KeePassium vs pass-tomb
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | KeePassium | pass-tomb |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 70 · Good | 46 · Fair |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Swift | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,697 | ★ 437 |
| First released | 2019 | 2017 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, KeePass |
What are KeePassium and pass-tomb?
KeePassium
KeePassium is an open-source password manager for iOS and macOS that works with KeePass KDBX databases. It supports Face ID, Touch ID and AutoFill while keeping all data under user control.
- KDBX-compatible iOS and macOS app
- Face ID and Touch ID unlock
- Password AutoFill integration
- Hardware key support
pass-tomb
pass-tomb is an open-source extension for the standard Unix password manager that keeps the password store inside an encrypted Tomb container. It hides the directory structure of secrets when the store is locked.
- Encrypted Tomb container
- Hides store structure
- Integrates with pass
- Command-line workflow
KeePassium vs pass-tomb: key differences
KeePassium is written in Swift, while pass-tomb is built with Shell. Pass-tomb is the more established project (first released 2017), while KeePassium arrived in 2019. KeePassium has the considerably larger community, at 1,697 GitHub stars versus 437.
Why pick each one
Choose KeePassium if…
- Polished Apple-platform experience
- Open source
Watch out for
- Apple platforms only
- Premium tier for some features
Choose pass-tomb if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is KeePassium or pass-tomb better?
KeePassium is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider pass-tomb if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are KeePassium and pass-tomb free and open-source?
Yes. KeePassium is licensed under GPL-3.0 and pass-tomb under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KeePassium and pass-tomb with Docker?
KeePassium: check the project docs for container support. pass-tomb: check the project docs for container support.