OpenBao vs Padloc

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?
FeatureOpenBaoPadloc
CategoryPassword ManagersPassword Managers
LicenseMPL-2.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageGoJavaScript
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM256 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, binarydocker
GitHub stars★ 6,961★ 2,924
First released20242016
ReplacesAWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault1Password, LastPass

Why pick each one

Choose OpenBao if…

  • MPL-2.0 licensed
  • Compatible with Vault tooling
OpenBao details

Choose Padloc if…

  • Polished UI
  • Open source
  • Cross-platform
Padloc details

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenBao or Padloc better?

Neither is universally better. OpenBao has the larger community, while Padloc is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are OpenBao and Padloc free and open-source?

Yes. OpenBao is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Padloc under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run OpenBao and Padloc with Docker?

OpenBao: yes. Padloc: yes.

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