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LessPass

Stateless password manager—no vault, no sync required

Generate strong, deterministic passwords from a master password. No encrypted vault to sync or backup—your passwords are computed on-demand, anywhere.

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Overview

What is LessPass?

LessPass is a stateless password manager that eliminates the need for encrypted vaults and synchronization. Instead of storing passwords, it generates them deterministically using your master password, site domain, and login. The same inputs always produce the same password, so you can access your credentials on any device without syncing files or trusting cloud storage.

Who Should Use It?

LessPass is designed for privacy-conscious users, developers, and anyone tired of managing encrypted databases across devices. It's available as browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox), a command-line tool (Python), mobile apps (iOS, Android, F-Droid), and a web interface.

Deployment & Hosting

The core password generation works entirely offline and client-side. An optional LessPass server enables storing password profiles (site/login combinations) for convenience, but it's not required. New users wanting connected features must self-host their own server; public registration is closed to existing users only. The project is licensed under GPL-3.0 and inspired by the original MasterPassword concept.

Highlights

Deterministic password generation—no vault or sync required
Cross-platform: browser extensions, CLI, mobile apps, and web
Self-hostable server for optional profile storage
Fully client-side computation for offline and privacy-first use

Pros

  • No encrypted vault to lose, backup, or synchronize
  • Works offline; passwords computed locally on any device
  • Open-source (GPL-3.0) with multiple platform implementations
  • Eliminates cloud storage and third-party trust requirements

Considerations

  • Changing a compromised password requires manual parameter adjustments
  • Public server registration closed; new users must self-host for profiles
  • Master password compromise exposes all derived passwords
  • No built-in password history or recovery mechanism

Managed products teams compare with

When teams consider LessPass, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.

1Password logo

1Password

Password manager to secure and autofill logins and sensitive info

Dashlane logo

Dashlane

Password manager with zero-knowledge vault, autofill, and passkey support

Enpass logo

Enpass

Offline-first password manager with local vault and optional cloud sync

Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.

Fit guide

Great for

  • Privacy advocates who distrust cloud-based password vaults
  • Users managing passwords across multiple devices without sync
  • Developers comfortable with CLI tools and self-hosting
  • Minimalists seeking a lightweight, stateless password solution

Not ideal when

  • Teams requiring shared password vaults or collaboration features
  • Users who frequently need to change individual passwords
  • Non-technical users preferring managed cloud services
  • Organizations needing audit trails or compliance reporting

How teams use it

Cross-Device Access Without Sync

Generate identical passwords on your laptop, phone, and work computer using only your master password—no files to transfer or cloud accounts to manage.

Offline Password Generation

Compute strong passwords in air-gapped environments or during travel without internet access, ensuring continuity and security.

Self-Hosted Profile Storage

Deploy your own LessPass server to store site/login combinations for convenience while retaining full control over your data.

CLI Automation for Developers

Integrate LessPass CLI into scripts and workflows to generate passwords programmatically without GUI dependencies.

Tech snapshot

TypeScript50%
Python23%
JavaScript22%
Java1%
Objective-C1%
HTML1%

Tags

passwordsself-hostedpasswordprivacypassword-managerlesspassanonymous

Frequently asked questions

How does LessPass generate passwords without storing them?

LessPass uses a cryptographic algorithm to derive passwords from your master password, site domain, and login. The same inputs always produce the same output, so no storage is needed.

What happens if I forget my master password?

There is no recovery mechanism. Since passwords are derived rather than stored, losing your master password means you cannot regenerate your passwords.

Can I use LessPass without the server?

Yes. The core password generation works entirely offline. The optional server only stores site/login profiles for convenience; it never stores actual passwords.

Is the public LessPass server still available?

New registrations are closed. Existing users retain access, but new users must self-host their own server to use connected features.

How do I change a password if a site is compromised?

You can adjust generation parameters (e.g., increment a counter or modify the login field) to produce a new password for that site while keeping others unchanged.

Project at a glance

Active
Stars
5,966
Watchers
5,966
Forks
347
LicenseGPL-3.0
Repo age10 years old
Last commit4 days ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageTypeScript

Last synced 2 days ago