Passbolt vs Passwordstate (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Passbolt and Passwordstate share a 2.2 GPA, and only Passbolt has a free plan.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Passbolt grades higher on the free plan. Passwordstate grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Passbolt
Open-source password manager for teams, self-hosted or cloud
Passwordstate
Self-hosted enterprise password manager for Windows servers
Which one is for you
Pick Passbolt if
- Fits if your team has someone who runs servers and wants open-source code
- Works for data that must stay in the EU, or secrets pulled into pipelines through an API
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're one person, because no paid plan is aimed at individuals
- Pricey if you're a team of three or four, as every paid plan bills for at least 10 users
- Not for you if nobody wants to maintain a server and you won't pay, since free means self-hosted
- Tight if you stay free, as single sign-on, LDAP, account recovery and the activity log are paid
- Watch out: the browser extension is required, the desktop app is Windows only, and offline mode is beta
Pick Passwordstate if
- Fits if you run Windows servers and want the vault on your own network
- Works for IT teams that need role-based access and audit reports
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not run Windows Server, IIS and SQL Server
- Pricey if you add support, which renews at 20% of the licence value
- Watch out: the Password Reset Portal, High Availability and Remote Site Locations modules are priced separately
- Watch out: the 30% charity and education discount does not apply to reseller orders
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPassboltFair | 2.2GPAPasswordstateFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro and Cloud Business are both $4.90 a user a month billed annually, above the $3.99 where this category's dear quarter begins, and every paid plan bills for at least 10 users, so a team of three pays $588 a year. The free Community Edition costs nothing, if you host it. | C$368 once for 5 users is about two years of the category's middle subscription for five seats, and support is $73.60 a year on top. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe Community Edition is free for unlimited users, with sharing, folders, groups, mobile apps and the API, so a team could really live on it. You have to install and maintain it yourself, and single sign-on, account recovery and the activity log are paid. | CA 30-day trial of the downloadable software; the page does not mention a card. There is no free plan. |
| Features | CSharing covers passwords, one-time codes and notes shared with users and groups under fine-grained permissions, plus an API and CLI that feed secrets into pipelines. But its own pages name the rough edges. The browser extension is required, the desktop app is Windows only, and offline mode is still beta. | BSelf-hosted vault, browser extensions, mobile apps, role-based access, reporting, an API and webhooks, with high availability as an add-on. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record, and the free route is a Linux server, a Docker container or a virtual machine that someone has to keep running. Paying to have it hosted means at least 10 seats, and either way everyone has to install the browser extension before anything works. | DNo store rating on record. It needs Windows Server 2022, IIS, .NET Framework 4.8.1 and SQL Server. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone, Android, browser extensions, an open API and a CLI, with hooks into Active Directory, OpenLDAP and OpenID. The desktop app is Windows only, though, so Mac and Linux people live in the browser. | BWeb, iOS, Android and browser extensions, with Active Directory, Entra ID and PowerShell. No desktop app. |
| Best for | open-source team passwords you can host yourself | a self-hosted password vault for IT teams |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Passbolt and Passwordstate. How we grade
Where they differ
- Passbolt is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Passwordstate also covers passkeys and reports.
At a glance
| Passbolt | Passwordstate | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $4.90 per user / month, billed annually (Pro, 10-user minimum) | $368 once-off for 5 named users, plus $73.60 a year for support |
| Free plan | Community Edition: free and open source under AGPLv3 for unlimited users, self-hosted on your own server, with password sharing, folders, users and groups, mobile apps and community support. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the self-hosted Pro Edition; 7-day free trial of Cloud Business | 30-day free trial of the downloadable software |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Passbolt SA | Click Studios (SA) Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | passbolt.com | clickstudios.com.au |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Passbolt
- Every paid plan has a 10-user minimum, and there is no paid plan aimed at individuals.
- The free Community Edition has to be installed and maintained on your own server and comes with community support only.
- The browser extension is required to use Passbolt, the desktop app is listed for Windows only and offline mode is labeled beta.
- Single sign-on, LDAP provisioning, account recovery and the activity log are not part of the Community Edition.
Passwordstate
- The server needs Microsoft Windows Server 2022 or later, IIS, .NET Framework 4.8.1 and SQL Server.
- Support and upgrades are a separate yearly cost, renewing at 20% of the license value.
- A 30% discount is listed for registered charities and accredited education providers, but not for orders through resellers.
