Psono 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 | Psono | Spectre |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2017 | 2012 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, LastPass |
What are Psono and Spectre?
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
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
Psono vs Spectre: key differences
Psono is written in Python, while Spectre is built with C. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Psono versus GPL-3.0 for Spectre. Spectre is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Psono. Spectre is the more established project (first released 2012), while Psono arrived in 2017. Psono has the considerably larger community, at 700 GitHub stars versus 200. Psono lists first-class Docker deployment; Spectre does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Psono if…
- Strong sharing controls
- Enterprise auth support
- Open source
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Setup takes effort
Choose Spectre if…
- Nothing to back up
- Stateless by design
Watch out for
- Niche project
- Hard to change individual passwords
Frequently asked questions
Is Psono or Spectre better?
Neither is universally better. Psono has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Psono and Spectre free and open-source?
Yes. Psono is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Spectre under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Psono and Spectre with Docker?
Psono: yes. Spectre: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Psono or Spectre?
Spectre has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Psono. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.