pass-tomb 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?
pass-tomb
Encrypted storage extension for the pass manager
VS
Vaultwarden
Lightweight Bitwarden-compatible password server
| Feature | pass-tomb | Vaultwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 435 | ★ 65,100 |
| First released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Replaces | 1Password, KeePass | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane |
Why pick each one
Choose pass-tomb if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Vaultwarden if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Works with official apps
- Easy to deploy
Frequently asked questions
Is pass-tomb or Vaultwarden better?
Vaultwarden is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider pass-tomb if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are pass-tomb and Vaultwarden free and open-source?
Yes. pass-tomb is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Vaultwarden under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run pass-tomb and Vaultwarden with Docker?
pass-tomb: check the project docs for container support. Vaultwarden: yes.