Buttercup vs KeePassium
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
KeePassium
KeePass-compatible password manager for iOS and macOS
| Feature | Buttercup | KeePassium |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Swift |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,394 | ★ 1,663 |
| First released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Buttercup or KeePassium 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 KeePassium free and open-source?
Yes. Buttercup is licensed under GPL-3.0 and KeePassium under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buttercup and KeePassium with Docker?
Buttercup: check the project docs for container support. KeePassium: check the project docs for container support.