Our verdict · 8.3/10 Excellent
Ideal for technical teams that want open source, self-hosting or EU sovereignty. Less suited to non-technical users who want a consumer-style app.
Key takeaways
- Best for: DevOps and IT teams.
- Strongest area: Security & privacy (9.2/10). Weakest: Ease of use (7.4/10).
- Price: Free self-hosted; Cloud Business $5.40 / user / month — free plan available.
- Watch out for: 10-user minimum on Cloud.
What is Passbolt?
Passbolt is an open-source, team-first password manager built on OpenPGP encryption. It can be self-hosted for free (Community Edition) or bought as Pro and Cloud editions with SSO, directory sync and support. Cloud plans run in EU data centres.
Passbolt is made by Passbolt and is reviewed here as a password manager. It is priced on a freemium basis, and our editorial score is 8.3 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Passbolt if
- DevOps and IT teams
- EU organisations needing data sovereignty
- Companies wanting self-hosting
Not for you if
- Very small non-technical teams
- Personal and family use
Key features
Share passwords and folders with granular permissions.
Run Passbolt on your own servers.
Pro and Cloud editions integrate with identity providers.
Automate secrets workflows.
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Google Workspace
- LDAP
- API
Pros & cons
What we like
- Open source and auditable
- Self-hosting option
- OpenPGP-based encryption
- EU cloud hosting
Watch out for
- 10-user minimum on Cloud
- Less consumer-friendly
- Self-hosting needs admin effort
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Community (self-hosted) | Free | — |
| Cloud Business | ≈ $5.40 / user / mo | — |
| Cloud Sovereign | ≈ $8 / user / yr | — |
Pricing watch-out: Cloud plans need at least 10 users; yearly billing is 10% off. Cloud Sovereign is $8/user/month annually.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices checked November 5, 2026. Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Pricing watch-outs
- Yearly pricing. At least one plan is priced per year. Confirm whether monthly billing is offered and what it costs.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked November 5, 2026 (source). Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 8.0 | 2.00 | |
| Ease of use | 15% | 7.4 | 1.10 | |
| Value for money | 15% | 8.4 | 1.30 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 7.8 | 0.80 | |
| Security & privacy | 30% | 9.2 | 2.80 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 5% | 7.6 | 0.40 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for security products | 8.3 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Passbolt |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Passbolt against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Passbolt’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any password manager
Check Passbolt against the same list we use for every password manager — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Shared vaults with granular permissions
- Admin policies and reporting
- SSO / directory integration if needed
- Passkey support
- Published third-party audits
See every ranked option in Password Managers.
Passbolt alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Easier to use
1Password BusinessEase-of-use score 9.5 vs 7.4 - Better integrations1Password BusinessIntegrations score 8.6 vs 7.6
- Higher overall score1Password BusinessOverall 9.1 vs 8.3
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Passbolt. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
Open-source password management with outstanding value and self-hosting.
Privacy-focused password manager with email aliases, from Proton.
Enterprise-grade password management with compliance and privileged access add-ons.
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Passbolt FAQ
Is Passbolt free?
The Community Edition is free to self-host; Pro and Cloud editions are paid.
Where is Passbolt Cloud hosted?
In EU data centres.
Does Passbolt have a free plan?
Yes. Passbolt offers a free plan. Paid plans start at Free self-hosted; Cloud Business $5.40 / user / month (indicative — check the vendor for current pricing).
Who is Passbolt best for?
Passbolt is best for: devOps and IT teams; EU organisations needing data sovereignty; companies wanting self-hosting.
How much does Passbolt cost for a team of 10?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users (Cloud Sovereign) works out at roughly $7 per month, or about $80 per year, before tax, add-ons and discounts.
How is the Passbolt score calculated?
The 8.3/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for security products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Passbolt?
Popular alternatives include Bitwarden, Proton Pass, Keeper Business. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.