Authelia vs Buttercup
| Tagline | Self-hosted authentication server with TOTP, WebAuthn, and SSO | Modern, open-source password manager with a beautiful cross-platform UI |
| Category | Password Managers & Secrets | Password Managers & Secrets |
| Replaces | 1Password, HashiCorp Vault | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane |
| GitHub stars | 23k | 4k |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 3/5 Moderate | 1/5 Effortless |
| Deploy options | Docker Docker Compose Kubernetes Manual | Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | 1 month ago | 1 month ago |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
Authelia
- Not a password vault; does not store or generate passwords for websites
- Requires a reverse proxy to function; no standalone mode
- LDAP/AD integration configuration is complex for non-enterprise users
Buttercup
- No native server component; vault sync relies on third-party storage providers
- No emergency access or vault recovery mechanism built in
- Team sharing and organizational features are absent
Bottom line
Choose Buttercup if you want the lower-effort setup; choose Authelia for the larger community and ecosystem. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.