Spectre vs TeamPass
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Spectre | TeamPass |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 1,828 |
| First released | 2012 | 2010 |
| Replaces | 1Password, LastPass | LastPass, 1Password |
What are Spectre and TeamPass?
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
TeamPass
TeamPass is a collaborative password manager that lets teams store and share credentials with granular access rights. It targets IT teams managing shared passwords. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Granular access control
- Folder-based credential organization
- LDAP integration
- Audit logging
Spectre vs TeamPass: key differences
Spectre is written in C, while TeamPass is built with PHP. Spectre is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for TeamPass. TeamPass is the more established project (first released 2010), while Spectre arrived in 2012. TeamPass has the considerably larger community, at 1,828 GitHub stars versus 200. TeamPass lists first-class Docker deployment; Spectre does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Spectre if…
- Nothing to back up
- Stateless by design
Watch out for
- Niche project
- Hard to change individual passwords
Choose TeamPass if…
- Good for shared team passwords
- Detailed permissions
- Mature
Watch out for
- Dated interface
- Configuration is involved
Frequently asked questions
Is Spectre or TeamPass better?
Neither is universally better. TeamPass has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Spectre and TeamPass free and open-source?
Yes. Spectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and TeamPass under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Spectre and TeamPass with Docker?
Spectre: check the project docs for container support. TeamPass: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Spectre or TeamPass?
Spectre has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for TeamPass. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.