Passbolt vs Rubywarden
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Passbolt
Open-source password manager built for teams
VS
Rubywarden
Archived
Experimental Ruby implementation of the Bitwarden API
| Feature | Passbolt | Rubywarden |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 11 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,136 | ★ 587 |
| First released | 2017 | 2017 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | Bitwarden, 1Password |
What are Passbolt and Rubywarden?
Passbolt
Passbolt is an open-source password manager designed for teams, built around end-to-end encryption and OpenPGP. It targets organizations sharing credentials securely. It is deployed via Docker or packages.
- OpenPGP-based encryption
- Team-oriented sharing and roles
- Browser extension and apps
- Audit logs
Rubywarden
Rubywarden is an unofficial, self-hosted server that implements the Bitwarden API in Ruby, allowing Bitwarden clients to sync against a private backend. It is a lightweight alternative server for personal and small deployments.
- Bitwarden-compatible API
- Works with official clients
- Lightweight Ruby stack
- SQLite storage
Passbolt vs Rubywarden: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Rubywarden's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Passbolt is actively maintained. Passbolt is written in PHP, while Rubywarden is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Passbolt versus MIT for Rubywarden. Rubywarden is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Passbolt. Passbolt has the considerably larger community, at 6,136 GitHub stars versus 587. Passbolt lists first-class Docker deployment; Rubywarden does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Passbolt if…
- Built for team sharing
- Strong encryption model
- Good admin controls
Watch out for
- Setup is involved
- Some features in paid tiers
Choose Rubywarden if…
- Simple personal deployment
- Compatible with Bitwarden apps
Watch out for
- Explicitly experimental
- Not recommended for large teams
Frequently asked questions
Is Passbolt or Rubywarden better?
Neither is universally better. Passbolt has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Passbolt and Rubywarden free and open-source?
Yes. Passbolt is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Rubywarden under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Passbolt and Rubywarden with Docker?
Passbolt: yes. Rubywarden: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Passbolt or Rubywarden?
Rubywarden has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Passbolt. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.