Bitwarden vs pass-otp
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Bitwarden
Open-source password manager you can self-host
VS
pass-otp
One-time-password extension for the pass manager
| Feature | Bitwarden | pass-otp |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 28 · At risk |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 20,184 | ★ 1,497 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane | Authy, 1Password |
What are Bitwarden and pass-otp?
Bitwarden
Bitwarden is an open-source password manager offering encrypted vaults, sharing, and apps on every platform, with a self-hostable server. It targets individuals and teams wanting an audited password manager. It is deployed via Docker.
- Encrypted cross-platform vaults
- Secure password sharing
- Regular third-party audits
- Self-hostable official server
pass-otp
pass-otp is an open-source extension that adds TOTP one-time-password support to the standard Unix password manager. It generates two-factor codes directly from secrets stored in the pass tree.
- TOTP code generation
- Integrates with pass
- Offline two-factor
- Command-line based
Bitwarden vs pass-otp: key differences
Bitwarden is written in C#, while pass-otp is built with Shell. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Bitwarden versus GPL-3.0 for pass-otp. Pass-otp is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Bitwarden. Bitwarden has the considerably larger community, at 20,184 GitHub stars versus 1,497. Bitwarden lists first-class Docker deployment; pass-otp does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Bitwarden if…
- Audited and trusted
- Apps everywhere
- Open source
Watch out for
- Official server is resource heavy
- Setup more complex than Vaultwarden
Choose pass-otp if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bitwarden or pass-otp better?
Neither is universally better. Bitwarden has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Bitwarden and pass-otp free and open-source?
Yes. Bitwarden is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and pass-otp under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bitwarden and pass-otp with Docker?
Bitwarden: yes. pass-otp: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bitwarden or pass-otp?
pass-otp has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Bitwarden. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.