Last Updated: February 2026 | Current Version: Passbolt 5.9.0
This page provides a comparison of Passbolt with alternative secret management and password manager platforms. Each solution is evaluated based on features, deployment options, security, and ideal use cases.
| Platform | License | Self-Hosted | Cloud | SSO | Mobile | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passbolt | AGPL-3.0 | ✅ Yes | ✅ EU | ✅ Pro | ✅ Yes | Team collaboration |
| Bitwarden | AGPL-3.0 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Pro | ✅ Yes | Full-featured password manager |
| Vaultwarden | AGPL-3.0 | ✅ Yes | ❌ | ⚠️ Unofficial | ✅ Yes | Lightweight Bitwarden |
| Infisical | MIT | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Pro | ⚠️ Limited | Developer secrets |
| Psono | Apache-2.0 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Enterprise password manager |
License: AGPL-3.0 | Founded: 2016 | Users: 5M+
Overview:
Bitwarden is the most popular open-source password manager with a feature set including password vaulting, secure notes, and identity protection. It offers both self-hosted and cloud options with end-to-end encryption.
Key Features:
Deployment Options:
SSO/Identity Providers:
Pricing:
Comparison with Passbolt:
| Aspect | Bitwarden | Passbolt |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Individual + Team passwords | Team collaboration |
| Encryption | AES-256 | OpenPGP (RSA) |
| Self-Hosted | Yes (full-featured) | Yes (CE + Pro) |
| Mobile Apps | Excellent | Good |
| Team Features | Good | Excellent |
| Compliance | SOC 2, GDPR | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR |
| Open Source | Yes (fully) | Yes (100% including Pro) |
Best For:
Consider If:
License: AGPL-3.0 | Founded: 2018 | Users: 100K+
Overview:
Vaultwarden (formerly bitwarden_rs) is an unofficial, lightweight alternative implementation of the Bitwarden server written in Rust. It’s designed for self-hosters who want Bitwarden compatibility with lower resource requirements.
Key Features:
Deployment Options:
SSO/Identity Providers:
Pricing:
Comparison with Passbolt:
| Aspect | Vaultwarden | Passbolt |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Lightweight self-hosting | Team collaboration |
| Resource Usage | Very low (~50MB) | Moderate (~512MB) |
| Official Support | Community only | Professional support available |
| Feature Parity | ~90% Bitwarden | Full Passbolt CE/Pro |
| Enterprise Features | Limited | Comprehensive |
| Compliance | None | SOC 2 Type II |
Best For:
Consider If:
License: AGPL-3.0 | Founded: 2022 | Users: 10K+
Overview:
Infisical is a developer-focused secret management platform designed for managing environment variables, API keys, and application secrets. It integrates directly with development workflows and CI/CD pipelines.
Key Features:
Deployment Options:
SSO/Identity Providers:
Pricing:
Comparison with Passbolt:
| Aspect | Infisical | Passbolt |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Developer secrets, env vars | Team password sharing |
| CLI | Excellent | Good |
| CI/CD Integration | Native | Via API |
| Secret Rotation | Automated | Manual/Semi-automated |
| UI/UX | Developer-focused | General user-friendly |
| Compliance | SOC 2 (in progress) | SOC 2 Type II |
Best For:
Consider If:
License: Apache-2.0 | Founded: 2017 | Users: 5K+
Overview:
Psono is an enterprise-focused open-source password manager with strong emphasis on security and compliance. It offers advanced features like password safe sharing, granular permissions, and audit logging.
Key Features:
Deployment Options:
SSO/Identity Providers:
Pricing:
Comparison with Passbolt:
| Aspect | Psono | Passbolt |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Enterprise password management | Team collaboration |
| Encryption | Ed25519, XSalsa20 | OpenPGP (RSA) |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Enterprise Features | Comprehensive | Comprehensive |
| Mobile Apps | Good | Good |
| Compliance | GDPR | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR |
Best For:
Consider If:
Type: Commercial | Self-Hosted: ❌ No | Cloud: ✅ Yes
Overview:
1Password is a popular commercial password manager with excellent UX, strong security, and family/business plans.
Best For: Businesses wanting polished commercial solution without self-hosting complexity.
Type: Open-source | Self-Hosted: ✅ Local files | Cloud: Via sync
Overview:
KeePass is a free, offline password manager storing passwords in encrypted local databases. KeePassXC is the cross-platform community edition.
Best For: Individuals wanting offline, file-based password storage.
Type: BSL/Apache-2.0 | Self-Hosted: ✅ Yes | Cloud: ✅ HCP Vault
Overview:
HashiCorp Vault is an enterprise secret management tool focused on infrastructure secrets, dynamic credentials, and encryption-as-a-service.
Best For: Large enterprises needing infrastructure secret management, not team password sharing.
Type: Commercial | Self-Hosted: ❌ No | Cloud: ✅ Yes
Overview:
NordPass is a commercial password manager from Nord Security (makers of NordVPN) with modern UX and strong security.
Best For: Individuals and businesses wanting commercial solution with Nord Security ecosystem.
| Feature | Passbolt | Bitwarden | Vaultwarden | Infisical | Psono |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Self-Hosted | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cloud Option | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| End-to-End Encryption | ✅ OpenPGP | ✅ AES-256 | ✅ AES-256 | ✅ AES-256 | ✅ Ed25519 |
| Browser Extensions | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Bitwarden) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mobile Apps | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Bitwarden) | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ |
| Desktop Apps | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ (Bitwarden) | ❌ | ❌ |
| SSO/SAML | ✅ Pro | ✅ Pro | ❌ | ✅ Pro | ✅ |
| LDAP/AD | ✅ Pro | ✅ Pro | ⚠️ Unofficial | ✅ | ✅ |
| Audit Logs | ✅ | ✅ Pro | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ | ✅ |
| Secret Sharing | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Good | ✅ Good | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Excellent |
| CI/CD Integration | ✅ API | ⚠️ API | ⚠️ API | ✅ Native | ⚠️ API |
| SOC 2 | ✅ Type II | ✅ | ❌ | 🔄 In Progress | ⚠️ Varies |
| Resource Usage | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Moderate | Moderate |
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