Passky Server vs Rubywarden
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 | Rubywarden |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 32 · At risk | 11 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 244 | ★ 587 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | LastPass, Bitwarden | Bitwarden, 1Password |
What are Passky Server and Rubywarden?
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
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
Passky Server vs Rubywarden: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Rubywarden's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Passky Server is actively maintained. Passky Server is written in PHP, while Rubywarden is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Passky Server versus MIT for Rubywarden. Rubywarden is the more established project (first released 2017), while Passky Server arrived in 2021. Rubywarden has the considerably larger community, at 587 GitHub stars versus 244. Passky Server lists first-class Docker deployment; Rubywarden does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Passky Server if…
- Very easy to set up
- Minimal footprint
Watch out for
- Smaller community and ecosystem
Choose Rubywarden if…
- Simple personal deployment
- Compatible with Bitwarden apps
Watch out for
- Explicitly experimental
- Not recommended for large teams
Frequently asked questions
Is Passky Server or Rubywarden better?
Neither is universally better. Rubywarden 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 Rubywarden free and open-source?
Yes. Passky Server is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Rubywarden under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Passky Server and Rubywarden with Docker?
Passky Server: yes. Rubywarden: check the project docs for container support.