Clipperz vs pass
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Clipperz | pass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 750 | ★ 4,200 |
| First released | 2006 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass |
What are Clipperz and pass?
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
pass
pass is a minimalist password manager that stores each secret in a GPG-encrypted file, optionally versioned with git. It follows the Unix philosophy and works entirely from the command line.
- GPG-encrypted password files
- Optional git versioning and sync
- Scriptable command-line workflow
- Many compatible GUI and mobile clients
Clipperz vs pass: key differences
Clipperz is written in JavaScript, while pass is built with Shell. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Clipperz versus GPL-2.0 for pass. Pass 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 pass arrived in 2012. Pass has the considerably larger community, at 4,200 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 pass if…
- Simple and transparent storage
- Composes well with other tools
Watch out for
- Command-line oriented
- Requires GPG knowledge
Frequently asked questions
Is Clipperz or pass better?
Neither is universally better. pass has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Clipperz and pass free and open-source?
Yes. Clipperz is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and pass under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Clipperz and pass with Docker?
Clipperz: check the project docs for container support. pass: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Clipperz or pass?
pass 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.