Passbolt vs Vaultwarden
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
Vaultwarden
Lightweight Bitwarden-compatible password server
| Feature | Passbolt | Vaultwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,136 | ★ 68,080 |
| First released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane |
What are Passbolt and Vaultwarden?
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
Vaultwarden
Vaultwarden is a lightweight, unofficial Bitwarden-compatible server written in Rust that works with all official Bitwarden clients. It targets self-hosters who want Bitwarden without heavy resource use. It is deployed via Docker.
- Compatible with all Bitwarden clients
- Tiny resource footprint
- Organizations and sharing
- Includes premium-equivalent features
Passbolt vs Vaultwarden: key differences
Passbolt is written in PHP, while Vaultwarden is built with Rust. Vaultwarden is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Passbolt. Vaultwarden has the considerably larger community, at 68,080 GitHub stars versus 6,136.
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 Vaultwarden if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Works with official apps
- Easy to deploy
Watch out for
- Unofficial, community project
- Self-hosting security is on you
Frequently asked questions
Is Passbolt or Vaultwarden better?
Vaultwarden is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Passbolt if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Passbolt and Vaultwarden free and open-source?
Yes. Passbolt is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Vaultwarden under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Passbolt and Vaultwarden with Docker?
Passbolt: yes. Vaultwarden: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Passbolt or Vaultwarden?
Vaultwarden 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.