gopass vs Password Gorilla
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | gopass | Password Gorilla |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 53 · Fair |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Tcl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,220 | ★ 425 |
| First released | 2017 | 2005 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | LastPass, Password Safe |
What are gopass and Password Gorilla?
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
Password Gorilla
Password Gorilla is an open-source password manager that stores credentials in encrypted databases compatible with the Password Safe format. It runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS as a lightweight desktop app.
- Password Safe compatible
- Encrypted database
- Cross-platform desktop
- Lightweight
gopass vs Password Gorilla: key differences
Gopass is written in Go, while Password Gorilla is built with Tcl. Licensing differs — MIT for gopass versus GPL-2.0 for Password Gorilla. Gopass is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for Password Gorilla. Password Gorilla is the more established project (first released 2005), while gopass arrived in 2017. Gopass has the considerably larger community, at 7,220 GitHub stars versus 425.
Why pick each one
Choose gopass if…
- Great for teams using git
- Single static binary
Watch out for
- Still command-line focused
Choose Password Gorilla if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Tcl
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is gopass or Password Gorilla better?
Neither is universally better. gopass has the larger community, while Password Gorilla is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are gopass and Password Gorilla free and open-source?
Yes. gopass is licensed under MIT and Password Gorilla under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run gopass and Password Gorilla with Docker?
gopass: check the project docs for container support. Password Gorilla: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, gopass or Password Gorilla?
gopass has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for Password Gorilla. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.