Password Gorilla 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 | Password Gorilla | pass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Tcl | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 425 | ★ 4,200 |
| First released | 2005 | 2012 |
| Replaces | LastPass, Password Safe | 1Password, LastPass |
What are Password Gorilla and pass?
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
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
Password Gorilla vs pass: key differences
Password Gorilla is written in Tcl, while pass is built with Shell. Pass 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 pass arrived in 2012. Pass has the considerably larger community, at 4,200 GitHub stars versus 425.
Why pick each one
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
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 Password Gorilla or pass better?
Neither is universally better. pass 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 Password Gorilla and pass free and open-source?
Yes. Password Gorilla is licensed under GPL-2.0 and pass under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Password Gorilla and pass with Docker?
Password Gorilla: check the project docs for container support. pass: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Password Gorilla or pass?
pass 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.