# Alternatives to KeePass

The original open source KDBX password safe.

KeePass ranks #14 of 14 in Password managers, with an Alt Score of 45. It is licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later, donationware from Free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 13 of 14 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/keepass/
Category: Password managers

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Technical users and privacy-conscious individuals who want full local control over their password data rather than trusting a cloud-based vendor — common among IT professionals, developers, and Windows power users.
- **What you get**: A single encrypted .kdbx database file protected by a master password (and optional key file), using AES-256, ChaCha20, or Twofish encryption. It stores logins, notes, and other secrets locally with no cloud sync by default, supports a plugin ecosystem for extra functionality like browser autofill or cloud backup, and its open-source code is publicly auditable. The core app is Windows-native, with numerous community-built ports (KeePassXC, KeePassDX, MacPass, etc.) for other platforms.
- **How it works**: You create a database file secured by a master password, then add and organize entries (username, password, URL, notes) inside it; unlocking the database with the master key gives access to copy credentials into other apps or browsers as needed.

## Profile

- **License**: GPL-2.0-or-later (verified 2026-07-08)
- **Pricing model**: Donationware (verified 2026-07-08)
- **Starts at**: Free (verified 2026-07-08)
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-08)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Psono](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/psono.md) | 100 | Apache-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 2 | [Keeper](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/keeper.md) | 94 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 3 | [Proton Pass](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/proton-pass.md) | 94 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 4 | [Zoho Vault](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/zoho-vault.md) | 94 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 5 | [RoboForm](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/roboform.md) | 90 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 6 | [NordPass](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/nordpass.md) | 87 | ? | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 7 | [Enpass](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/enpass.md) | 81 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 8 | [Padloc](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/padloc.md) | 81 | AGPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 9 | [Dashlane](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/dashlane.md) | 74 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS, Android, Web |
| 10 | [Passbolt](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/passbolt.md) | 71 | AGPL-3.0 | Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| 11 | [Apple Passwords](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/apple-passwords.md) | 68 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS, Windows, Browser extension |
| 12 | [Google Password Manager](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/google-password-manager.md) | 55 | ? | ? |
| 13 | [Vaultwarden](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/vaultwarden.md) | 55 | AGPL-3.0 | ? |

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

## Feature comparison

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

| Password managers checklist | KeePass | Psono | Keeper | Proton Pass | Zoho Vault | RoboForm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Donationware | OSS + paid hosting | Subscription | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starts at | Free | 2 EUR/user | ? | $1.99/mo | $1/user/month (USD) | €2.49/mo |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later | Apache-2.0 | Proprietary | GPL-3.0 | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension |
| E2E encryption (zero-knowledge) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Passkey support | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TOTP / 2FA codes storage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser autofill | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Secure sharing | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Emergency access | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Breach monitoring | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware key support (FIDO2) | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline vault access | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable server | No | Yes | ? | No | No | Partial |
| Family / team vaults | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Password health report | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CLI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Third-party security audit published | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

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

- **Starts at**: Free — <https://keepass.info/features.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Quote: “KeePass free and you have full access to its source code!”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux — <https://keepass.info/download.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Quote: “Supported operating systems: Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11, Mono (Linux, MacOS, BSD, ...).”
- **Status**: active — <https://keepass.info/download.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: Inferred from current release + 2026 copyright; no explicit status label.
  - Quote: “KeePass 2.61.1”
- **Pricing model**: Donationware — <https://keepass.info/donate.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: No paid tier; product fully free, development donation-supported.
  - Quote: “Donations to KeePass support the development of the project.”
- **License**: GPL-2.0-or-later — <https://keepass.info/help/v2/license.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Quote: “The program is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 or later.”
- **E2E encryption (zero-knowledge)**: Yes — <https://keepass.info/features.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: Local vault file, no server; page doesn't use the term 'zero-knowledge'.
  - Quote: “The complete database is encrypted, not only the password fields.”
- **Passkey support**: No — <https://keepass.info/plugins.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: Only via third-party plugin, not built into core KeePass.
  - Quote: “KeePassPasskey ... Stores/retrieves passkeys in/from KeePass.”
- **TOTP / 2FA codes storage**: Yes — <https://keepass.info/help/base/placeholders.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Quote: “'Copy Time-Based OTP', 'Show Time-Based OTP'”
- **Browser autofill**: No — <https://keepass.info/plugins.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: Browser integration is plugin-only; core offers OS-level Auto-Type, not a native extension.
  - Quote: “Kee connects your web browser to KeePass. It requires KeePassRPC.”
- **Secure sharing**: No — <https://keepass.info/help/base/multiuser.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Quote: “There are no per-group or per-entry access control lists (ACLs).”
- **Emergency access**: No — <https://keepass.info/help/base/multiuser.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: No trusted-contact emergency access feature documented.
  - Quote: “There are no per-group or per-entry access control lists (ACLs).”
- **Breach monitoring**: No — <https://keepass.info/plugins.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: Breach checking is plugin-only, not built into core KeePass.
  - Quote: “Breach/Leak Checkers ... HaveIBeenPwned”
- **Hardware key support (FIDO2)**: Partial — <https://keepass.info/plugins.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: Only YubiKey HMAC-SHA1 challenge-response via plugin; not FIDO2/WebAuthn, not in core.
  - Quote: “YubiKey challenge-response authentication is supported ... provided by the KeeChallenge plugin.”
- **Offline vault access**: Yes — <https://keepass.info/features.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Quote: “A password database consists of only one file that can be transferred from one computer to another easily.”
- **Self-hostable server**: No — <https://keepass.info/help/base/faq.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Quote: “a centralized Internet server currently is out of range”
- **Family / team vaults**: Partial — <https://keepass.info/help/base/multiuser.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: Single shared database with one master key, no per-user permissions.
  - Quote: “multiple users working with one database, which is typically stored on a shared network drive”
- **Password health report**: Partial — <https://keepass.info/help/base/faq_tech.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Note: Per-entry strength estimate, not a consolidated health report.
  - Quote: “For estimating the quality/strength of a password, KeePass ... has a built-in list of common passwords and checks for patterns.”
- **CLI**: Yes — <https://keepass.info/help/base/cmdline.html> (verified 2026-07-08)
  - Quote: “Command Line Options. Command line options to automate KeePass tasks.”

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