Clipperz vs Spectre
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Clipperz | Spectre |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 750 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2006 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass |
What are Clipperz and Spectre?
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
Spectre
Spectre, the successor to Master Password, is an open-source stateless password manager. It derives strong, unique passwords from your name and a master password rather than storing them in a vault.
- Deterministic password derivation
- No vault to store or sync
- Cross-platform clients
- Works fully offline
Clipperz vs Spectre: key differences
Clipperz is written in JavaScript, while Spectre is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Clipperz versus GPL-3.0 for Spectre. Spectre is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Clipperz. Clipperz is the more established project (first released 2006), while Spectre arrived in 2012. Clipperz has the considerably larger community, at 750 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose Clipperz if…
- True zero-knowledge design
- Runs in any browser
Watch out for
- Project is largely dormant
Choose Spectre if…
- Nothing to back up
- Stateless by design
Watch out for
- Niche project
- Hard to change individual passwords
Frequently asked questions
Is Clipperz or Spectre better?
Neither is universally better. Clipperz has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Clipperz and Spectre free and open-source?
Yes. Clipperz is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Spectre under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Clipperz and Spectre with Docker?
Clipperz: check the project docs for container support. Spectre: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Clipperz or Spectre?
Spectre has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Clipperz. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.