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Active Directory, security & utilities

KeePass

Free, open-source password manager built on a local encrypted database.

open sourcedesktop

Reviewed by Giuseppe Tommaso Curella, Infrastructure & network engineer Updated 2026-11-05

Official site keepass.info

Independent reference — this page is a review. KeePass is downloaded from the vendor’s official site, not from here.

PlatformsWindows (official); macOS/Linux via Mono; community ports
LicenceOpen source — GPL-2.0+
PriceFree
SectionActive Directory, security & utilities
Updated2026-11-05

What it is

Free and open source, it keeps an encrypted local database (AES / ChaCha20) behind a master password or key file — a way to store server and admin credentials with no cloud involved, rounded out by plugins and auto-type.

Problems it closes

  • Admin and server credentials have to live somewhere secure, not a spreadsheet or a notes file.
  • You need a password vault with no cloud dependency whatsoever.
  • A small team needs shared secrets in an encrypted, portable file.

How administrators run it

  • Keep an encrypted .kdbx database behind a master password or key file.
  • Group entries and let auto-type fill logins for you.
  • Drop the database on a share, or sync it yourself, for team access.
KeePass main window with password entries
Screenshot: Wikimedia Commons, GPL v2+.

Strengths & trade-offs

Strengths

  • Free, open source and widely audited.
  • Local and offline — no cloud required.
  • Plugins and auto-type supported.

Trade-offs

  • The official client is Windows (community ports cover other OSes).
  • Sync and sharing are yours to manage.

Common questions

Is it cloud-based?

No. It’s a local encrypted database file you control and store wherever you like.

Can a team share one database?

Yes, via a shared or synced file — though watch out for concurrent edits.

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