KeePass Evaluate (2025): Options, Pricing, and Safety

KeePass is a free and open-source password supervisor that’s been round for over 20 years. Since its launch in 2003, the password supervisor’s means so as to add user-generated plugins and extensions has made it a preferred possibility for lovers and extra technical customers.

Whereas KeePass provides first rate and safe password storage, its dated design, lack of conventional password seize and replay, and unintuitive utility make it exhausting to suggest in opposition to extra trendy password managers.

KeePass pricing

KeePass is a very free password supervisor that doesn’t have any paid tiers. That is in distinction to rivals like NordPass and Dashlane which have paid plans and have free variations, however with inherent limitations. For instance, Dashlane’s free model solely permits for a most of 25 passwords. Nonetheless, you may avail of their paid plan to get limitless password storage.

One large distinction between KeePass and different password managers is that quite a lot of options aren’t included out of the field. As an alternative, customers can customise their KeePass shopper’s function set through downloadable plugins from the password supervisor’s web site. Plugins can be found for capabilities comparable to importing and exporting passwords, knowledge backups and auto typing.

Is KeePass protected?

Sure, KeePass is a protected and safe password supervisor. It makes use of the business normal AES-256 encryption for its database and person vaults. It’s additionally open-source, permitting the general public to confirm its supply code for doable vulnerabilities or potential safety holes.

This can be a large function for privateness lovers, particularly those that worth transparency, because it lets the customers and specialists collaborate with KeePass in maintaining it safe to make use of.

Encryption-wise, I like that KeePass encrypts the entire database, which implies that not solely are passwords encrypted but in addition different gadgets comparable to usernames and notes.

As of March 2025, KeePass had not been concerned in any knowledge breach. The password supervisor has been audited within the European Fee’s Free and Open Supply Software program Auditing (EU-FOSSA 1) mission, which confirmed that it had zero safety points.

KeePass additionally shares that it’s the advisable password supervisor within the BSI Cyber Safety Suggestions BSI-CS 003 2.0 by the German Federal Workplace for Data Safety and is on the record for advisable free software program for French public businesses.

To me, these suggestions from authorities businesses maintain quite a lot of weight since they deal with extremely delicate and public knowledge.

Key options of KeePass

Other than password storage and password technology, KeePass comes with just a few key options that make it distinctive in comparison with different password managers.

Library of plugins and extensions

Certainly one of KeePass’ greatest promoting factors is the power to obtain and add plugins for every person’s KeePass shopper. These plugins add extra options or modify present performance, comparable to letting customers import or export totally different file codecs, altering the KeePass person interface, or including autofill capabilities.

Proper now, there are greater than 180 downloadable plugins on the KeePass web site. That is excellent for customers who worth with the ability to customise their password supervisor and its function set.

For me, I favor a password administration answer that already comes with devoted options, with out having to fret about including them after the preliminary set up. If you happen to’re like me on this, 1Password or NordPass are password managers with quite a lot of options already baked in.

Native-device password administration

One other standout function from KeePass is that it’s a utterly native password administration system. Which means that all of your passwords and saved credentials are encrypted regionally in your laptop or machine of alternative. That is in distinction to different password managers that retailer passwords within the cloud, like 1Password or LastPass.

If you happen to’re paranoid about cloud-based password managers probably being concerned in a knowledge breach and leaking your knowledge, KeePass could be a nice answer since every part is saved regionally. You possibly can learn our LastPass assessment to be taught extra about how knowledge breaches can have an effect on a password administration answer.

On the flip facet, KeePass’ all-local implementation could be a drawback because you gained’t have the comfort of quick access to your passwords on a number of units by the cloud.

Auto-Sort performance

Not like most trendy password managers, KeePass doesn’t have a traditional autofill function. What it does have is Auto-Sort — a world auto-type hotkey which routinely varieties out credentials in your chosen account pages.

Auto-Sort works by having KeePass open within the background, switching to the web site, and KeePass routinely typing out your login credentials after you hit a specific keyboard shortcut. That is against different password managers that routinely fill out the username and password fields through a browser extension or by a clickable pop-up.

Whereas seeing KeePass routinely kind out my password was cool at first, I did discover it actually finicky to make use of after just a few instances. As a result of I needed to manually set the sequence during which the login credentials are to be typed, i.e. if the username or password goes first, there have been instances that KeePass couldn’t kind my particulars within the correct fields.

Regardless of Auto-Sort being a singular get together trick that I haven’t encountered on different password managers, I truthfully discovered manually copying and pasting from the KeePass shopper to be a greater different.

KeePass authentication and safety choices

KeePass comes with two essential multi-factor authentication (MFA) choices: key file and linking a Home windows person account. A key file is a file which you can save both in your laptop, USB flash drive, or another machine, which acts as an extra requirement in tandem along with your grasp password to entry your database.

