pass vs Browserpass
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
pass
The standard Unix password manager built on GPG and git
VS
Browserpass
Browser extension front-end for the pass manager
| Feature | pass | Browserpass |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | ISC |
| Language | Shell | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,200 | ★ 1,009 |
| First released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | LastPass extension, 1Password extension |
Why pick each one
Choose Browserpass if…
- Released under the ISC license
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is pass or Browserpass 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 Browserpass free and open-source?
Yes. pass is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Browserpass under ISC. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run pass and Browserpass with Docker?
pass: check the project docs for container support. Browserpass: check the project docs for container support.