Psono 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 | Psono | One-Time Secret |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 2,942 |
| First released | 2017 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, Doppler |
What are Psono and One-Time Secret?
Psono
Psono is a self-hosted, open-source password manager focused on secure secret sharing for teams and enterprises. It targets organizations needing granular credential management. It is deployed via Docker.
- Granular secret sharing
- Client-side encryption
- LDAP and SAML support
- Browser extensions and apps
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
Psono vs One-Time Secret: key differences
Psono is written in Python, while One-Time Secret is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Psono versus MIT for One-Time Secret. One-Time Secret is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Psono. One-Time Secret is the more established project (first released 2012), while Psono arrived in 2017. One-Time Secret has the considerably larger community, at 2,942 GitHub stars versus 700.
Why pick each one
Choose Psono if…
- Strong sharing controls
- Enterprise auth support
- Open source
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Setup takes effort
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 Psono 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 Psono if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Psono and One-Time Secret free and open-source?
Yes. Psono is licensed under Apache-2.0 and One-Time Secret under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Psono and One-Time Secret with Docker?
Psono: yes. One-Time Secret: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Psono or One-Time Secret?
One-Time Secret has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Psono. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.