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KeyStore Explorer VS Smallstep SSH

Compare KeyStore Explorer VS Smallstep SSH and see what are their differences

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Contents:
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  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

KeyStore Explorer logo KeyStore Explorer

KeyStore Explorer is an open source GUI replacement for the Java command-line utilities keytool and jarsigner. KeyStore Explorer presents their functionality, and more, via an intuitive graphical user interface.

Smallstep SSH logo Smallstep SSH

Single Sign-on SSH
  • KeyStore Explorer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-20
  • Smallstep SSH Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-04

KeyStore Explorer features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    KeyStore Explorer offers an intuitive and easy-to-use graphical user interface, which simplifies the process of managing keystores for users who may not be comfortable using command-line tools.
  • Multi-Platform Support
    It is a Java-based application, allowing it to run on various operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wider audience.
  • Comprehensive KeyStore Management
    The software supports a wide range of keystore types (JKS, PKCS12, BKS, etc.) and functionalities, including key pair generation, certificate importing, and exporting, providing flexibility for different needs.
  • Secure Encryption
    KeyStore Explorer uses strong encryption mechanisms to protect the keystores, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source software, it allows developers to review, modify, and improve the code base, fostering community collaboration and transparency.

Possible disadvantages of KeyStore Explorer

  • Limited Automation
    While KeyStore Explorer offers a user-friendly GUI, it lacks command-line tools for automation, which might not be ideal for users looking to automate processes in their workflows.
  • No Direct Cloud Integration
    The application does not provide direct integration with cloud services, meaning users have to manually upload or manage cloud-stored certificates and keys.
  • Java Dependency
    As a Java-based application, it requires Java to be installed on the system, which could be an overhead for users not familiar or willing to manage Java dependencies.
  • Limited Support
    Being open source, users may face challenges in finding official support or timely updates, relying mostly on community forums and discussions for assistance.
  • Lagging Features
    Compared to some commercial alternatives, KeyStore Explorer may not always have the latest features or integrations, which might limit its applicability in certain advanced use cases.

Smallstep SSH features and specs

  • Enhanced Security
    Smallstep SSH enables strong authentication practices by integrating with identity providers, reducing the chances of compromised passwords and ensuring secure connections.
  • Centralized Access Management
    The platform centralizes user access management, allowing admins to easily manage and revoke user access across multiple servers and services from a single point of control.
  • Ease of Integration
    Smallstep SSH integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure and identity providers like Okta and Google Workspace, simplifying the onboarding process for enterprises.
  • Improved Compliance
    With detailed logging and custom policies, Smallstep SSH helps organizations meet various compliance requirements by offering traceability and accountability for user actions.
  • Scalability
    Designed with scalability in mind, Smallstep SSH can efficiently handle growing organizational needs without sacrificing performance or security.

Possible disadvantages of Smallstep SSH

  • Complexity of Setup
    For organizations unfamiliar with identity provider integrations or certificate-based authentication, the initial setup can be complex and may require specialized knowledge.
  • Dependence on External Identity Providers
    Reliance on external identity providers for authentication means that downtime or disruptions with these services can impact Smallstep SSH functionality.
  • Limited Offline Access
    Because the solution is designed to work with identity providers, offline mode functionality is limited, which might be a concern for systems that require constant availability.
  • Cost Considerations
    For small organizations or startups, the cost of implementing and maintaining an enterprise-level authentication system like Smallstep SSH might be prohibitive.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a learning curve associated with transitioning from traditional SSH management to Smallstep SSH's certificate-based approach, which might necessitate training for IT staff.

KeyStore Explorer videos

+ Add

Keystore Explorer Quick Overview

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Prepare Keystore Explorer in PaperCut

Smallstep SSH videos

No Smallstep SSH videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to KeyStore Explorer and Smallstep SSH)

KeyStore Explorer

Smallstep SSH

Digital Signage
100 100%
Digital Signage
0% 0
Identity And Access Management
0 0%
Identity And Access Management
100% 100
Web Development Tools
100 100%
Web Development Tools
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
Productivity
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, KeyStore Explorer seems to be a lot more popular than Smallstep SSH. While we know about 15 links to KeyStore Explorer, we've tracked only 1 mention of Smallstep SSH. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

KeyStore Explorer mentions (15)

  • If OpenSSL Were a GUI
    Actually, the silly example has way better discoverability than most CLI software, especially if every option had tooltips illustrating what it's for in more detail. For an actually good example of adjacent software, have a look at Keystore Explorer: https://keystore-explorer.org/ I do manage my own CA for some development servers with it, way less of a headache than trying to remember a bunch of arbitrary... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Webtop – Alpine,Ubuntu,Fedora,and Arch containers containing full desktop envs
    Honestly, the most approachable way will be to use something like Keystore Explorer: https://keystore-explorer.org/ Alternatively, this guide focuses on Apache2 configuration but also goes through the certs https://www.openlogic.com/blog/mutual-authentication-using-apache-and-web-client (it’s a little dated though) Here’s also something a bit more recent for Nginx https://darshit.dev/posts/two-way-ssl-nginx/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • A sensible Java key management tool for normal people
    What about https://keystore-explorer.org/ ? My experience with that tool has been good though I don't know if it covers all the corner cases discussed. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Caddy 2.8
    > I still have nightmares about trying to set up SSL with nginx and my own self-managed certificates. For anyone who needs to run their own CA (which I'm now doing for my homelab), I've found that using GUI software like KeyStore explorer is a sufficiently easy and lazy way of doing that, which actually works well, both for securing regular sites, as well as doing mTLS: https://keystore-explorer.org/ > Shoutout to... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • make csr file from cert.pem
    Yes, that's clear but you need the private key to create a CSR. I'm guessing since you are using a Java app you should either have a JKS (old fashioned) or a P12 (pkcs12) keystore, one of those should contain the private key, you can use keystore explorer to extract the data. Https://keystore-explorer.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Smallstep SSH mentions (1)

  • SSH With SSO
    Through a combination of the properties that are in an SSH certificate and configuration on the hosts, you'll be able to realize RBAC. If you're using the open source step-ca, this will require you to configure things yourself on the hosts. We also have an offering where this capability and management/auditing of the rules is hosted for you, which makes that specific part easier: https://smallstep.com/sso-ssh/. Source: almost 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing KeyStore Explorer and Smallstep SSH, you can also consider the following products

Marlin - Marlin is a new GTK3-based file manager for Linux, pretty slick and fast.

Keystash.io - Centralized Linux user and SSH key management software

TinyCA - TinyCA is a simple graphical userinterface written in Perl/Gtk to manage a small CA (Certification...

strongDM - Trust strongDM to manage an engineers access to everything

OptiSigns - OptiSigns Digital Signage is a platform that helps users to make any screen a digital sign for information or advertisement.

OneLogin - On-demand SSO, directory integration, user provisioning and more

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