Developer Tools · head to head
HCP Terraform vs Passbolt
HCP Terraform
Developer Tools
Infrastructure as code provisioning and management, formerly Terraform Cloud
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Passbolt
Cybersecurity
Open-source password manager for teams with self-hosted or cloud deployment
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Each has a real cost: HCP Terraform legacy free version deprecated; no current freemium tier; Passbolt pro Edition requires a minimum of 10 users, making it costlier for very small teams.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which HCP Terraform and Passbolt actually diverge.
| Attribute | HCP Terraform | Passbolt |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | open-source |
| Platforms | Web | web, windows, mac, linux, api |
| Category | Developer Tools | Cybersecurity |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in HCP Terraform
Nothing recorded that Passbolt does not also cover.
Only in Passbolt
- Password sharing and folders
- Groups and role-based access
- Browser extensions and CLI
- Open API
- LDAP provisioning and SSO
- Activity audit log
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
HCP Terraform
- Infrastructure as Code managementnot Passbolt
- Cloud resource provisioningnot Passbolt
Passbolt
- Self-hosting a team password manager for data sovereigntynot HCP Terraform
- Provisioning vault access from an existing LDAP/AD directorynot HCP Terraform
- Sharing credentials across engineering or IT teams via folders and groupsnot HCP Terraform
- Automating credential retrieval through the CLI or open APInot HCP Terraform
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
HCP Terraform
- Legacy free version deprecated; no current freemium tier
- New users receive $500 credit but still require usage to continue service
- Terraform Enterprise requires custom pricing
Passbolt
- Pro Edition requires a minimum of 10 users, making it costlier for very small teams.
- Community Edition lacks SSO and LDAP provisioning, which many organizations need for onboarding at scale.
- Self-hosting the Community Edition requires infrastructure and maintenance effort compared to fully managed competitors.
- Enterprise-tier support and HA consulting require custom, quote-based pricing rather than transparent rates.
Pricing, plan by plan
HCP Terraform
Free- Essentials$0.1/month
- Per resource pricing
- Remote state storage
- VCS connection
- Standard$0.47/month
- Per resource pricing
- Essentials features plus unlimited modules
- Module deprecation
- Premium$0.99/month
- Per resource pricing
- Standard features plus module revocation
- Waypoint actions
Passbolt
Free- Community EditionFree
- Unlimited users
- Password sharing and folders
- Role-based access control
- Pro Edition$4.9/month
- Minimum 10 users, billed annually
- LDAP/AD provisioning
- Single sign-on
- Enterprise Edition$undefined/month
- High availability and disaster recovery consulting
- White-glove migration
- Custom feature development
Which should you pick?
Choose Passbolt if
- You need password sharing and folders.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, windows, mac, linux, api.
- You also want groups and role-based access.
Questions people ask
- Is HCP Terraform or Passbolt better?
- Neither clearly leads. HCP Terraform starts at Free and Passbolt at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, HCP Terraform or Passbolt?
- HCP Terraform starts at Free and Passbolt at Free.
- Does HCP Terraform or Passbolt run on more platforms?
- HCP Terraform runs on Web. Passbolt runs on web, windows, mac, linux, api.
- Can I use HCP Terraform for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is HCP Terraform best used for?
- HCP Terraform is most often used for infrastructure as code management, cloud resource provisioning. Of those, infrastructure as code management and cloud resource provisioning are not what Passbolt is typically brought in for.
- What can HCP Terraform do that Passbolt cannot?
- Passbolt covers Password sharing and folders, Groups and role-based access, Browser extensions and CLI, Open API.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
HCP Terraform: How much does HCP Terraform cost?
HCP Terraform uses per-resource pricing starting at $0.10/month/resource for Essentials, $0.47/month/resource for Standard, and $0.99/month/resource for Premium.
SourcePassbolt: Is Passbolt free to use?
Yes. The Community Edition is free forever with unlimited users, including password sharing, folders, groups, role-based access, browser extensions, a CLI, and an open API.
SourceHCP Terraform: Does HCP Terraform offer a free tier?
No, the legacy free version has been deprecated. However, new users receive $500 credit to try the service.
SourcePassbolt: What does the Pro Edition cost and add?
Pro Edition costs $4.90 per user per month billed annually, with a 10-user minimum, and adds LDAP/AD provisioning, single sign-on, account recovery escrow, activity audit logs, and next-business-day support.
SourceHCP Terraform: What does the Standard plan include?
Standard plan at $0.47/month/resource includes unlimited modules, module deprecation, team notifications, no-code provisioning, and Waypoint templates.
SourcePassbolt: What license is Passbolt distributed under?
All Passbolt editions, including Pro and Enterprise, are distributed under the AGPL v3 open-source license.
SourceRelated pages
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- Passbolt vs Swagger UI
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- Passbolt vs Norton 360
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- Passbolt vs Trivy
- Passbolt vs Chainguard
- Passbolt vs Trulioo
- Passbolt vs Unit21
- Passbolt vs Veracode
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- Passbolt vs Windscribe