You possibly can set your KeePass vault or database to solely open in case you’re logged into a particular Home windows person account. I might have most well-liked it if KeePass had extra MFA choices like 1Password’s fingerprint verification or NordPass’ authenticator app integration.

When you can obtain two-factor authentication (2FA) or One-Time Password (OTP) plugins, I believe having these authentication choices baked inside the app itself is extra user-friendly. This protects customers the time of getting to select which plugin is the perfect, particularly since most rivals have these available as soon as put in.

For safety choices, I like that KeePass has a timer for everytime you copy passwords off your database. At default, KeePass routinely removes any copied credential from the clipboard after 12 seconds.

There are additionally totally different Implement Choices that allow you to set whether or not you need your KeePass database to routinely lock after inactivity or have KeePass warn you every time a key transformation setting is weak.

KeePass interface and efficiency

KeePass’ desktop person interface (UI) falls flat in each design and ease of use. Its design is dated and appears a bit like legacy-Home windows functions from the 2000s. I favor password managers with a glossy and trendy UI.

KeePass’ utility can be not the simplest password supervisor to make use of and be taught. As soon as I put in the applying, I acquired a clean dashboard with no included information. There wasn’t a transparent tutorial on methods to save my first password or use any of KeePass’ options.

Luckily, there are video tutorials, guides, and discussion board posts on-line that define methods to use KeePass. Nonetheless, I don’t suppose the password supervisor must sacrifice ease-of-use to get to their aim of customizability.

When it comes to efficiency, I had no bother including new password entries contained in the KeePass app. The included password generator additionally labored with none concern and I like that there’s no restrict to password characters.

It’s unlucky that KeePass doesn’t have conventional autofill and password seize and replay performance. With none plugins, it’s a must to manually enter login credentials to save lots of new usernames and passwords. This provides an additional step to the method in comparison with one thing like Keeper’s KeeperFill function that routinely saves and fills in new logins upon creation.

KeePass cellular app

KeePass doesn’t have its personal proprietary iOS or Android cellular utility. Nonetheless, it acknowledges user-generated cellular ports of its service.

This supplies customers a ton of choices when it comes to KeePass cellular functions. Nonetheless, because of this there’s no assurance {that a} given cellular app will probably be supported long-term. Every cellular port will even have various ranges of high quality, so your mileage might range.

KeePass professionals

• Utterly free password supervisor.
• Open supply and safe.
• Extremely customizable.
• Downloadable user-generated plugins.

KeePass cons

• Exhausting to be taught and never user-friendly.
• No autofill function included.
• Auto-Sort is a bit clunky.
• Multi-factor authentication choices are separate downloads.
• Design appears a bit dated.
• No official cellular app.

SEE: Penetration Testing and Scanning Coverage (TechRepublic Premium)

Who’s KeePass for?

KeePass is for customers who desire a password supervisor they’ll personalize. With its giant library of downloadable plugins and extensions, KeePass could be a very highly effective device for these prepared to take the time to maximise its capabilities.

It’s additionally decide for particular person customers who’re cautious of cloud-based password managers and desire a safe method to retailer their passwords regionally.

Nonetheless, its lower than pleasant person interface, clunky auto-type function, and lack of conventional password seize and replay make it exhausting to suggest in opposition to different high password managers available in the market. Its locally-stored password storage additionally makes it exhausting

KeePass options

If you happen to discover that KeePass isn’t match, I’ve listed three different password managers which are value a attempt.

Bitwarden

If you need a cloud-based password supervisor with a beneficiant free model, try Bitwarden. Bitwarden’s free model permits for limitless password storage and entry on a limiteless variety of units. You additionally get robust zero-knowledge encryption and reasonably priced pricing on its paid plans throughout the board.

Take a look at our full Bitwarden assessment.

NordPass

NordPass is an all-around password supervisor that doesn’t have many faults. It has an intuitive person interface, plans for each single customers and enterprise, and has independently audited functions. It additionally makes use of the safe and extra trendy XChaCha20 encryption algorithm.

Take a look at our full NordPass assessment.

1Password

For avid vacationers, 1Password could be a nice decide. It comes with a useful Journey Mode function that lets customers cover choose vaults every time they journey. That is on high of its glossy desktop UI and robust AES-256 encryption. 1Password additionally supplies 14-day free trials throughout all its plans that allow you to check their service.

Take a look at our full 1Password assessment.

Evaluate methodology

My assessment of KeePass concerned an in depth evaluation of its security measures and real-world efficiency. I used KeePass on a Home windows laptop computer for testing and for hands-on expertise.

I rated KeePass on every part from its password administration options to its ease of use primarily based on an inside algorithm to get a score of three.0 out of 5 stars. The scoring was primarily based each on KeePass by itself and in relation to different password managers.

This text was initially revealed in January 2024. It was up to date by Luis Millares in March 2025.