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Cybersecurity · head to head

Passbolt vs Rancher

Passbolt logo

Passbolt

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rancher logo

Rancher

Cloud

Kubernetes management platform for multiple clusters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Passbolt pro Edition requires a minimum of 10 users, making it costlier for very small teams.; Rancher another platform to run and keep available, and an outage in it affects access to everything it manages
  • They diverge on capability: Passbolt covers Password sharing and folders, Rancher covers Multi-cluster management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Passbolt and Rancher actually diverge.

Attributes where Passbolt and Rancher differ
AttributePassboltRancher
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
Platformsweb, windows, mac, linux, apiKubernetes, Linux, Docker, Self-hosted
CategoryCybersecurityCloud

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 Passbolt

  • Password sharing and folders
  • Groups and role-based access
  • Browser extensions and CLI
  • Open API
  • LDAP provisioning and SSO
  • Activity audit log

Only in Rancher

  • Multi-cluster management
  • Centralised RBAC
  • Cluster provisioning
  • App catalogue

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Passbolt

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

Rancher

  • Operating many Kubernetes clusters with consistent access controlnot Passbolt
  • Managing clusters across more than one cloud provider from one interfacenot Passbolt
  • Edge deployments with many small clusters, typically alongside K3snot Passbolt

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Rancher

  • Another platform to run and keep available, and an outage in it affects access to everything it manages
  • Meaningful overhead if you only operate one or two clusters
  • Version compatibility between Rancher and managed Kubernetes versions needs watching during upgrades
  • Support requires a SUSE subscription; the project itself is community-supported

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Rancher

Free
  • RancherFree
    • Full functionality
    • No data limits
    • Community support

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.
Passbolt review

Choose Rancher if

  • You need multi-cluster management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker, Self-hosted.
  • You also want centralised rbac.
Rancher review

Questions people ask

Is Passbolt or Rancher better?
Neither clearly leads. Passbolt starts at Free and Rancher at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Passbolt or Rancher?
Passbolt starts at Free and Rancher at Free.
Does Passbolt or Rancher run on more platforms?
Passbolt runs on web, windows, mac, linux, api. Rancher runs on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker, Self-hosted.
Can I use Passbolt for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Passbolt best used for?
Passbolt is most often used for self-hosting a team password manager for data sovereignty, provisioning vault access from an existing ldap/ad directory, sharing credentials across engineering or it teams via folders and groups, automating credential retrieval through the cli or open api. Of those, self-hosting a team password manager for data sovereignty and provisioning vault access from an existing ldap/ad directory are not what Rancher is typically brought in for.
What can Passbolt do that Rancher cannot?
Passbolt covers Password sharing and folders, Groups and role-based access, Browser extensions and CLI, Open API. Rancher covers Multi-cluster management, Centralised RBAC, Cluster provisioning, App catalogue.

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
Rancher: Is Rancher free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee. SUSE sells support subscriptions.

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
Rancher: Does Rancher work with EKS and GKE?

Yes. It imports and manages existing clusters regardless of who provisioned them, alongside clusters it creates itself.

Passbolt: What license is Passbolt distributed under?

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

Source
Rancher: Do I need Rancher for one cluster?

Generally no. Its value appears when cluster count and consistent access control become the problem, which is not the case with one.

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