Buttercup vs Password Gorilla
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?
Buttercup
Cross-platform password manager with multiple storage backends
VS
Password Gorilla
Cross-platform password vault compatible with Password Safe
| Feature | Buttercup | Password Gorilla |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Tcl |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,394 | ★ 425 |
| First released | 2015 | 2005 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | LastPass, Password Safe |
Why pick each one
Choose Password Gorilla if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Tcl
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Buttercup or Password Gorilla better?
Neither is universally better. Buttercup has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Buttercup and Password Gorilla free and open-source?
Yes. Buttercup is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Password Gorilla under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buttercup and Password Gorilla with Docker?
Buttercup: check the project docs for container support. Password Gorilla: check the project docs for container support.