Buttercup 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.
Not the right match-up?
Buttercup
Cross-platform password manager with multiple storage backends
VS
One-Time Secret
Share sensitive credentials with self-destructing links
| Feature | Buttercup | One-Time Secret |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,394 | ★ 2,894 |
| First released | 2015 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, Doppler |
Why pick each one
Choose One-Time Secret if…
- Great for one-off credential sharing
- Easy to self-host
Frequently asked questions
Is Buttercup or One-Time Secret better?
Neither is universally better. Buttercup has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Buttercup and One-Time Secret free and open-source?
Yes. Buttercup is licensed under GPL-3.0 and One-Time Secret under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buttercup and One-Time Secret with Docker?
Buttercup: check the project docs for container support. One-Time Secret: yes.