pass-otp 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 | pass-otp | Yopass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 28 · At risk | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Shell | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,498 | ★ 3,148 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Authy, 1Password | 1Password, Doppler |
What are pass-otp and Yopass?
pass-otp
pass-otp is an open-source extension that adds TOTP one-time-password support to the standard Unix password manager. It generates two-factor codes directly from secrets stored in the pass tree.
- TOTP code generation
- Integrates with pass
- Offline two-factor
- Command-line based
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
pass-otp vs Yopass: key differences
Pass-otp is written in Shell, while Yopass is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for pass-otp versus MIT for Yopass. Pass-otp is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for Yopass. Yopass has the considerably larger community, at 3,148 GitHub stars versus 1,498. Yopass lists first-class Docker deployment; pass-otp does not.
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
Choose Yopass if…
- Very lightweight
- No persistent database needed
Watch out for
- Focused on sharing, not storage
Frequently asked questions
Is pass-otp or Yopass better?
Yopass is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider pass-otp if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are pass-otp and Yopass free and open-source?
Yes. pass-otp is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Yopass under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run pass-otp and Yopass with Docker?
pass-otp: check the project docs for container support. Yopass: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, pass-otp or Yopass?
pass-otp has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for Yopass. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.