What is KeePassXC?
KeePassXC is a password manager that stores credentials in an encrypted local file instead of a vendor's cloud account. The database can sit anywhere the user chooses — a local disk, or a private or public cloud folder — and KeePassXC holds usernames, passwords, URLs, attachments and notes inside it, filling them into apps as needed. It is free, has no ads or subscriptions, and is published under the GPLv3. Version 2.7.9 was awarded a security visa by the French national cybersecurity agency. It suits people who want full control of where their credentials live and do not want a hosted service in the loop.
Verified product facts
- Type
- password managerEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Pricing
- Open sourceDeveloper-stated
- Open source
- Yes
- Developer
- KeePassXC TeamDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Current version
- 2.7.12Developer-stated
- Official website
- keepassxc.org/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What KeePassXC does at a glance.
Credentials
Stored in an offline, encrypted database file
No remote servers
The database is never uploaded to a vendor
Holds usernames, passwords, URLs, attachments and notes
Auto-fills credentials into apps
Cross-platform
Windows, macOS and Linux
Open source
Under the GPLv3, with the code on GitHub
Version 2.7.9 awarded a security visa
By ANSSI, the French national cybersecurity agency
What you can use KeePassXC for
- Keeping one encrypted password database that is never held by a third party
- Syncing credentials between machines through a folder the user already controls
- Filling logins into apps from a local database
Who is KeePassXC for?
- People who want their password database to be a file they own, not an account they rent
- Users who need an audited, open-source manager and are willing to manage sync themselves
Who is KeePassXC not for?
- Anyone who wants a hosted service to sync and recover credentials automatically — KeePassXC has no cloud of its own
- Users who want to unlock their vault with a passkey or a browser-only setup — the model here is a local database plus a master password
Limitations
- There is no first-party cloud sync or account recovery; syncing the database file is the user's responsibility
- Sharing a single item is done by sharing the database or an export, not by a link to one entry
- Apple Silicon support is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks
Strengths and trade-offs
What KeePassXC does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- The password database is an offline encrypted file and is never stored on a vendor's servers.Developer-stated
- Source code is released under the GPLv3 and published on GitHub.
- Version 2.7.9 passed ANSSI's First-level Security Certification (CSPN) and received a security visa.
- Cross-platform, with every feature tested on Windows, macOS and Linux.Developer-stated
Trade-offs
- There is no built-in cloud sync, so keeping devices in step is left to the user.
- No account recovery exists: losing the database file or the master password means losing the credentials.Editorially reviewed
- The security certification applies to version 2.7.9 specifically, not to every later release.
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Direct download from keepassxc.org, or from a package manager on Linux.
- First launch Developer-stated
- Create a new encrypted database file and set a master password; no account is involved.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Auto-fills stored credentials into apps from the local database.
What it does
KeePassXC keeps a single encrypted database file, and that file is the product. Usernames, passwords, URLs, attachments and notes go inside it, and the app fills them into other applications. Because the database is a file, it can be kept on disk or in a folder that is already synced by another service — the choice, and the risk, stay with the user.
Security posture
The database is encrypted at all times and is never stored on a server run by the project, so there is no vendor account to breach. Version 2.7.9 was awarded a security visa by ANSSI, France’s national cybersecurity agency, after passing its First-level Security Certification. The project is open source under the GPLv3, so the implementation can be inspected rather than trusted on description.
The trade-off
What KeePassXC does not provide is convenience infrastructure. There is no first-party cloud, so syncing between a Mac and another device means moving the database file yourself, and there is no account recovery if both the file and the master password are lost. Sharing one credential means exporting or sharing the whole database rather than sending a link to a single item.
Questions about KeePassXC
Is KeePassXC free?
Yes. It is free and open source under the GPLv3, with no ads, no subscriptions and no cloud service to pay for.
Does KeePassXC store my passwords in the cloud?
No. Passwords stay in an offline, encrypted file. The file can be placed in a cloud folder if you choose, but KeePassXC itself has no cloud service.Developer-stated
Has KeePassXC been security-audited?
Version 2.7.9 was awarded a security visa by ANSSI, the French national cybersecurity agency, after passing its First-level Security Certification (CSPN).
Does KeePassXC run on macOS?
Yes. KeePassXC is tested on Windows, macOS and Linux, and a macOS build is published.
Alternatives to KeePassXC
Apps that could replace this one — the same job, a different trade-off.
1Password
Encrypted password and passkey vault with autofill and breach monitoring.
Both store credentials in an encrypted vault, but 1Password syncs through an account while KeePassXC keeps the vault in a local file.
Compared with
Head-to-head comparisons Nuanyue has published.
Bitwarden
Open source password management tool for Mac OS, iOS and browsers.
Both are open-source password managers; Bitwarden is built around a hosted service while KeePassXC is built around a file you own.
Similar apps
Related in purpose, but not a straight swap.
Strongbox
KeePass-compatible password manager with local or self-hosted sync.
Both work with KeePass-format databases on macOS, but Strongbox is a closed-source Mac client while KeePassXC is open source and cross-platform.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
