LessPass vs Yopass
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Yopass
Securely share secrets with encrypted one-time links
| Feature | LessPass | Yopass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,065 | ★ 3,148 |
| First released | 2016 | 2016 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, Doppler |
What are LessPass and Yopass?
LessPass
LessPass is an open-source password manager that generates unique passwords deterministically from a master password and site details. Because nothing is stored, there is no vault to sync or back up.
- Deterministic password generation
- No vault to store or sync
- Browser extensions and mobile apps
- Optional self-hosted profile sync
Yopass
Yopass is an open-source tool for sharing secrets in a quick and secure manner. Secrets are encrypted in the browser and shared via links that expire after a set time or a single view.
- Client-side encrypted secrets
- One-time and time-limited links
- Tiny resource footprint
- Memcached or Redis backend
LessPass vs Yopass: key differences
LessPass is written in TypeScript, while Yopass is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for LessPass versus MIT for Yopass. Yopass is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for LessPass.
Why pick each one
Choose LessPass if…
- Nothing to back up
- Works fully offline
Watch out for
- Hard to change a single password
- Profiles must be remembered
Choose Yopass if…
- Very lightweight
- No persistent database needed
Watch out for
- Focused on sharing, not storage
Frequently asked questions
Is LessPass or Yopass better?
Neither is universally better. LessPass has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are LessPass and Yopass free and open-source?
Yes. LessPass is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Yopass under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LessPass and Yopass with Docker?
LessPass: yes. Yopass: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, LessPass or Yopass?
Yopass has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for LessPass. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.