Psono 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 | Psono | Yopass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 3,148 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | 1Password, Doppler |
What are Psono and Yopass?
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
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
Psono vs Yopass: key differences
Psono is written in Python, while Yopass is built with Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Psono versus MIT for Yopass. Yopass is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Psono. Yopass has the considerably larger community, at 3,148 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 Yopass if…
- Very lightweight
- No persistent database needed
Watch out for
- Focused on sharing, not storage
Frequently asked questions
Is Psono or Yopass better?
Yopass 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 Yopass free and open-source?
Yes. Psono is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Yopass under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Psono and Yopass with Docker?
Psono: yes. Yopass: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Psono or Yopass?
Yopass 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.