1 a.m., a client wanted the site live
Last Wednesday at midnight, I was updating a client’s website from a guesthouse in Hangzhou. The remote server passwords were scattered across WeChat, an old notes file, and another password spreadsheet. I searched for 20 minutes, then tried the wrong password three times. I genuinely panicked for a moment—not because I was worried about fixing the code, but because those passwords might disappear with one of my devices.
What SSHhole does—and who’s using it
SSHhole has a simple idea: store server login passwords in a protected web page, then open it when needed. John, who created a website account, is in New York. He maintains servers for three clients every day, so he keeps each client’s credentials separate. This isn’t a complex permissions system for professional operations teams, but for freelancers who “manage a few machines alone,” the logic feels straightforward.
I got stuck here too: at first, “storing passwords on a web page” sounded like hanging the key outside my door, so I didn’t migrate immediately. Instead, I tested it with an unused test server before trusting it with live credentials. Even if you don’t test it, confirming where the data is stored, how long it is retained, and whether it can be recovered after you forget the master password matters more than the feature list.
What it costs to replicate today
According to the pricing currently listed on SSHhole’s official website, the basic plan costs $3 per month or $27 per year, with setup taking about 15 minutes. The technical barrier isn’t high, but I need to understand the server address, login username, port, and password. First step: open SSHhole’s official site, click “Get Started” to create an account, then add a password entry. If any field is unclear, I ask someone who maintains servers for a hand before moving over production credentials.
Where I’d start at each stage
If I’m just getting started with one server, I’d keep using the built-in password manager until I have more devices. If I already have one or two clients and more than two or three servers, I’d first create a “client—server” inventory, then enter credentials one by one. If I’m scaling and team members are starting to rotate through machine maintenance, I’d use SSHhole as a temporary cleanup tool while reviewing access controls, backups, and offboarding handoffs. Not everyone needs it, and it isn’t a complete answer for team permissions, but it saves me from digging through chat history in the middle of the night.