HashiCorp Vault vs Gopass JSONAPI
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted password managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
HashiCorp Vault
Secrets management and data protection for infrastructure
VS
Gopass JSONAPI
Native messaging bridge for the gopass manager
| Feature | HashiCorp Vault | Gopass JSONAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Password Managers | Password Managers |
| License | BUSL-1.1 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 36,086 | ★ 72 |
| First released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Replaces | AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault | 1Password CLI, Bitwarden CLI |
Why pick each one
Choose HashiCorp Vault if…
- Industry standard for secrets
- Powerful policy engine
Choose Gopass JSONAPI if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is HashiCorp Vault or Gopass JSONAPI better?
Neither is universally better. HashiCorp Vault has the larger community, while Gopass JSONAPI is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are HashiCorp Vault and Gopass JSONAPI free and open-source?
Yes. HashiCorp Vault is licensed under BUSL-1.1 and Gopass JSONAPI under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HashiCorp Vault and Gopass JSONAPI with Docker?
HashiCorp Vault: yes. Gopass JSONAPI: check the project docs for container support.