Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups
Register | Login

OpenPGP Keyserver VS GnuPG

Compare OpenPGP Keyserver VS GnuPG and see what are their differences

MailReach.co
The #1 email warming service to improve your deliverability by generating realistic and meaningful engagement to your emails. Easy-to-use solution to help you land in the main inbox instead of the spam folder. featured
Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

OpenPGP Keyserver logo OpenPGP Keyserver

Pool of places to publish and search OpenPGP public keys.

GnuPG logo GnuPG

GnuPG is a complete and free implementation of the OpenPGP standard as defined by RFC4880 (also known as PGP).
  • OpenPGP Keyserver Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-18
  • GnuPG Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-18

OpenPGP Keyserver features and specs

  • Decentralized Architecture
    OpenPGP Keyservers use a decentralized network, meaning there is no single point of failure. This ensures redundancy and reliability in accessing public keys.
  • Public Key Accessibility
    The keyserver network provides a centralized repository for users to upload and search for public keys, simplifying the process of key distribution.
  • Historical Data
    Keyservers maintain records of older keys and their history, which can be useful for audits or verifying past communications.
  • Community-Driven
    The OpenPGP keyserver network is maintained by volunteers and is open source, promoting transparency and community collaboration.

Possible disadvantages of OpenPGP Keyserver

  • Lack of Key Removal
    Once a key is uploaded, it cannot be removed from the keyserver network, which can lead to issues with outdated or compromised keys remaining accessible.
  • Spam and Key Overload
    Keyservers can be flooded with spam keys or outdated information, making it difficult for users to find valid or relevant keys.
  • Vulnerability to Abuse
    The open nature of keyservers can make them targets for malicious actors who wish to upload fraudulent keys or link malicious identities to genuine ones.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Since the keyserver network can be openly queried, there are potential privacy issues regarding who is uploading or searching for certain keys.

GnuPG features and specs

  • Open Source
    GnuPG is free and open-source software, which means that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance the code to fit their needs. This transparency enhances security by allowing independent audits.
  • Strong Encryption
    GnuPG uses well-established encryption standards like OpenPGP, providing strong security for encrypting and signing data.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    GnuPG runs on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and more, making it highly versatile.
  • Wide Adoption
    GnuPG is widely used and supported by many software applications, making it easier to integrate into existing workflows.
  • Active Development
    The software is actively maintained and updated, ensuring that any security vulnerabilities are promptly addressed and new features are added.

Possible disadvantages of GnuPG

  • Complexity
    For non-technical users, GnuPG can be difficult to set up and use, especially if they are unfamiliar with command-line interfaces.
  • Limited GUI Options
    While there are some graphical user interfaces available for GnuPG, they often lack the full functionality of the command-line version and can be less user-friendly.
  • Interoperability Issues
    Not all email clients or communication platforms fully support GnuPG, which can cause interoperability issues when exchanging encrypted messages.
  • Key Management Complexity
    Managing public and private keys can be complex, requiring users to understand key generation, distribution, and revocation processes.
  • Performance Overhead
    Encrypting and decrypting data can introduce performance overhead, particularly for large files or systems with limited resources.

OpenPGP Keyserver videos

+ Add

Lesson 6: Submit your public key to the OpenPGP Keyserver

GnuPG videos

+ Add

The Complete PGP Encryption Tutorial | Gpg4win & GnuPG

More videos:

  • Review - PGP | Send Encrypted Emails using GnuPG
  • Review - NYLUG Presents: Neal Walfield -on- An Advanced Introduction to GnuPG

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenPGP Keyserver and GnuPG)

OpenPGP Keyserver

GnuPG

Security & Privacy
12 12%
Security & Privacy
88% 88
Email
100 100%
Email
0% 0
Encryption
0 0%
Encryption
100% 100
Cloud Storage
100 100%
Cloud Storage
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using OpenPGP Keyserver and GnuPG. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GnuPG should be more popular than OpenPGP Keyserver. It has been mentiond 39 times since March 2021. 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.

OpenPGP Keyserver mentions (6)

  • Emacs 29 is nigh What can we expect?
    The signature works fine over HTTP/FTP because it needs to be combined with a public key you already have (e.g. a distro package manager will already have the public key for all the packages), or a public key you will go get from a different source, e.g. https://sks-keyservers.net, and it's hard for a middle-man to compromise both. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • keys.gnupg.net down, no longer resolves
    Yes, but I am asking if the reasons for shutting down https://sks-keyservers.net were valid. So far I have not seen any reasonable discussion. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Future of Key-Pools
    I noticed that I could not search on the server in Kleopatra. So I went to the page https://sks-keyservers.net/ and was struck by the header message:. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Keyservers are gone
    I can't find any reliable keyservers since sks-keyservers.net was taken down yesterday. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • PSA: you need to update your keyserver
    SKS keyservers has been shut down owing to GDPR filings. See https://sks-keyservers.net/. Source: almost 4 years ago
View more

GnuPG mentions (39)

  • How to Automate Encryption with C++ Script
    The other day I noticed that I had compressed several files as backups on a DVD media (the DVDs were at least 15 years old) and I had also encrypted all of them with GnuPG. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • GPG secret key: How to change the passphrase
    Suppose you get along with GPG (The GNU Privacy Guard, GnuPG) for good privacy, and sometimes want to change the passphrase of its secret key. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Is there a way to encrypt gmail emails?
    GnuPG will do this, but both people need to have it set up properly. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • pyaction 4.19.0 Released
    This Docker image is designed to support implementing Github Actions With Python. As of version 4.0.0., it starts with The official python docker image as the base Which is a Debian OS. It specifically uses python:3-slim to keep the image size Down for faster loading of Github Actions that use pyaction. On top of the Base, we've installed curl Gpg, git, and the GitHub CLI. We added curl and gpg because they Are... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • [Request] Here is a drawing of a cat. Unfortunately a superhacker form the future is after it (the hacker has dyson-sphere super computers etc.). I encrypt the cat using a random number from 1 to N as password, and the hacker knows this as well. What N do you recommend? WHY? (math too pls)
    Though FWIW my real answer, if you were asking this as a practical question rather than an educational exercise, would be to find some existing standard encryption program and use that. Something like GPG, perhaps, or even the built-in encryption in your computer's filesystem. It's going to be plenty good enough. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenPGP Keyserver and GnuPG, you can also consider the following products

OpenPGP - The most widely used email encryption standard. Defined in RFC 4880.

VeraCrypt - VeraCrypt is a free open source disk encryption software for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux.

MIT PGP Public Key Server - The place to publish and search OpenPGP public keys.

Cryptomator - When it comes to saving your files on a cloud server, it is important to ensure the security of those files. Keeping your delicate files out of the wrong hands can save you a lot of time and hassle. Read more about Cryptomator.

SKS OpenPGP Key server - The place to publish and search OpenPGP public keys.

Kleopatra - Kleopatra is a certificate manager and GUI for GnuPG.

Loading...