- The Password Reset Portal, High Availability and Remote Site Locations modules are priced separately.
Key features
Passbolt
- Granular credential sharing
- Shares passwords, TOTP codes and encrypted notes with individual users and groups, organized in private and shared folders under role-based access control.
- End-to-end encryption
- Passbolt says secrets are end-to-end encrypted through a public-private key architecture, and it requires its browser extension in order to guarantee that.
- Self-hosted or cloud
- Install it on your own Linux server with packages, a Docker container or a virtual machine, or use Passbolt Cloud, which the company hosts in the EU.
- Open source, paid editions included
- The Community, Pro and Enterprise editions are all distributed under AGPLv3, so the entire source code is available to inspect and modify.
- API and command line interface
- An open API and a CLI let DevOps teams create, retrieve and rotate secrets and inject them into CI/CD pipelines as environment variables.
- SSO, directory sync and audit log
- Paid editions add single sign-on with Microsoft, Google and OpenID, LDAP and Active Directory provisioning, account recovery and an activity log.
Passwordstate
- Self-hosted vault
- Runs on your own Windows server with IIS, .NET Framework and SQL Server, so the password data stays on infrastructure you control.
- Browser extensions
- Extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and other Chromium browsers save and fill logins and work with passkeys on supported sites.
- Mobile apps
- iOS and Android apps give offline access to cached credentials, biometric unlock and autofill, connected to your own server.
- Role-based access and reporting
- Permissions are set per password list, with compliance reports and audit trails for administrators.
- API and webhooks
- An HTTP API lets scripts and applications retrieve and manage passwords, using PowerShell, Curl and other tools.
- High availability and add-on modules
- Optional modules add a disaster-recovery replica, a self-service Active Directory password reset portal and remote-site agents.
Plans
Passbolt
Community Edition$0
Self-hosted and open source with unlimited users: sharing, private and shared folders, groups, browser extensions, CLI, open API and community support.
Pro Edition$4.90
per user / month, billed annually
Self-hosted, minimum 10 users. Adds LDAP provisioning, single sign-on, account recovery, an activity log, tags and next-business-day support.
Cloud Business$4.90
per user / month, billed annually ($5.40 billed monthly)
Hosted by Passbolt in Belgium and Germany, minimum 10 users, with a yearly database backup and next-business-day email support.
Cloud Sovereign$8
per user / month, billed annually
Hosted in a sovereign private data center in Luxembourg with ISO 27001 certified hosting. Minimum 10 users.
Enterprise EditionCustom
Self-hosted, with high-availability and disaster-recovery consulting, custom feature development and a 4-hour support SLA.
Cloud EnterpriseCustom
Isolated hosting in Luxembourg with a custom domain, custom backup policies, 24/7 SOC monitoring and a 4-hour support SLA.
Passwordstate
Named Users$368
once-off for 5 users, plus $73.60 per year for support
One production install and a set number of named users (the calculator starts at 5); the cost rises with the user count.
Enterprise LicenseCustom
One production installation with an unlimited number of users; priced in the licence calculator.
Global LicenseCustom
An unlimited number of production installations and users, within one company structure; priced in the licence calculator.
Ways to pay less
Passbolt
- Annual discount
10% off Cloud Business with yearly billing
Cloud Business costs $5.40 per user a month billed monthly or $4.90 billed annually; the pricing page labels yearly billing as 10% off.
- Nonprofit
Discounts for non-profits and education
Non-profits, charities, foundations, associations and educational institutions can request a discount on Passbolt Pro or Cloud. The amount is at Passbolt's discretion.
- Other savings
Discounts for open source projects
Maintainers and contributors of public open source projects and communities can request a discount through the same form.
- Other savings
Volume discounts above 100 users
The Pro Edition pricing notes that volume discounts apply after 100 users, arranged through a quote.
Passwordstate
- Nonprofit
30% off for charities and education
Registered charities and accredited educational institutions get 30% off Passwordstate and High Availability licenses, with proof of eligibility.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Passbolt or Passwordstate?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Passbolt starts at $4.90 per user / month, billed annually (Pro, 10-user minimum), and Passwordstate starts at $368 once-off for 5 named users, plus $73.60 a year for support.
Which has a free plan, Passbolt or Passwordstate?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Passbolt has a free plan. Passwordstate does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Passbolt and Passwordstate run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Passbolt lists a Windows app. Both list a web app, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.