head to head · open source
Sa-Token vs lesspass
Sa-Token has 19,051 GitHub stars, 2,914 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. lesspass has 6,062 stars, 365 forks, 34 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. Sa-Token leads on adoption by 214% (19,051 vs 6,062 stars). Sa-Token is written in Java under Apache-2.0; lesspass is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. Sa-Token has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, lesspass 6%. Sa-Token was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Sa-Token | lesspass | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 19K | ★ 6.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Java | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 365 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Sa-Token if
- You weight community size — 19K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick lesspass if
- You want the lesspass feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and lesspass fits your workflow better
About Sa-Token
Sa Token is a free, open source, one stop Java authentication and authorization framework, licensed under Apache 2.0, that gives Java and Spring Boot developers login authentication, permission checks, distributed sessions, single sign on, OAuth2.0, gateway authentication, JWT integration, API key authorization and API parameter signing from a single dependency.
read the full Sa-Token overview →
About lesspass
LessPass is a stateless, open source password manager written in TypeScript and licensed under GPL 3.0 that generates passwords from a master password instead of storing them in a synchronized vault, built for individuals and self hosters who want the same passwords on every device without syncing an encrypted database.
read the full lesspass overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Sa-Token or lesspass more popular?
Sa-Token has 19,051 GitHub stars and lesspass has 6,062. Sa-Token has the larger community by that measure.
Are Sa-Token and lesspass free?
Both are open source. Sa-Token is licensed under Apache-2.0 and lesspass under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Sa-Token and lesspass?
Sa-Token is written in Java and lesspass in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Sa-Token or lesspass?
Choose Sa-Token if you want the larger community (19,051 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose lesspass if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.