AliasVault vs pass-otp
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
AliasVault
End-to-end encrypted password and email alias manager
VS
pass-otp
One-time-password extension for the pass manager
| Feature | AliasVault | pass-otp |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 28 · At risk |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,141 | ★ 1,498 |
| First released | 2024 | 2017 |
| Replaces | 1Password, SimpleLogin | Authy, 1Password |
What are AliasVault and pass-otp?
AliasVault
AliasVault is a self-hosted, end-to-end encrypted password manager that also generates private email aliases to protect your real address. It combines credential storage with built-in alias mailboxes so you can sign up for services without exposing personal data.
- Zero-knowledge encrypted vault
- Built-in private email aliases
- Browser extensions
- Docker-based self-hosting
pass-otp
pass-otp is an open-source extension that adds TOTP one-time-password support to the standard Unix password manager. It generates two-factor codes directly from secrets stored in the pass tree.
- TOTP code generation
- Integrates with pass
- Offline two-factor
- Command-line based
AliasVault vs pass-otp: key differences
AliasVault is written in TypeScript, while pass-otp is built with Shell. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for AliasVault versus GPL-3.0 for pass-otp. Pass-otp is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 512 MB for AliasVault. Pass-otp is the more established project (first released 2017), while AliasVault arrived in 2024. AliasVault has the considerably larger community, at 3,141 GitHub stars versus 1,498. AliasVault lists first-class Docker deployment; pass-otp does not.
Why pick each one
Choose AliasVault if…
- Combines vault and alias mail
- Strong encryption model
Watch out for
- Young project
- Requires running mail components
Choose pass-otp if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is AliasVault or pass-otp better?
Neither is universally better. AliasVault has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AliasVault and pass-otp free and open-source?
Yes. AliasVault is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and pass-otp under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AliasVault and pass-otp with Docker?
AliasVault: yes. pass-otp: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, AliasVault or pass-otp?
pass-otp has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for AliasVault. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.