.1.Micro instances (1/8 OCPU and 1 GB each); 200 GB combined boot and block storage plus 5 volume backups, in the home region; and 10 TB outbound transfer per month. This is an Oracle offer, not a Vaultwarden offer, and is a common place to run a self-hosted Vaultwarden.
Eligibility
Any new or existing Oracle Cloud account. Not limited to students or startups. Oracle's free-tier overview says most users need a mobile number and a credit card to create an account; the card is not charged unless you upgrade.
How to claim
Create an Oracle Cloud account and choose a home region (Always Free compute and block volumes must be created there). Create an A1 or E2.1.Micro instance within the free limits, then install Docker and run vaultwarden/server behind an HTTPS reverse proxy.
Expiry
Oracle says Always Free resources never expire (free for the life of the account). The idle-instance policy below can still reclaim instances.
Gotchas
(1) Idle reclamation: Oracle says idle Always Free compute instances may be reclaimed if, over a 7-day period, 95th-percentile CPU utilization is below 20%, network utilization is below 20%, and (for A1 shapes) memory utilization is below 20%. A lightly used password server could meet these thresholds, and the docs do not describe the reclamation process. (2) 'Out of host capacity' errors can block creating A1 instances. (3) Block volumes created outside the home region incur regular charges. (4) Trial credits and Always Free are separate; see the Oracle trial finding.
Oracle Cloud Free Trial: $300 in credits valid up to 30 days high confidence
Per Oracle's free-tier overview: $300 in cloud credits, valid for up to 30 days. The page shows only a dollar sign and does not name a currency code. Trial credit pays for paid resources. Always Free resources are separate and are not time-limited. If the trial ends without an upgrade, Always Free resources keep running, paid resources provisioned with trial credits are reclaimed, and any OCI Ampere A1 instances above the Always Free allowance are disabled and deleted after 30 days unless total A1 usage is no more than 2 OCPUs and 12 GB before the trial ends.
Eligibility
New Oracle Cloud accounts. Most users need a mobile phone number and a credit card to sign up. The card is not charged unless you upgrade.
How to claim
Sign up for a new Oracle Cloud account with a mobile number and card. The oracle.com/cloud/free sign-up page returned HTTP 403 to this check, so exact sign-up steps are not verified. Before the 30 days end, either upgrade or keep A1 usage within the Always Free allowance.
Expiry
Trial lasts up to 30 days from sign-up. Always Free does not expire.
Gotchas
Do not confuse the time-limited trial with the permanent Always Free allowance. A1 capacity provisioned beyond the Always Free limit during the trial is deleted 30 days after the trial ends unless you cut it back in time. Upgrading is a separate, deliberate step.
Google Cloud Free Tier: one e2-micro VM, 30 GB disk, 1 GB egress per month high confidence
Per Google's free-tier docs, always-free Compute Engine limits are: non-preemptible e2-micro runtime free up to the hours in the current month, combined across us-west1 (Oregon), us-central1 (Iowa) and us-east1 (South Carolina), which effectively covers one VM running all month; 30 GB-months of standard persistent disk; and 1 GB of outbound data per month from North America, excluding destinations in China and Australia. GPUs and TPUs are not covered. Unused limits do not carry over to the next month.
Eligibility
Any user with a Cloud Billing account. Not limited to students or startups. Region limit: the e2-micro free runtime applies only in the three US regions listed.
How to claim
Create a Google Cloud billing account (required for Free Tier access; signing up for the trial creates one). Create an e2-micro in one of the three eligible US regions with standard persistent disk, and keep usage within the free limits.
Expiry
Google says the Free Tier has no end date, but it may change or eliminate limits with 30 days' notice.
Gotchas
(1) Usage beyond these limits is not covered by the free tier. (2) 1 GB per month of egress is small; any transfer above it is outside the free allowance. (3) The e2-micro free runtime is US-only. (4) A billing account is required for Free Tier access, and trial sign-up requires a valid payment method.
Google Cloud new-customer Welcome credit: $300 valid 90 days high confidence
Per Google's free-tier docs, new customers get a $300 Welcome credit valid for 90 days from trial sign-up, usable on paid services. Trial sign-up requires a valid payment method; Google places a temporary authorization hold, which is not a charge.
