pass 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 | Yopass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Shell | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,200 | ★ 3,148 |
| First released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, Doppler |
What are pass and Yopass?
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
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 vs Yopass: key differences
Pass is written in Shell, while Yopass is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for pass versus MIT for Yopass. Pass is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for Yopass. Pass is the more established project (first released 2012), while Yopass arrived in 2016. Yopass lists first-class Docker deployment; pass does not.
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 Yopass if…
- Very lightweight
- No persistent database needed
Watch out for
- Focused on sharing, not storage
Frequently asked questions
Is pass or Yopass better?
Neither is universally better. pass has the larger community, while Yopass is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are pass and Yopass free and open-source?
Yes. pass is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Yopass under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run pass and Yopass with Docker?
pass: check the project docs for container support. Yopass: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, pass or Yopass?
pass 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.