Alternatives to pass

The standard Unix password manager: one GPG-encrypted file per secret. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as pass.

  • gopass

    Team-oriented password store built on GPG and Git.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    gopass keeps the GPG and Git storage model but ships as a single binary with Windows support, multiple stores with per-store recipients, and built-in auditing and secret health checks.

  • KeePassXC

    A free, open-source desktop password manager that keeps your vault in a local encrypted file.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand lineBrowser extension

    KeePassXC replaces GPG-encrypted files with a single local encrypted database, adds a graphical desktop app and browser extension, and still offers a CLI on Windows, macOS and Linux.

  • KeePass

    The original open-source local password database in the kdbx format.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    KeePass stores secrets in one local kdbx database instead of GPG files, needs no key management, but its official client is Windows-focused with a dated interface.

  • Bitwarden

    An open-source password manager with free cross-device sync, apps for every platform and optional paid plans.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSWebBrowser extensionCommand lineSelf-hosted

    Bitwarden swaps local GPG files for a cloud-synced vault with a CLI, apps on every platform and a free tier, and can be self-hosted, though offline use is read-only.

  • passage

    A command-line fork of pass that encrypts the password store with age instead of GnuPG.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    passage is a pass fork that encrypts the store with age instead of GnuPG, with per-folder recipients, but setup is manual and changes are infrequent.

Also worth comparing

These listings name pass as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • LessPass

    A stateless open-source password manager that derives passwords instead of storing them.

    FreeOpen sourceWeb

    pass stores each secret as a GPG-encrypted file with Git history, allowing existing passwords to be kept, but requires GPG key management and runs from the command line.

  • prs

    A command-line password manager that stores secrets with GPG and syncs them between machines using Git.

    FreeOpen sourceCommand line

    pass is the original Unix password manager whose stores prs reads, with GPG-encrypted files and Git history but without prs's automatic Git synchronisation.

  • QtPass

    A cross-platform graphical front end for pass, the GPG-encrypted Unix password manager.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    pass is the upstream command-line tool QtPass wraps, using the same GPG-encrypted files and Git history, but without a graphical interface or Windows support.

  • rbw

    An unofficial command-line Bitwarden client that keeps keys in a background agent.

    FreeProprietaryLinuxCommand line

    pass is an open-source command-line manager storing one GPG-encrypted file per secret with Git history, replacing a Bitwarden account with GPG key management.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.