Tengen

Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

What Tengen is

Tengen is a free, open-source, self-hosted vault for passwords and encrypted notes. It runs on the user’s machine through Docker, stores vault data there, and is available as a web application, self-hosted deployment, and API. Password entries can be created, edited, deleted, searched, tagged, and sorted. A generator, real-time zxcvbn strength analysis, breach detection, and vault health tools support password management. HaveIBeenPwned checks use a documented k-anonymity process that sends only a SHA-1 prefix. Notes support folders, tags, and optional PIN or password locks. The site says entries use AES-256-GCM encryption; Argon2id derives a key that is not stored, while the master password remains on the device. Encryption and decryption use no external APIs. Docker Compose v2 is listed for quick setup. Tengen has no subscriptions and uses the AGPL-3.0 license.

Who it suits

Tengen suits people who want a free, self-hosted password and note vault and are comfortable with Docker and Docker Compose v2. It also fits users seeking an open-source deployment with a documented backend API.

What it does well

Free with no subscriptions
Self-hosted data storage
AES-256-GCM vault encryption
Password generation and breach checks
Open source under AGPL-3.0

What to know first

Requires Docker and Docker Compose v2
Forgotten master passwords cannot be recovered
Self-hosting requires local setup

Verdict

Tengen provides password and encrypted-note management while keeping storage on the user’s machine. Its main trade-off is that deployment and master-password responsibility remain with the user.

Facts from Tengen's own pages

API: The repository documents a backend API for authentication, vault entries, notes, password tools, and vault health. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Breach checks: Tengen integrates with HaveIBeenPwned to check whether passwords are compromised. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Breach detection: Tengen integrates with HaveIBeenPwned to check whether passwords are compromised. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Deployment requirement: The repository lists Docker and Docker Compose v2 as prerequisites for its quick-start setup. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Encryption: The site says vault entries use AES-256-GCM encryption and the master password never leaves the user's device. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
External services: The site says encryption and decryption involve no external APIs. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · tengen.in, 16 Sept 2026
Hosting: Tengen runs on the user's machine via Docker, with vault data stored on that machine. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Hosting and setup: Tengen runs on the user's machine via Docker, with setup instructions using docker compose. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Integrations: The repository describes HaveIBeenPwned breach checks using k-anonymity, with only a SHA-1 prefix sent for the check. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Key derivation: Tengen uses Argon2id to derive the encryption key, which the site says is never stored. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
License: Tengen is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Limit: The repository states that a forgotten master password cannot be recovered or reset, and the encrypted vault is lost. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Organization: The vault includes tags, search, and sorting. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Password management: Users can create, update, and delete password entries and use the password generator, breach detection, and health analysis. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Password strength: Real-time password strength analysis is powered by zxcvbn. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Pricing: The site says Tengen has no subscriptions. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Private notes: Notes support folders, tags, and an optional per-note PIN or password lock. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Product: Tengen is a self-hosted private vault for passwords and encrypted notes. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Support: The maker invites community support through contributions and says donations are appreciated. · tengen.in, 12 Oct 2026
Supported platforms: web,self_hosted · tengen.in, 16 Sept 2026

Where Tengen stands on Freedom251

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