Bitwarden vs Passky Server
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
Passky Server
Simple, lightweight and open-source password manager backend
| Feature | Bitwarden | Passky Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 32 · At risk |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 20,184 | ★ 244 |
| First released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane | LastPass, Bitwarden |
What are Bitwarden and Passky Server?
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
Passky Server
Passky is a simple and lightweight self-hostable password manager. The server component provides an encrypted backend that syncs with Passky web, desktop and mobile clients.
- Encrypted password sync server
- Lightweight PHP backend
- Web, desktop and mobile clients
- Two-factor authentication support
Bitwarden vs Passky Server: key differences
Bitwarden is written in C#, while Passky Server is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Bitwarden versus GPL-3.0 for Passky Server. Passky Server is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Bitwarden. Bitwarden is the more established project (first released 2016), while Passky Server arrived in 2021. Bitwarden has the considerably larger community, at 20,184 GitHub stars versus 244.
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 Passky Server if…
- Very easy to set up
- Minimal footprint
Watch out for
- Smaller community and ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is Bitwarden or Passky Server better?
Neither is universally better. Bitwarden has the larger community, while Passky Server is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bitwarden and Passky Server free and open-source?
Yes. Bitwarden is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Passky Server under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bitwarden and Passky Server with Docker?
Bitwarden: yes. Passky Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Bitwarden or Passky Server?
Passky Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Bitwarden. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.