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Nextcloud Passwords vs Rubywarden

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
NE Nextcloud Passwords Encrypted password manager app for Nextcloud servers VS RU Rubywarden Archived Experimental Ruby implementation of the Bitwarden API
FeatureNextcloud PasswordsRubywarden
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score57 · Fair11 · At risk
StatusActively maintainedArchived
CategoryPassword ManagersPassword Managers
LicenseAGPL-3.0MIT
LanguagePHPRuby
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM512 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metalbare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 249★ 587
First released20182017
ReplacesLastPass, BitwardenBitwarden, 1Password

What are Nextcloud Passwords and Rubywarden?

Nextcloud Passwords

Nextcloud Passwords is a feature-rich password manager that runs as an app inside a Nextcloud instance, with client-side encryption and browser extensions. It integrates with existing Nextcloud users and sharing.

  • Client-side encryption
  • Browser extensions
  • Password sharing
  • Security audits

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

Nextcloud Passwords vs Rubywarden: key differences

The biggest difference is maintenance: Rubywarden's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Nextcloud Passwords is actively maintained. Nextcloud Passwords is written in PHP, while Rubywarden is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Nextcloud Passwords versus MIT for Rubywarden. Rubywarden is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Nextcloud Passwords. Rubywarden has the considerably larger community, at 587 GitHub stars versus 249. Nextcloud Passwords lists first-class Docker deployment; Rubywarden does not.

Why pick each one

Choose Nextcloud Passwords if…

  • Integrates with Nextcloud
  • Strong feature set

Watch out for

  • Requires Nextcloud
  • Tied to PHP stack
Nextcloud Passwords details

Choose Rubywarden if…

  • Simple personal deployment
  • Compatible with Bitwarden apps

Watch out for

  • Explicitly experimental
  • Not recommended for large teams
Rubywarden details

Frequently asked questions

Is Nextcloud Passwords or Rubywarden better?

Neither is universally better. Rubywarden has the larger community, while Nextcloud Passwords is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Nextcloud Passwords and Rubywarden free and open-source?

Yes. Nextcloud Passwords is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Rubywarden under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Nextcloud Passwords and Rubywarden with Docker?

Nextcloud Passwords: yes. Rubywarden: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, Nextcloud Passwords or Rubywarden?

Rubywarden has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Nextcloud Passwords. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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