How Password Pusher Works

Password Pusher has been around since 2011. You paste a password, set the number of views and days until expiration, and get a link. It is simple and reliable.

The key difference is in the encryption model. Password Pusher encrypts data on the server side. Your password is sent over HTTPS to their server, encrypted there with a server-managed key, and stored. When the recipient opens the link, the server decrypts and displays it.

This means the server has access to your plaintext password at two points: when you submit it and when the recipient views it.

Password Pusher: server-side encryption
🔑Paste password
📤Sent to serverServer sees plaintext
🔒Encrypted on server
👁️Decrypted for viewerServer sees plaintext again

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature1time.ioPassword Pusher
End-to-end encryption Browser-side AES-GCM Server-side encryption
Zero-knowledge Server never sees plaintext Server decrypts for viewer
Multi-view links One-time by default; configurable Configurable view count
Automation CLI + client-side SDK (zero-knowledge) Server-side REST API
Self-hosting Docker Docker, Heroku, etc.
File sharing Browser-encrypted files~ Hosted paid / included when self-hosted
Password generator Built-in
Account required No No (optional)
Open source

Where Password Pusher Wins

  • Finer-grained view limits. Password Pusher offers more granular view-count controls. 1time.io keeps one-time access as the default and offers 3, 5, or 10 views when a few people need the same secret.
  • Server-side API. Password Pusher has a REST API for automation — though this means the server handles your secrets in plaintext. 1time.io offers a CLI and client-side SDK, keeping encryption client-side.
  • Mature deployment options. One-click deploys to Heroku, Kubernetes charts, and extensive Docker documentation.

Where 1time.io Wins

  • End-to-end encryption. The server never sees your password in plaintext. Period. The decryption key lives only in the URL fragment, which browsers never send to servers.
  • Zero-knowledge file sharing. Files are encrypted in the browser before upload. One-time delivery is the default, with up to 10 downloads for files that need to reach a few people.
  • Burn-on-read by default. Links work exactly once unless you choose more than one view, so the safe option is the one you get without configuring anything. Once the last allowed view is used, the secret is destroyed permanently.
  • Simpler interface. One text field, one button. No settings to configure unless you want to. Password Pusher presents more options upfront, which adds complexity.
  • Built-in password generator. Generate and share strong passwords in a single workflow.

The Bottom Line

Password Pusher is a capable tool with a strong feature set, especially around server-side automation and its more flexible view limits. If you need those features, it is a solid choice.

But if your primary concern is security and privacy, 1time.io has a fundamental advantage: the server is mathematically unable to read your secrets. For password sharing, that is the feature that matters most.

🔒

Share passwords with zero-knowledge encryption

Your secrets are encrypted in the browser. The server never sees them. Free and open source.

Create a secure link