gopass vs One-Time Secret
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | gopass | One-Time Secret |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,220 | ★ 2,942 |
| First released | 2017 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, Doppler |
What are gopass and One-Time Secret?
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
One-Time Secret
One-Time Secret is an open-source service for sharing passwords and other sensitive information through links that can only be viewed once. After the secret is read or expires, it is permanently deleted.
- Self-destructing secret links
- Optional passphrase protection
- Configurable expiration times
- Simple REST API
gopass vs One-Time Secret: key differences
Gopass is written in Go, while One-Time Secret is built with Ruby. Gopass is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for One-Time Secret. One-Time Secret is the more established project (first released 2012), while gopass arrived in 2017. Gopass has the considerably larger community, at 7,220 GitHub stars versus 2,942. One-Time Secret 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 One-Time Secret if…
- Great for one-off credential sharing
- Easy to self-host
Watch out for
- Not a long-term vault
Frequently asked questions
Is gopass or One-Time Secret better?
Neither is universally better. gopass has the larger community, while One-Time Secret is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are gopass and One-Time Secret free and open-source?
Yes. gopass is licensed under MIT and One-Time Secret under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run gopass and One-Time Secret with Docker?
gopass: check the project docs for container support. One-Time Secret: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, gopass or One-Time Secret?
gopass has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for One-Time Secret. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.