Passbolt vs Spectre
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
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Spectre
Stateless password manager that derives passwords on demand
| Feature | Passbolt | Spectre |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,136 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2017 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass |
What are Passbolt and Spectre?
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
Spectre
Spectre, the successor to Master Password, is an open-source stateless password manager. It derives strong, unique passwords from your name and a master password rather than storing them in a vault.
- Deterministic password derivation
- No vault to store or sync
- Cross-platform clients
- Works fully offline
Passbolt vs Spectre: key differences
Passbolt is written in PHP, while Spectre is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Passbolt versus GPL-3.0 for Spectre. Spectre is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Passbolt. Spectre is the more established project (first released 2012), while Passbolt arrived in 2017. Passbolt has the considerably larger community, at 6,136 GitHub stars versus 200. Passbolt lists first-class Docker deployment; Spectre 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 Spectre if…
- Nothing to back up
- Stateless by design
Watch out for
- Niche project
- Hard to change individual passwords
Frequently asked questions
Is Passbolt or Spectre 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 Spectre free and open-source?
Yes. Passbolt is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Spectre under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Passbolt and Spectre with Docker?
Passbolt: yes. Spectre: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Passbolt or Spectre?
Spectre has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Passbolt. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.