One-Time Secret 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 | One-Time Secret | Yopass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Ruby | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,942 | ★ 3,148 |
| First released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Replaces | 1Password, Doppler | 1Password, Doppler |
What are One-Time Secret and Yopass?
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
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
One-Time Secret vs Yopass: key differences
One-Time Secret is written in Ruby, while Yopass is built with Go. Yopass is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for One-Time Secret. One-Time Secret is the more established project (first released 2012), while Yopass arrived in 2016.
Why pick each one
Choose One-Time Secret if…
- Great for one-off credential sharing
- Easy to self-host
Watch out for
- Not a long-term vault
Choose Yopass if…
- Very lightweight
- No persistent database needed
Watch out for
- Focused on sharing, not storage
Frequently asked questions
Is One-Time Secret or Yopass better?
Neither is universally better. Yopass has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are One-Time Secret and Yopass free and open-source?
Yes. One-Time Secret is licensed under MIT and Yopass under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run One-Time Secret and Yopass with Docker?
One-Time Secret: yes. Yopass: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, One-Time Secret or Yopass?
Yopass has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for One-Time Secret. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.