Knox 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.
Not the right match-up?
Knox
Service for storing and rotating application secrets
VS
One-Time Secret
Share sensitive credentials with self-destructing links
| Feature | Knox | One-Time Secret |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,268 | ★ 2,894 |
| First released | 2016 | 2012 |
| Replaces | HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager | 1Password, Doppler |
Why pick each one
Choose One-Time Secret if…
- Great for one-off credential sharing
- Easy to self-host
Frequently asked questions
Is Knox or One-Time Secret better?
One-Time Secret is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Knox if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Knox and One-Time Secret free and open-source?
Yes. Knox is licensed under Apache-2.0 and One-Time Secret under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Knox and One-Time Secret with Docker?
Knox: yes. One-Time Secret: yes.