AliasVault vs One-Time Secret
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
One-Time Secret
Share sensitive credentials with self-destructing links
| Feature | AliasVault | One-Time Secret |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,141 | ★ 2,942 |
| First released | 2024 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, SimpleLogin | 1Password, Doppler |
What are AliasVault and One-Time Secret?
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
One-Time Secret
One-Time Secret is an open-source service for sharing passwords and other sensitive information through links that can only be viewed once. After the secret is read or expires, it is permanently deleted.
- Self-destructing secret links
- Optional passphrase protection
- Configurable expiration times
- Simple REST API
AliasVault vs One-Time Secret: key differences
AliasVault is written in TypeScript, while One-Time Secret is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for AliasVault versus MIT for One-Time Secret. One-Time Secret is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for AliasVault. One-Time Secret is the more established project (first released 2012), while AliasVault arrived in 2024.
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 One-Time Secret if…
- Great for one-off credential sharing
- Easy to self-host
Watch out for
- Not a long-term vault
Frequently asked questions
Is AliasVault or One-Time Secret better?
Neither is universally better. AliasVault has the larger community, while One-Time Secret is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are AliasVault and One-Time Secret free and open-source?
Yes. AliasVault is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and One-Time Secret under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AliasVault and One-Time Secret with Docker?
AliasVault: yes. One-Time Secret: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, AliasVault or One-Time Secret?
One-Time Secret has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for AliasVault. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.