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NordVPN vs Passbolt

NordVPN logo

NordVPN

Software

The best online VPN service for speed and security

From
$3.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Passbolt logo

Passbolt

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Passbolt has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: NordVPN the App Store listing states the app is free to download but is non-functional without purchasing a subscription first; no price figure appears anywhere in the listing itself, only the requirement to buy a plan before VPN access works.; Passbolt pro Edition requires a minimum of 10 users, making it costlier for very small teams.
  • They diverge on capability: NordVPN covers Military-grade encryption, Passbolt covers Password sharing and folders.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NordVPN and Passbolt actually diverge.

Attributes where NordVPN and Passbolt differ
AttributeNordVPNPassbolt
Starting price$3.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Mobile, Apiweb, windows, mac, linux, api
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 NordVPN

  • Military-grade encryption
  • No-logs policy
  • Kill Switch
  • Split tunneling
  • Double VPN
  • Onion over VPN
  • Threat Protection
  • Meshnet

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.

NordVPN

  • Vpnnot Passbolt
  • Privacynot Passbolt
  • Online Securitynot Passbolt

Passbolt

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

Where each one falls short

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

NordVPN

  • The App Store listing states the app is free to download but is non-functional without purchasing a subscription first; no price figure appears anywhere in the listing itself, only the requirement to buy a plan before VPN access works.

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

NordVPN

$3.99/month
  • Standard$3.99/month
    • 6 devices
    • 5,500+ servers
    • Threat Protection Lite
  • Plus$4.99/month
    • All Standard features
    • Threat Protection Pro
    • NordPass password manager
  • Complete$5.99/month
    • All Plus features
    • NordLocker 1TB encrypted cloud
    • Identity theft protection

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 NordVPN if

  • You need military-grade encryption.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want no-logs policy.
NordVPN 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 NordVPN or Passbolt better?
Neither clearly leads. NordVPN starts at $3.99/month and Passbolt at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Passbolt?
Passbolt has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3.99/month for NordVPN and Free for Passbolt.
Does NordVPN or Passbolt run on more platforms?
NordVPN runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api. Passbolt runs on web, windows, mac, linux, api.
Can I use Passbolt for free?
Yes. Passbolt has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NordVPN starts at $3.99/month.
What is NordVPN best used for?
NordVPN is most often used for vpn, privacy, online security. Of those, vpn and privacy are not what Passbolt is typically brought in for.
What can NordVPN do that Passbolt cannot?
NordVPN covers Military-grade encryption, No-logs policy, Kill Switch, Split tunneling. Passbolt covers Password sharing and folders, Groups and role-based access, Browser extensions and CLI, Open API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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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