head to head · open source
pwd.sh vs pass-import
pwd.sh has 1,564 GitHub stars, 132 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped 24 days ago. pass-import has 916 stars, 99 forks, 22 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. pwd.sh leads on adoption by 71% (1,564 vs 916 stars). pwd.sh is written in Shell under MIT; pass-import is written in Python under GPL-3.0. pwd.sh has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, pass-import 11%. pass-import was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (password, password-manager), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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
| pwd.sh | pass-import | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 1.6K | ★ 916 |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Shell | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-19 | 2026-11-10 |
| Forks | ⑂ 132 | ⑂ 99 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick pwd.sh if
- You weight community size — 1.6K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Shell
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick pass-import if
- You want the pass-import feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and pass-import fits your workflow better
About pwd.sh
pwd.sh is a Bash script to manage text secrets, such as passwords, using GnuPG. Each secret is saved to a randomly named file in a directory. An encrypted index maps usernames to secrets contained in files. Both the index and files can be decrypted directly with GnuPG without pwd.sh. Install Download from Releases, or to use the latest version, clone the repository: Or download the script directly: Use Run the script interactively using ./pwd.sh or symlink to a directory in PATH : w write (create) a secret r read (access) a secret l list secret names and paths s generate a random secret u generate a random…
read the full pwd.sh overview →
About pass-import
[ ][github link] pass import [![][workflow]][action] [![][gitlab]][gitlab link] [![][coverage]][coverage link] [![][quality]][quality link] [![ ][release]][release link] A [pass] extension for importing data from most existing password managers Description pass import is a password store extension allowing you to import your password database to a password store repository conveniently. It natively supports import from 63 different password managers. More manager support can easily be added. Passwords are imported into the existing default password store, therefore the password store must have been initialized…
read the full pass-import overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is pwd.sh or pass-import more popular?
pwd.sh has 1,564 GitHub stars and pass-import has 916. pwd.sh has the larger community by that measure.
Are pwd.sh and pass-import free?
Both are open source. pwd.sh is licensed under MIT and pass-import under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between pwd.sh and pass-import?
pwd.sh is written in Shell and pass-import in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, pwd.sh or pass-import?
Choose pwd.sh if you want the larger community (1,564 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose pass-import if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.