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vsBitwarden

Passbolt vs Bitwarden

Last updated October 2026

Looking for a European alternative to Bitwarden? Here's how Passbolt compares, on EU hosting, GDPR and what it does.

Our pick for a European buyer: Passbolt. We weight data residency, GDPR and EU jurisdiction above everything else — that is the constraint this directory exists to solve.

Passbolt
Bitwarden
What it is
Open-source team password manager with end-to-end encryption
Open-source password manager for individuals and businesses.
Headquarters
🇱🇺 LU
🇺🇸 US · 2016
EU data residency
Yes, for all customers
Available on some plansEU data residency available on Enterprise plans or by request.
DSGVO / GDPR
Yes
Yes
Certifications
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3
Price from
€4.50/user/mo
$10/yr
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Ratings
G2 4.3/5 (14) · CAPTERRA 4.7/5 (35)
G2 4.7/5 (1,200) · CAPTERRA 4.7/5 (850)
Integrations
Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, OpenID Connect (OIDC) IdPs (Keycloak, Okta), Microsoft AD FS, PingOne +6
Browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, Brave), Mobile apps (iOS, Android), Desktop apps (Windows, macOS, Linux), SSO (SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0), Command-line interface (CLI) +1

Where each one wins

Passbolt

Strengths

  • +Open-source architecture with full transparency and auditability
  • +Self-hosting capability for complete data control behind own firewalls
  • +Zero-knowledge, OpenPGP end-to-end encryption for client-side credential security
  • +Granular team password sharing with intuitive role-based access control (RBAC)
  • +Free Community Edition with full functionality for startups and budget-conscious teams
  • +Lightweight and fast core web application performance
  • +Responsive community forum and open developer support for feedback and bug fixes

Limitations

  • −Complex setup and deployment requiring DevOps and command-line skills
  • −Clunky browser extension with frequent session timeouts and re-login prompts
  • −Limited vault item types (focused on logins/passwords, lacking support for credit cards, secure notes, etc.)

Bitwarden

Strengths

  • +Open-source transparency and auditability
  • +Strong zero-knowledge encryption model
  • +Affordable pricing for teams and enterprises
  • +Cross-platform support

Limitations

  • −Self-hosting requires technical expertise
  • −Limited customer support on free plan
  • −No built-in password inheritance feature
  • −Occasional sync delays reported

Data residency & compliance

Passbolt
Bitwarden
EU data residency
Yes, for all customers
Available on some plansEU data residency available on Enterprise plans or by request.
Transfer mechanism
Not required — data stays in the EU
EU-US Data Privacy Framework
DPA
Published →
Published →
Sub-processors
Listed →
Listed →
Certifications
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3

Pricing

Passbolt

  • Community Edition (Self-Hosted) Free Unlimited usersOpen-source (AGPLv3) · Self-hosted deployment
  • Pro Edition (Self-Hosted) €4.50 per user / month, billed annually (min. 10 users)Volume discounts above 100 users · Free trial on request
  • Enterprise Edition (Self-Hosted) On request Custom annual subscriptionHigh availability/disaster recovery consulting · Custom SLA and phone support
  • Cloud Business €5 per user / month, billed monthly (min. 10 users)Hosted in Google Cloud (Belgium, Germany) · 7-day free trial
  • Cloud Sovereign €7 per user / month, billed annually (min. 10 users)Hosted in Luxembourg (sovereign private data center) · Compliant with ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS2, DORA
  • Cloud Enterprise On request Custom annual subscriptionIsolated container deployments · 24/7 SOC monitoring and 4-hour SLA

Volume discounts apply for Pro Edition above 100 users. Custom pricing for Enterprise and Cloud Enterprise plans.

Bitwarden

  • Free Free ForeverUnlimited passwords on unlimited devices · Password generator · Secure notes
  • Premium $10 Year1 GB encrypted file storage · Additional 2FA options (YubiKey, FIDO2) · Priority customer support
  • Families $40 YearUp to 6 premium accounts · Unlimited collections and sharing · 1 GB encrypted file storage per user
  • Teams $4 User/MonthUnlimited users · Unlimited collections · 1 GB encrypted file storage per user
  • Enterprise $6 User/MonthAll Teams features · SSO integration · Advanced 2FA options

Enterprise plan offers EU data residency on request. Pricing is billed annually for Premium and Families plans.

Features

Passbolt

Credential & Secret Management
Secure storage of passwords, TOTP, and encrypted notes, Custom fields and secret history tracking, Password expiry policies
Collaboration & Access Control
Private and shared folder structures, Granular sharing permissions and tagging, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and user/group management
Security & Authentication
Per-user/per-secret end-to-end encryption (OpenPGP), Zero-knowledge metadata mode, Multi-factor authentication (MFA/2FA) with Duo, YubiKey NFC, and TOTP, Anti-phishing token mechanism
Client Applications & Usability
Browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave), Native desktop (Windows) and mobile apps (iOS, Android), Command Line Interface (CLI) and offline vault mode, KDBX/CSV import and export
Administration & Compliance
Activity audit logs with SIEM/Syslog export, Self-registration with domain allowlists, Centralized account recovery (Escrow), Server health checks

Bitwarden

Security
Zero-knowledge encryption, End-to-end encrypted vault, Two-factor authentication (2FA), Password breach monitoring
Collaboration
Secure password sharing, Role-based access control, Team and enterprise folders, Audit logs
Deployment & Integration
Self-hosting option, Browser extensions, Mobile and desktop apps, SSO integration
Compliance
ISO 27001 certified, SOC 2 Type II compliant, HIPAA compliant, GDPR compliant
See Passbolt →More Bitwarden alternatives