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Cloud · head to head

Kustomize vs Passbolt

Kustomize logo

Kustomize

Cloud

Template-free customisation of Kubernetes YAML

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Passbolt logo

Passbolt

Cybersecurity

Open-source password manager for teams with self-hosted or cloud deployment

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kustomize no packaging or distribution story, which is exactly what Helm charts provide; Passbolt pro Edition requires a minimum of 10 users, making it costlier for very small teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Kustomize covers Overlay patching, Passbolt covers Password sharing and folders.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kustomize and Passbolt actually diverge.

Attributes where Kustomize and Passbolt differ
AttributeKustomizePassbolt
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeopen-source
PlatformsKubernetes, Linux, macOS, Windowsweb, windows, mac, linux, api
CategoryCloudCybersecurity

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 Kustomize

  • Overlay patching
  • No templating language
  • Built into kubectl
  • Generators

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.

Kustomize

  • Managing dev, staging and production variants of the same manifestsnot Passbolt
  • Keeping manifests readable and directly applyable rather than templatednot Passbolt
  • Patching third-party manifests without forking themnot Passbolt

Passbolt

  • Self-hosting a team password manager for data sovereigntynot Kustomize
  • Provisioning vault access from an existing LDAP/AD directorynot Kustomize
  • Sharing credentials across engineering or IT teams via folders and groupsnot Kustomize
  • Automating credential retrieval through the CLI or open APInot Kustomize

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Kustomize

  • No packaging or distribution story, which is exactly what Helm charts provide
  • Deeply nested overlays become hard to follow, and reasoning about the final output requires building it
  • No release lifecycle: nothing tracks what is installed or supports rollback the way Helm does
  • Patch syntax is fiddly for anything beyond simple field replacement

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

Kustomize

Free
  • KustomizeFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

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 Kustomize if

  • You need overlay patching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want no templating language.
Kustomize review

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.
Passbolt review

Questions people ask

Is Kustomize or Passbolt better?
Neither clearly leads. Kustomize 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, Kustomize or Passbolt?
Kustomize starts at Free and Passbolt at Free.
Does Kustomize or Passbolt run on more platforms?
Kustomize runs on Kubernetes, Linux, macOS, Windows. Passbolt runs on web, windows, mac, linux, api.
Can I use Kustomize for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Kustomize best used for?
Kustomize is most often used for managing dev, staging and production variants of the same manifests, keeping manifests readable and directly applyable rather than templated, patching third-party manifests without forking them. Of those, managing dev, staging and production variants of the same manifests and keeping manifests readable and directly applyable rather than templated are not what Passbolt is typically brought in for.
What can Kustomize do that Passbolt cannot?
Kustomize covers Overlay patching, No templating language, Built into kubectl, Generators. Passbolt covers Password sharing and folders, Groups and role-based access, Browser extensions and CLI, Open API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kustomize: Is Kustomize free?

Yes, open source and part of the Kubernetes project.

Passbolt: 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.

Source
Kustomize: Kustomize or Helm?

Kustomize patches plain YAML and keeps bases readable; Helm templates and packages applications with a release lifecycle. Many teams use both — Helm to install third-party charts, Kustomize to patch them.

Passbolt: 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.

Source
Kustomize: Do I need to install Kustomize?

No. It is built into kubectl, available through kubectl apply -k.

Passbolt: What license is Passbolt distributed under?

All Passbolt editions, including Pro and Enterprise, are distributed under the AGPL v3 open-source license.

Source
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