Bitwarden vs Buttercup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Bitwarden
Open-source password manager you can self-host
VS
Buttercup
Cross-platform password manager with multiple storage backends
| Feature | Bitwarden | Buttercup |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,782 | ★ 4,394 |
| First released | 2016 | 2015 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane | 1Password, LastPass |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Bitwarden or Buttercup better?
Neither is universally better. Bitwarden has the larger community, while Buttercup is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bitwarden and Buttercup free and open-source?
Yes. Bitwarden is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Buttercup under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bitwarden and Buttercup with Docker?
Bitwarden: yes. Buttercup: check the project docs for container support.