pass-tomb 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-tomb | Yopass |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 437 | ★ 3,148 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | 1Password, KeePass | 1Password, Doppler |
What are pass-tomb and Yopass?
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
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-tomb vs Yopass: key differences
Pass-tomb is written in Shell, while Yopass is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for pass-tomb versus MIT for Yopass. Yopass has the considerably larger community, at 3,148 GitHub stars versus 437. Yopass 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 Yopass if…
- Very lightweight
- No persistent database needed
Watch out for
- Focused on sharing, not storage
Frequently asked questions
Is pass-tomb or Yopass better?
Yopass 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 Yopass free and open-source?
Yes. pass-tomb is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Yopass under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run pass-tomb and Yopass with Docker?
pass-tomb: check the project docs for container support. Yopass: yes.