Buttercup vs Vaultwarden
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
Vaultwarden
Lightweight Bitwarden-compatible password server
| Feature | Buttercup | Vaultwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,394 | ★ 65,100 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane |
Why pick each one
Choose Vaultwarden if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Works with official apps
- Easy to deploy
Frequently asked questions
Is Buttercup or Vaultwarden better?
Neither is universally better. Vaultwarden has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Buttercup and Vaultwarden free and open-source?
Yes. Buttercup is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Vaultwarden under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buttercup and Vaultwarden with Docker?
Buttercup: check the project docs for container support. Vaultwarden: yes.