Clipperz vs gopass
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Clipperz | gopass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 750 | ★ 7,220 |
| First released | 2006 | 2017 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass |
What are Clipperz and gopass?
Clipperz
Clipperz is an open-source, zero-knowledge web password manager. All encryption happens in the browser before data reaches the server, so the host never sees plaintext credentials.
- Zero-knowledge browser encryption
- No plaintext ever sent to server
- Direct login links to sites
- Exportable encrypted data
gopass
gopass is a feature-rich command-line password manager written in Go that is compatible with the standard Unix password store. It adds team features, multiple stores and improved tooling.
- pass-compatible encrypted store
- Multiple mounted stores
- Team and per-secret access control
- Browser and editor integrations
Clipperz vs gopass: key differences
Clipperz is written in JavaScript, while gopass is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Clipperz versus MIT for gopass. Gopass is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Clipperz. Clipperz is the more established project (first released 2006), while gopass arrived in 2017. Gopass has the considerably larger community, at 7,220 GitHub stars versus 750.
Why pick each one
Choose Clipperz if…
- True zero-knowledge design
- Runs in any browser
Watch out for
- Project is largely dormant
Choose gopass if…
- Great for teams using git
- Single static binary
Watch out for
- Still command-line focused
Frequently asked questions
Is Clipperz or gopass better?
Neither is universally better. gopass has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Clipperz and gopass free and open-source?
Yes. Clipperz is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and gopass under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Clipperz and gopass with Docker?
Clipperz: check the project docs for container support. gopass: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Clipperz or gopass?
gopass has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Clipperz. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.