Eligibility
New customers who sign up for the free trial. Requires a valid payment method. Not limited to students or startups.
How to claim
Sign up for the Google Cloud free trial (this creates the billing account), add a valid payment method, then create resources within the 90 days.
Expiry
Expires 90 days after trial sign-up.
Gotchas
The credit is time-limited, unlike the Free Tier limits in the separate finding, which have no end date. Do not confuse the two. Trial sign-up requires a payment method.
AWS Free plan for new accounts: up to $200 in credits, account closes after 6 months medium confidence
Per AWS's free page, the Free plan provides up to $200 in credits: $100 at sign-up, plus up to $100 more by using key services. Credits and the account last at most 6 months, and access is limited to select services. The account closes automatically 6 months after opening or when credits are used up, whichever comes first. Charges apply only if you move to the Paid plan or enable paid-only services.
Eligibility
New AWS accounts that choose the Free plan. The page states no student or startup condition. The page does not say whether a credit card is required.
How to claim
Create an AWS account and select the Free plan at sign-up; use the key services named on the page to earn the extra $100 (the list was not captured by this check).
Expiry
Up to 6 months, or until credits run out, whichever is sooner; then the account closes automatically.
Gotchas
A self-hosted Vaultwarden on the Free plan will be shut down at the 6-month or credit limit unless you move to the Paid plan, where usage beyond credits is billed. The page does not describe the legacy 12-month Free Tier (EC2 and EBS limits), so that is not covered here. The page does not give an effective date for this plan structure.
AWS Paid plan promotional credits: up to $200 for new customers who may qualify medium confidence
Per AWS's free page, on the Paid plan (all services, billed for usage), new customers may qualify for up to $200 in credits. Only the Paid plan is eligible for promotional credits. Usage beyond the credits is billed.
Eligibility
New customers who may qualify. The qualification criteria are not stated on the page.
How to claim
Choose the Paid plan at sign-up. The page does not describe how to check eligibility or apply the credit.
Expiry
Not stated on the page.
Gotchas
Qualification is not guaranteed, and the criteria are not stated. Credits run out, and the Paid plan bills for usage after that.
AWS Activate startup credits: Founders up to $5,000, Portfolio up to $200,000 medium confidence
Per AWS's credits page: Activate Founders (self-funded) gives up to $5,000, starting at $1,000, and select participants may qualify for more, up to that cap. Activate Portfolio (pre-Series B) gives up to $200,000. AWS Credits for AI Startups is $200,000 or more, invitation-only and available after Portfolio (contact your account manager). Credits are in USD under the AWS Promotional Credit Terms. The page does not state a duration.
Eligibility
Founded within the past 10 years; pre-Series B funding stage; AWS account on a paid plan; new to Activate Credits or seeking more than a prior award. Portfolio also requires accelerator or VC backing through an Activate Provider Org ID; Founders does not. Incorporation and region rules are not stated. Not for students.
How to claim
Create an AWS Builder ID with a work email and complete your profile. Choose Founders or Portfolio, answer questions about your product and funding, connect an AWS account to the Builder ID, and submit. AWS says to expect a response in 5 to 10 business days.
Expiry
Not stated on the page. The AWS Promotional Credit Terms & Conditions govern; they were not read.
Gotchas
The amounts are caps ('up to'), not guarantees. Portfolio needs an Activate Provider backer. The page does not say whether a credit card is required.
Azure for Students: $100 credit for one year, no credit card high confidence
Per Azure's students page: $100 in credit, spendable on most Azure services (not Marketplace offers), valid for one year. The subscription renews yearly while you remain a student; the page does not say whether the $100 is granted again at renewal. When the credit runs out, Azure emails you to choose pay-as-you-go. If you do not switch, your subscription and its products are disabled.
Eligibility
Students enrolled full-time at a university, signing up with a school email. No credit card needed. One account per person.
How to claim
Sign up on the Azure for Students page with your school email and verify your student status, then create a VM or App Service within the $100 credit.
Expiry
One year, renewing yearly while you are still a student. Renewal credit amount not stated.
Gotchas
A $100 credit may not cover a VM running all year, so plan the switch to pay-as-you-go. If you miss the email and do not switch, the subscription is disabled, which can take your vault host offline. The GitHub Student Pack page lists this Azure offer as 'Students 18+', which does not match the Azure page's full-time university requirement; rely on the Azure page.
