Choose where your vault lives
Remem Cloud, your own server, or this device only: what each one means, and what you give up with each.
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When you set up Remem, it asks under Sync cloud where your encrypted vault should be kept. Your vault is encrypted on your device in every case; the choice is about where the encrypted copy goes, and what works as a result.
The three choices
| Choice | What it means | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Remem Cloud (sync.remempass.org) | We run the sync server for you on Cloudflare, with its storage set up in Cloudflare’s EU jurisdiction. Nothing to set up. Needs an invite code during the alpha. | Almost everyone. It is the default. |
| Self-Hosted Cloud | You enter the address of a sync server you run yourself. It stores the same encrypted data Remem Cloud would. During the alpha, its source is shared on request. | People comfortable running a server, Docker and TLS. |
| This Device Only | No server and no network. The vault exists only on this Mac. | A single Mac, no browser extension, and keeping your own encrypted backups. |
Remem Cloud
- Sync across your Macs within seconds of a change, and to the browser extension within 5 minutes, or at once with Sync now.
- The server stores encrypted items only. It cannot read titles, URLs, usernames, notes or passwords. It does see your email, device names, when you sync and how much. See what we can and cannot see.
- Storage set up in Cloudflare’s EU jurisdiction. See where your data is stored.
- Each item can be up to about 1 MB. There are no limits on the number of items or devices.
Self-Hosted Cloud
Everything Remem Cloud does, on a server you control. You run the server, keep it updated and back it up. The server’s source code isn’t publicly available yet during the private alpha, so self-hosting is for people we have shared it with. If you would like to self-host, write to hello@remempass.org. Read Run your own sync server and the security notes before you choose this. Your Emergency Kit records the server’s address.
This Device Only
Nothing leaves your Mac, and you give up a lot for it:
- The browser extension can’t be used. It needs a sync server to connect to.
- You can’t add a second device.
- Nothing is backed up automatically. If this Mac is lost, broken or wiped, the vault goes with it, unless you have saved an encrypted backup and kept it somewhere else. Your Emergency Kit can’t restore it: the kit holds your Secret Key, not your items.
Use an email address if you might sync later
You can connect a This Device Only vault to a sync server later, but only if you created it with an email address. A vault created with a phone number or a username can never sync, and that can’t be changed afterwards; the setup screen warns you when you choose one.
What if…
I want to sync through iCloud, Dropbox or Google Drive
Remem has no cloud-drive sync. Use Remem Cloud or your own server. You can keep an encrypted backup file in a cloud drive, but that is a copy you make by hand, not sync.
I want to change my mind later
From This Device Only to a server, and from one server to another: in Settings → Sync, for a vault that uses an email address. From a server back to This Device Only: start a new vault from an encrypted backup. See Move to another server or storage mode.
Was this missing something? Write to hello@remempass.org.