Buttercup vs Passbolt
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
Passbolt
Open-source password manager built for teams
| Feature | Buttercup | Passbolt |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,394 | ★ 6,056 |
| First released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass |
Why pick each one
Choose Passbolt if…
- Built for team sharing
- Strong encryption model
- Good admin controls
Frequently asked questions
Is Buttercup or Passbolt better?
Neither is universally better. Passbolt has the larger community, while Buttercup is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Buttercup and Passbolt free and open-source?
Yes. Buttercup is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Passbolt under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buttercup and Passbolt with Docker?
Buttercup: check the project docs for container support. Passbolt: yes.