Buttercup vs git-crypt
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Buttercup
Cross-platform password manager with multiple storage backends
VS
git-crypt
Transparent file encryption for secrets stored in git
| Feature | Buttercup | git-crypt |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,394 | ★ 9,837 |
| First released | 2015 | 2013 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Buttercup or git-crypt better?
Neither is universally better. git-crypt has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Buttercup and git-crypt free and open-source?
Yes. Buttercup is licensed under GPL-3.0 and git-crypt under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buttercup and git-crypt with Docker?
Buttercup: check the project docs for container support. git-crypt: check the project docs for container support.