# Picocrypt/Picocrypt

A very small, very simple, yet very secure encryption tool.

Repository: https://github.com/Picocrypt/Picocrypt
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/picocrypt-picocrypt
Language: Go
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: argon2, blake2b, cryptography, encryption, file-encryption, golang, password, portable, privacy, privacy-tools, reed-solomon, security, security-tools, serpent, sha3, xchacha20
Archived: true
Last push: 2025-09-07T18:57:33+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 40, release rhythm 29, longevity 58
- inputs: {"age_days": 823, "days_push": 360, "days_rel": 394, "gap_med": 54, "n_releases_24m": 8}
- flags: archived
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1555, forks 125 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:03.133664+00:00)

## What it is
Picocrypt is a small, simple, and secure file encryption tool built in Go, using XChaCha20 and Argon2id. It offers a portable GUI application for encrypting files with strong cryptography and Reed-Solomon error correction.

## Use cases
- encrypt files with a password before uploading to cloud storage
- securely share sensitive documents with someone
- protect backups on an external drive with strong encryption
- encrypt large files reliably with error correction
- carry a portable encryption tool on a USB stick
- replace 7-Zip or VeraCrypt for simple file encryption

## When to choose
- you want a tiny, portable, auditable file encryption tool
- you need strong modern cryptography (XChaCha20, Argon2id) without complexity
- you encrypt files across Windows, macOS, and Linux
- you need resilience against bit rot via Reed-Solomon codes

## When to avoid
- you need full-disk encryption rather than per-file encryption
- you need ongoing updates or support - the project is archived and read-only
- you need key management, team features, or enterprise compliance
- you want an actively maintained fork - consider Picocrypt NG instead

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: cryptography, security, privacy, compression
- domain: security, privacy, files, cross-platform
- platform: windows, cross-platform, go
- tags: file-encryption, xchacha20, argon2, portable, gui, archived, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- Picocrypt/Picocrypt (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:03.133664+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:30:00.597769+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/Picocrypt/Picocrypt (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:03.133664+00:00, sha 1b085b6c5854)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.