OpenBao vs Browserpass
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?
OpenBao
Open-source secrets management forked from Vault
VS
Browserpass
Browser extension front-end for the pass manager
| Feature | OpenBao | Browserpass |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | MPL-2.0 | ISC |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,961 | ★ 1,009 |
| First released | 2024 | 2016 |
| Replaces | AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault | LastPass extension, 1Password extension |
Why pick each one
Choose Browserpass if…
- Released under the ISC license
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenBao or Browserpass better?
Neither is universally better. OpenBao has the larger community, while Browserpass is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are OpenBao and Browserpass free and open-source?
Yes. OpenBao is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Browserpass under ISC. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenBao and Browserpass with Docker?
OpenBao: yes. Browserpass: check the project docs for container support.