gopass vs Passit
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | gopass | Passit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,220 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | LastPass, 1Password |
What are gopass and Passit?
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
Passit
Passit is a self-hosted, open-source password manager with browser extensions. It encrypts credentials client-side before syncing them to your own Django-based server and supports group sharing.
- Client-side encrypted vault
- Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox
- Group password sharing
- Self-hosted Django backend
gopass vs Passit: key differences
Gopass is written in Go, while Passit is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for gopass versus AGPL-3.0 for Passit. Gopass is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Passit. Gopass has the considerably larger community, at 7,220 GitHub stars versus 200. Passit lists first-class Docker deployment; gopass does not.
Why pick each one
Choose gopass if…
- Great for teams using git
- Single static binary
Watch out for
- Still command-line focused
Choose Passit if…
- Simple sharing model
- Open and auditable
Watch out for
- Limited recent development
Frequently asked questions
Is gopass or Passit 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 gopass and Passit free and open-source?
Yes. gopass is licensed under MIT and Passit under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run gopass and Passit with Docker?
gopass: check the project docs for container support. Passit: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, gopass or Passit?
gopass has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Passit. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.