Bitwarden vs Passbolt
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
Passbolt
Open-source password manager built for teams
| Feature | Bitwarden | Passbolt |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 20,184 | ★ 6,135 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane | 1Password, LastPass |
What are Bitwarden and Passbolt?
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
Passbolt
Passbolt is an open-source password manager designed for teams, built around end-to-end encryption and OpenPGP. It targets organizations sharing credentials securely. It is deployed via Docker or packages.
- OpenPGP-based encryption
- Team-oriented sharing and roles
- Browser extension and apps
- Audit logs
Bitwarden vs Passbolt: key differences
Bitwarden is written in C#, while Passbolt is built with PHP. Passbolt is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Bitwarden. Bitwarden has the considerably larger community, at 20,184 GitHub stars versus 6,135.
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 Passbolt if…
- Built for team sharing
- Strong encryption model
- Good admin controls
Watch out for
- Setup is involved
- Some features in paid tiers
Frequently asked questions
Is Bitwarden or Passbolt 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 Passbolt free and open-source?
Yes. Bitwarden is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Passbolt under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bitwarden and Passbolt with Docker?
Bitwarden: yes. Passbolt: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Bitwarden or Passbolt?
Passbolt has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Bitwarden. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.