What is the main difference between Bitwarden and Passbolt?

Bitwarden and Passbolt are both password managers but differ in their approach, features, and target audience. Compare their GitHub stats, technology stack, and community adoption to make the best choice.

Which is better: Bitwarden or Passbolt?

The choice between Bitwarden and Passbolt depends on your specific needs, technical requirements, and team preferences. Both are quality open source solutions with active communities.

Can I migrate from Bitwarden to Passbolt?

Migration between Bitwarden and Passbolt is possible but requires careful planning. Consider data export/import capabilities, feature parity, and potential workflow changes.

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Bitwarden vs Passbolt

Learn how Bitwarden and Passbolt differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these password managers is best for you.

Bitwarden

Bitwarden is an open source password manager that securely stores, shares, and autofills passwords across unlimited devices.

Visit Bitwarden Read more

20,221stars+260(+1.3%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
3 hours ago
Repository age
11 years
Version
v2026.9.1
License
AGPL-3.0
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
bitwarden/server

Passbolt

Open source password manager focused on security, collaboration and privacy for organizations

Visit Passbolt Read more

6,142stars+45(+0.7%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
12 days ago
Repository age
11 years
Version
v5.16.0
License
AGPL-3.0
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
passbolt/passbolt_api

Detailed Comparison

Bitwarden appears to have several advantages over Passbolt, particularly in popularity and growth. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Bitwarden wins

Community & Popularity

Bitwarden significantly outpaces Passbolt in community adoption with 20,221 stars compared to 6,142 stars on GitHub. This 3.3x difference suggests Bitwarden has a much larger and more active community. In terms of developer contributions, Bitwarden has 1,780 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Bitwarden wins

Growth Momentum

Bitwarden is growing faster, adding 260 stars in the last 30 days (+1.3%) against adding 45 stars for Passbolt (+0.7%). Bitwarden is both larger and pulling further ahead.

Comparable

Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with Bitwarden last updated 3 hours ago and Passbolt 12 days ago.

Comparable

Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, Bash. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Bitwarden uses SCSS, C# while Passbolt leverages PHP.

Comparable