head to head · open source
Bitwarden vs Padloc
Bitwarden has 20,156 GitHub stars, 1,772 forks, 230 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Padloc has 2,922 stars, 266 forks, 105 open issues and last shipped 1.5 years ago. Bitwarden leads on adoption by 590% (20,156 vs 2,922 stars). Bitwarden is written in C# under a custom or non-standard licence; Padloc is written in JavaScript under AGPL-3.0. Bitwarden has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, Padloc 9%. Bitwarden was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Bitwarden | Padloc | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 20K | ★ 2.9K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C# | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2025-03-29 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 266 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Bitwarden if
- You weight community size — 20K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Padloc if
- You want the Padloc feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and Padloc fits your workflow better
About Bitwarden
Bitwarden Server is the backend infrastructure for Bitwarden client applications, and it lives in the .NET ecosystem. The repository contains the APIs, database, and core services that support secure password management for individuals and businesses.
read the full Bitwarden overview →
About Padloc
Padloc is an open source password and data manager for individuals and teams, distributed under the AGPL 3.0 license and written primarily in JavaScript and TypeScript. It lives in the JavaScript and TypeScript ecosystem, and the repository is organized as a monorepo split into separate packages: a core logic library, a web based UI component library, a backend server, a Progressive Web App client, a localization package, an Electron desktop app, a Cordova project for iOS and Android, a Tauri based cross platform native app, and a browser extension. The project positions itself as an open alternative to 1Password…
read the full Padloc overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More Password & Secret Management projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Password & Secret Management field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bitwarden or Padloc more popular?
Bitwarden has 20,156 GitHub stars and Padloc has 2,922. Bitwarden has the larger community by that measure.
Are Bitwarden and Padloc free?
Both are open source. Bitwarden has no licence declared in this registry, and Padloc is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Bitwarden and Padloc?
Bitwarden is written in C# and Padloc in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Bitwarden or Padloc?
Choose Bitwarden if you want the larger community (20,156 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Padloc if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.