pass-tomb 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.
| Feature | pass-tomb | One-Time Secret |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 46 · Fair | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Shell | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 437 | ★ 2,942 |
| First released | 2017 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, KeePass | 1Password, Doppler |
What are pass-tomb and One-Time Secret?
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
One-Time Secret
One-Time Secret is an open-source service for sharing passwords and other sensitive information through links that can only be viewed once. After the secret is read or expires, it is permanently deleted.
- Self-destructing secret links
- Optional passphrase protection
- Configurable expiration times
- Simple REST API
pass-tomb vs One-Time Secret: key differences
Pass-tomb is written in Shell, while One-Time Secret is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for pass-tomb versus MIT for One-Time Secret. Pass-tomb is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for One-Time Secret. One-Time Secret is the more established project (first released 2012), while pass-tomb arrived in 2017. One-Time Secret has the considerably larger community, at 2,942 GitHub stars versus 437. One-Time Secret lists first-class Docker deployment; pass-tomb does not.
Why pick each one
Choose pass-tomb if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose One-Time Secret if…
- Great for one-off credential sharing
- Easy to self-host
Watch out for
- Not a long-term vault
Frequently asked questions
Is pass-tomb 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 pass-tomb if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are pass-tomb and One-Time Secret free and open-source?
Yes. pass-tomb is licensed under GPL-3.0 and One-Time Secret under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run pass-tomb and One-Time Secret with Docker?
pass-tomb: check the project docs for container support. One-Time Secret: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, pass-tomb or One-Time Secret?
pass-tomb has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for One-Time Secret. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.