KeePassium 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 | KeePassium | pass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Swift | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary | bare-metal, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,697 | ★ 4,200 |
| First released | 2019 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass |
What are KeePassium and pass?
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
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
KeePassium vs pass: key differences
KeePassium is written in Swift, while pass is built with Shell. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for KeePassium versus GPL-2.0 for pass. Pass is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for KeePassium. Pass is the more established project (first released 2012), while KeePassium arrived in 2019. Pass has the considerably larger community, at 4,200 GitHub stars versus 1,697.
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 if…
- Simple and transparent storage
- Composes well with other tools
Watch out for
- Command-line oriented
- Requires GPG knowledge
Frequently asked questions
Is KeePassium or pass better?
Neither is universally better. pass has the larger community, while KeePassium is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are KeePassium and pass free and open-source?
Yes. KeePassium is licensed under GPL-3.0 and pass under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KeePassium and pass with Docker?
KeePassium: check the project docs for container support. pass: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, KeePassium or pass?
pass has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for KeePassium. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.