Bitwarden vs OpenBao
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
OpenBao
Open-source secrets management forked from Vault
| Feature | Bitwarden | OpenBao |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | C# | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,782 | ★ 6,961 |
| First released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane | AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Bitwarden or OpenBao better?
Bitwarden is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider OpenBao if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Bitwarden and OpenBao free and open-source?
Yes. Bitwarden is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and OpenBao under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bitwarden and OpenBao with Docker?
Bitwarden: yes. OpenBao: yes.