pass vs Spectre
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | pass | Spectre |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,200 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2012 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass |
What are pass and Spectre?
pass
pass is a minimalist password manager that stores each secret in a GPG-encrypted file, optionally versioned with git. It follows the Unix philosophy and works entirely from the command line.
- GPG-encrypted password files
- Optional git versioning and sync
- Scriptable command-line workflow
- Many compatible GUI and mobile clients
Spectre
Spectre, the successor to Master Password, is an open-source stateless password manager. It derives strong, unique passwords from your name and a master password rather than storing them in a vault.
- Deterministic password derivation
- No vault to store or sync
- Cross-platform clients
- Works fully offline
pass vs Spectre: key differences
Pass is written in Shell, while Spectre is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for pass versus GPL-3.0 for Spectre. Pass is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for Spectre. Pass has the considerably larger community, at 4,200 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose pass if…
- Simple and transparent storage
- Composes well with other tools
Watch out for
- Command-line oriented
- Requires GPG knowledge
Choose Spectre if…
- Nothing to back up
- Stateless by design
Watch out for
- Niche project
- Hard to change individual passwords
Frequently asked questions
Is pass or Spectre better?
Neither is universally better. pass has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are pass and Spectre free and open-source?
Yes. pass is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Spectre under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run pass and Spectre with Docker?
pass: check the project docs for container support. Spectre: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, pass or Spectre?
pass has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for Spectre. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.