The best free EnvShare alternative
Compare EnvShare and ProtectedShare side-by-side. Upgrade to a modern, actively maintained environment variable sharing utility.
| Feature | EnvShare | ProtectedShare |
|---|---|---|
| Project Maintenance | ❌ Inactive (last commit 2+ years ago) | ✅ Actively Maintained & Supported |
| Dark / Light Mode | ❌ Dark mode only | ✅ Seamless Dual Theme (System, Light, Dark) |
| Secure Notes Interface | ❌ No (secrets only) | ✅ Yes (dedicated separate password notepad) |
| Offline-first Encrypted Notepad | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (local browser-encrypted storage) |
| Configurable Read Limits | ✅ 1 to 100 reads | ✅ Yes (1, 3, 5, or 10 reads) |
| Sign-Up required | ✅ No signup | ✅ No signup (fully anonymous) |
Why choose an active project?
EnvShare was a great project, but it has not been updated in over two years. In security and web technology, staying active is crucial. ProtectedShare is actively maintained, built on Next.js 15, and is regularly audited for dependency updates and modern cryptographic best practices.
A unified workspace for secret sharing
While EnvShare only supports monospaced env file sharing, ProtectedShare is a complete, multi-tool privacy suite:
- **EnvShare Mode:** Share monospaced config blocks that delete after N reads.
- **Secure Notes:** Write rich messages, lock them with custom passwords, and share keys separately.
- **Notepad:** Use your browser as an encrypted workspace for local notes that are never sent to any server.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What makes ProtectedShare a good EnvShare alternative?
While EnvShare is an excellent tool for sharing monospaced .env files and API keys, the original project has been unmaintained for over two years. ProtectedShare is an active, modern implementation that incorporates the same zero-knowledge URL-hash based encryption, but adds secure notes (for two-channel password delivery), an offline-first encrypted notepad, dark/light themes, and regular dependency updates.
How does EnvShare compare to ProtectedShare's Secure Notes?
In EnvShare mode, the decryption key is appended as a URL hash fragment (e.g.
#key=...) allowing one-click decryption for developers. In Secure Notes mode, you set a custom password or auto-generate one, and must deliver the password separately to the recipient. This allows true multi-channel verification for high-security credentials.Can I self-host my own instance of ProtectedShare?
Yes! ProtectedShare is 100% open-source and provides full Docker deployment guides. You can pull the Next.js frontend package and host it on your own server, pointing it to your own Cloudflare Worker database instance.