GitHub Student Developer Pack: 1-year domain offers for the HTTPS a Vaultwarden host needs medium confidence
Per the GitHub Education pack page, read through a summarizer (amounts not independently re-verified): Namecheap offers a 1-year .me domain registration with a free SSL certificate; Name.com offers one free domain with a choice of 25+ extensions; and .TECH offers one domain on the .TECH TLD for 1 year. The pack also lists Azure ($100 credit, see the Azure finding) and other offers, such as MongoDB Atlas ($50 credit) and a Heroku credit, that do not fit Vaultwarden hosting, since Vaultwarden runs on SQLite, MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL.
Eligibility
Students verified through GitHub Education. The page does not describe the student verification method or whether the whole pack requires it; it names verified students only for specific offers (GitHub Copilot, Codedex, DevCycle).
How to claim
Apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack through GitHub Education, then claim each partner offer separately. Per-offer claim steps were not captured, except that Name.com needs a unique account address.
Expiry
Domain offers are 1-year terms per the page. Renewal pricing after that is not captured.
Gotchas
Offers change; verify on the pack page before relying on them. Name.com warns that a request may look like a repeat if the account address is not unique. Check the domain's renewal price before the 1-year term ends.
Bottom line: Vaultwarden itself has no trial credits, startup program, education license, paid tier or official hosted service. The software is free for everyone under AGPL-3.0-only, so the only free offers that help students or startups are third-party hosting programs, listed above and labeled as such. No pricing, education or startup page was identified in the repository sources read.Corrections to the workflow notes: (1) The license is AGPL-3.0-only, not MIT (Cargo.toml license field; LICENSE.txt). The project moved from GPLv3 to AGPLv3 in release 1.28.0 on 2023-03-26, which is not a 2025-2026 change. (2) The start URL https://github.com/vaultwarden/server returned HTTP 404 when fetched today, and the raw README path also returned 404. The repository resolves at https://github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden (formerly bitwarden_rs). The Docker image is vaultwarden/server.Coverage limits: two WebSearch calls succeeded (license; 2026 release changelog). A third query was refused because this session's search budget ran out, so no broader 2025-2026 sweep for Vaultwarden offers was possible. The absence of student, education, startup, trial or hosted offers rests on the README, LICENSE and release pages read today (medium confidence).2025-2026 Vaultwarden release changes (from GitHub release notes read via search results and from release trackers; latest seen is 1.37.4): 1.34.0 (2025-05-26) added an email-verified registration flow and feature flags. 1.35.0 (2025-12-27) added OpenID Connect SSO and was the first immutable release with release attestation. 1.36.0 (2026-05-03) fixed SSO security advisories and added item archiving. 1.37.0 (2026-07-24) fixed eight security advisories, requires clients 2026.7.0 or later, added trusted-proxy support, and now rejects an unrecognized DATABASE_URL instead of silently falling back to SQLite. 1.37.2 (2026-08-22) is required for clients 2026.8.0 or later. 1.37.3 (2026-09-13) added SSO_SIGNUPS_ALLOWED, revoked 2FA remember tokens on credential change, and added rate limiting. 1.37.4 (2026-10-05) fixed seven security advisories, one rated High (8.1, organization member revocation); changed the IP_HEADER rule to use the rightmost non-trusted address; removed several feature flags and legacy endpoints; and made bw send receive stop working on CLI 2026.4.2 and older. Upgrade promptly and keep the server version aligned with the Bitwarden client version.Hosting-offer changes: Oracle's trial terms (30-day window; deletion of A1 capacity over the Always Free allowance) and idle-instance reclamation are in Oracle's current docs. AWS's Free plan closes the account after up to 6 months or when credits run out; the page gives no effective date, so this cannot be confirmed as a 2025 or 2026 change. Google's Free Tier limits can be changed with 30 days' notice.Not verified or excluded: Google for Startups Cloud Program (cloud.google.com/startup returned only a title, twice; the /startup/apply alias redirected to a Google sign-in page, which was not followed). oracle.com/cloud/free returned HTTP 403, so trial details come from docs.oracle.com. AWS's legacy 12-month Free Tier is not on the current page. Cloudflare, Hetzner and other hosts were not checked. Bitwarden's own pricing and student offers are out of scope.