Passky Server vs Psono
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Passky Server | Psono |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 244 | ★ 700 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | LastPass, Bitwarden | 1Password, LastPass |
What are Passky Server and Psono?
Passky Server
Passky is a simple and lightweight self-hostable password manager. The server component provides an encrypted backend that syncs with Passky web, desktop and mobile clients.
- Encrypted password sync server
- Lightweight PHP backend
- Web, desktop and mobile clients
- Two-factor authentication support
Psono
Psono is a self-hosted, open-source password manager focused on secure secret sharing for teams and enterprises. It targets organizations needing granular credential management. It is deployed via Docker.
- Granular secret sharing
- Client-side encryption
- LDAP and SAML support
- Browser extensions and apps
Passky Server vs Psono: key differences
Passky Server is written in PHP, while Psono is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Passky Server versus Apache-2.0 for Psono. Passky Server is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Psono. Psono is the more established project (first released 2017), while Passky Server arrived in 2021. Psono has the considerably larger community, at 700 GitHub stars versus 244.
Why pick each one
Choose Passky Server if…
- Very easy to set up
- Minimal footprint
Watch out for
- Smaller community and ecosystem
Choose Psono if…
- Strong sharing controls
- Enterprise auth support
- Open source
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Setup takes effort
Frequently asked questions
Is Passky Server or Psono better?
Neither is universally better. Psono has the larger community, while Passky Server is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Passky Server and Psono free and open-source?
Yes. Passky Server is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Psono under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Passky Server and Psono with Docker?
Passky Server: yes. Psono: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Passky Server or Psono?
Passky Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Psono. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.