Passit vs Vaultwarden
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Vaultwarden
Lightweight Bitwarden-compatible password server
| Feature | Passit | Vaultwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 68,080 |
| First released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Replaces | LastPass, 1Password | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane |
What are Passit and Vaultwarden?
Passit
Passit is a self-hosted, open-source password manager with browser extensions. It encrypts credentials client-side before syncing them to your own Django-based server and supports group sharing.
- Client-side encrypted vault
- Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox
- Group password sharing
- Self-hosted Django backend
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
Passit vs Vaultwarden: key differences
Passit is written in Python, while Vaultwarden is built with Rust. Vaultwarden is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Passit. Passit is the more established project (first released 2016), while Vaultwarden arrived in 2018. Vaultwarden has the considerably larger community, at 68,080 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose Passit if…
- Simple sharing model
- Open and auditable
Watch out for
- Limited recent development
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 Passit or Vaultwarden better?
Vaultwarden is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Passit if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Passit and Vaultwarden free and open-source?
Yes. Passit is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Vaultwarden under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Passit and Vaultwarden with Docker?
Passit: yes. Vaultwarden: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Passit or Vaultwarden?
Vaultwarden has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Passit. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.