Authelia vs Passbolt
| Tagline | Self-hosted authentication server with TOTP, WebAuthn, and SSO | Open-source password manager for teams with granular sharing and PGP encryption |
| Category | Password Managers & Secrets | Password Managers & Secrets |
| Replaces | 1Password, HashiCorp Vault | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane |
| GitHub stars | 29k | 6.1k |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 3/5 Moderate | 3/5 Moderate |
| Deploy options | Docker Docker Compose Kubernetes Manual | Docker Docker Compose Kubernetes Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | yesterday | 4 days 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
Passbolt
- Several features (SSO, directory sync, MFA policies, tags) are gated behind paid Pro/Cloud editions
- Relies on browser extensions; mobile app maturity lags 1Password/Dashlane
- Initial setup (GPG server keys, SMTP, HTTPS) is fiddly compared to consumer apps
- No personal/consumer focus — geared toward team credential sharing
Bottom line
Both are a similar lift to self-host; choose Authelia for the larger community and ecosystem. Authelia has seen more recent development. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
Passbolt
Open-source password manager for teams with granular sharing and PGP encryption