KeePass vs pass-otp
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
KeePass
Original free and open-source password manager
VS
pass-otp
One-time-password extension for the pass manager
| Feature | KeePass | pass-otp |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,000 | ★ 1,485 |
| First released | 2003 | 2017 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | Authy, 1Password |
Why pick each one
Choose pass-otp if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is KeePass or pass-otp better?
Neither is universally better. pass-otp has the larger community, while KeePass is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are KeePass and pass-otp free and open-source?
Yes. KeePass is licensed under GPL-2.0 and pass-otp under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KeePass and pass-otp with Docker?
KeePass: check the project docs for container support. pass-otp: check the project docs for container support.