# Alternatives to AxCrypt

AxCrypt is a file and folder encryption app that lets users right-click to encrypt individual files with AES-128/256, rather than mounting a container or volume. It bundles a password manager, key sharing for teams, and automatic re-encryption on save, targeting individuals and small businesses who want simple per-file protection on local drives and synced cloud folders.

AxCrypt ranks #2 of 11 in File encryption tools, with an Alt Score of 70. It is freemium and available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. 9 of 9 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/axcrypt/
Category: File encryption tools

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Individuals and small teams who want to encrypt individual files and folders before storing or sharing them, including on cloud drives like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox. Business plans add group key management, admin controls, and compliance-oriented features (HIPAA/GDPR/NIS2 guidance) for organizations.
- **What you get**: Per-file AES-128/256 encryption producing .axx files, a Vault folder that auto-encrypts anything dropped into it, cloud-drive integration, a password manager and generator, secure text encryption, file wiping, and a command-line interface for scripted encrypt/decrypt operations. Free, Premium, and Business tiers gate usage limits (file counts, sharing recipients) and add-ons like group key sharing and audit logging.
- **How it works**: Files are encrypted individually using AES with keys derived from a user password via PBKDF2, with RSA-4096 account keys used to let other AxCrypt users open shared files with their own password rather than exchanging passwords directly. The Windows/macOS/Linux/iOS/Android apps integrate with the OS file explorer and supported cloud-storage folders so encryption happens locally before files sync to the cloud; a separate CLI performs the same per-file encrypt/decrypt operations without requiring sign-in.

## Profile

- **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-30)
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-30)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [VeraCrypt](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/veracrypt.md) | 75 | Apache-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 2 | [BestCrypt Container Encryption](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bestcrypt-container-encryption.md) | 70 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| 3 | [AES Crypt](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/aes-crypt.md) | 65 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| 4 | [age](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/age.md) | 65 | BSD-3-Clause | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 5 | [Cryptomator](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/cryptomator.md) | 65 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 6 | [Kryptor](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/kryptor.md) | 65 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 7 | [Gpg4win](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/gpg4win.md) | 55 | GPL | Windows |
| 8 | [NordLocker](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/nordlocker.md) | 50 | Proprietary | Windows, Android, iOS, Web |
| 9 | [Tomb](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/tomb.md) | 50 | GPL-3.0 | Linux, Windows |
| 10 | [DiskCryptor](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/diskcryptor.md) | 40 | GPL-3.0 | Windows |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| File encryption tools checklist | AxCrypt | VeraCrypt | BestCrypt Container Encryption | AES Crypt | age | Cryptomator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free | Subscription | One-time | Free | Freemium |
| Starts at | ? | Free | ? | $39.99 | Free | Free |
| License | ? | Apache-2.0 | Proprietary | Proprietary | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Container / volume encryption | Partial | Yes | Yes | No | No | Partial |
| Per-file encryption | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud-friendly (per-file sync) | Yes | No | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source & audited | Partial | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Hidden volumes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | No | No |
| Key files support | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Password strength enforcement | Partial | Partial | No | ? | No | Partial |
| CLI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for AxCrypt. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Pricing model**: Freemium — <https://axcrypt.net/pricing/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: Free tier caps encryption at 2 files/month; Premium and Business are paid subscriptions billed monthly (annual discount) with a 14-day free trial. Exact numeric prices are rendered client-side via JS
  - Quote: “Free $0 Limited use for testing AxCrypt ... Choose Premium Per month (billed annually) Unlimited encryption for private use”
- **Status**: active — <https://axcrypt.net/information/release-notes/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: Frequent releases across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS continue through July 2026.
  - Quote: “macOS AxCrypt-3.1.11.0 2026-07-27 Includes file password feature, double click on finder issue fix and other improvements”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android — <https://axcrypt.net/features/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: A Beta browser extension for Microsoft Edge and Chrome is also listed on the download page (https://axcrypt.net/download/: "Browser Extension (Beta) Available for Microsoft Edge and Chrome. Firefox an
  - Quote: “Cross Platform Compatibility Deploy security across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.”
- **Container / volume encryption**: Partial — <https://axcrypt.net/information/guides/vault/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: AxCrypt markets its Vault as an 'encrypted container', but per this same page it works by auto-encrypting each file individually inside a normal folder rather than creating one mountable encrypted vol
  - Quote: “AxCrypt Vault is a secure, encrypted container for storing your sensitive files and folders ... Files remain in a standard folder structure on your local system, while the contents are fully protected”
- **Per-file encryption**: Yes — <https://axcrypt.net/information/guides/commandline-interface/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: Core operation is per-file: each encrypted file becomes its own .axx file.
  - Quote: “Each file must be referenced using its full file path ... Some command-line tools also create new files (like AxCrypt creating .axx encrypted files).”
- **Cloud-friendly (per-file sync)**: Yes — <https://axcrypt.net/information/guides/secure-cloud/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “Work seamlessly with cloud storage services (Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive) with AxCrypt. AxCrypt secures files with AES-256 encryption before uploading to the cloud.”
- **Cross-platform**: Yes — <https://axcrypt.net/features/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “Cross Platform Compatibility Deploy security across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.”
- **Open source & audited**: Partial — <https://axcrypt.net/information/technical-details/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: Security page (https://axcrypt.net/information/security/) claims 'It's also open source; Anyone may inspect the source code' and cites 15+ years of community scrutiny, but no independent third-party s
  - Quote: “The complete source code for the core libraries and the Windows client used to be in a mercurial repository in Bitbucket. But as of summer 2020, Bitbucket discontinued their mercurial support ... For ”
- **Hidden volumes**: No — <https://axcrypt.net/features/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: The full enumerated list of encryption/file-security features on this page has no mention of hidden or deniable volumes (a la VeraCrypt).
  - Quote: “Features Encryption and File Security AES-256 Encryption ... Vault (Encrypted Container) ... Cloud Security ... Secure Folders and Subfolders ... Text Encryption ... File Wipe ... Anonymous File Renam”
- **Key files support**: Partial — <https://axcrypt.net/information/faq/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: The general FAQ references a 'key-file' as an alternative to a password, but the current Features page (which enumerates all Free/Premium/Business capabilities) does not list key-file management as a
  - Quote: “If you lose or forget your password or key-file, your documents are lost. There is no back-door into AxCrypt.”
- **Password strength enforcement**: Partial — <https://axcrypt.net/information/release-notes/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: Confirms a password strength meter exists in the app (Linux 3.0.0.37 release note), but no page found states that weak passwords are actually blocked/rejected at signup or when securing files, so this
  - Quote: “Includes fixes for Password strength meter and Progress bar.”
- **CLI**: Yes — <https://axcrypt.net/information/guides/commandline-interface/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “The AxCrypt Command Line Interface (CLI) is a free, open-source tool that allows you to encrypt and decrypt files directly from your terminal or command prompt.”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/